Build-Your-Own NBA Draft Kit, Part 1: Overview

In case the title didn't give it away, there are going to be a series of articles detailing how you, my humble reader, can build your very own draft kit using only Microsoft Excel, a pile of stats and some American ingenuity (international readers: I do apologize. Feel free to substitute Djiboutian ingenuity, Icelandic ingenuity, or whatever ingenuity you prefer).

There are several good reasons to build your own draft kit, but the biggest one has to be...

1. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY A RED CENT

I suppose there are a lot of people out there who enjoy paying $20-$50 for a draft kit from one of the "expert" fantasy sites out there, but I certainly am not one of them. If your time is really that valuable that you can't spend a few hours churning some numbers, then purchasing a draft kit is perfectly fine. But why are you even reading this in the first place? Go back to managing your stock portfolio!

Anyway, for the rest of us who A) have a few hours to kill, B) like understanding why exactly Danny Granger is better than Dwyane Wade (...or is he?), and C) want to save a few bucks, this is the place for you! Other reasons for building your own draft kit are...

2. FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE

Running a non-standard league that uses offensive fouls, free throws attempted, and assist/turnover ratio? Some draft kits might have a problem giving you adjusted rankings based on these categories. If you make your own draft kit, you can feel free to include and exclude whatever statistics you want based on the parameters of your league.

3. THE NUMBERS NEVER LIE

Pardon me for stealing Matt Buser's favorite line, but it really is true. Memories have a tendency to betray us. We remember some things favorably and others unfavorably. Would you build a draft kit if you had watched every single NBA game all year long, but didn't ever see any statistics? Clearly, no. So use those numbers, folks!

Others have criticized me in the past for "just looking at the numbers." Well, this may come as a shock, but fantasy sports are all about numbers! (Gasp!) This is not to say that the human element has no place, but at its core, the player with the best numbers wins.

4. IT GIVES PEOPLE SOMETHING TO ARGUE ABOUT

I am sure that some of you might disagree with my methods. That's fine! I am always open to new ideas for improving the process. I myself have second- and triple-guessed my own means of building draft kits, and have honed the process over a period of years. One of the great things about Fantasy Sports is that it gives people a competitive outlet, and I would hope that that same competitive spirit transfers over to this series (even if it consists of "You're a moron, Mark.").

Tune in next time for the second installment of the series, which will cover the following topics:

-Where to obtain fancy statistics for the NBA
-How to import said statistics in Microsoft Excel
-Where to download free pirated copies of Excel (just kidding!)
-Jessica Alba's phone number (kidding again!)
-Initial customization of the spreadsheet for our particular league (serious on this one!)

Until then, take care.
-M