*pending the league's decision on the rest of the season (which I'm pessimistic about) Maybe I'm too gloomy, but I'm guessing that the NBA regular season is just about kaput. So here's a possibly premature discussion of the top 12 players (so far?), best value draft pick of the year, biggest disappointment of the year and pickup of the year. I also answer three mailbag questions that look forward to next season. Stay safe, wise and kind, listeners. Stay home unless you absolutely must make a run for necessities, etc. For more info regarding COVID-19, check out the CDC's website. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Music: "Wizard" by Jahzzar From the Free Music Archive CC BY NC

The 2019-20 NBA trade deadline bordered on madness, but now that all the dust, dollars and draft picks have settled, let's look at the fantasy basketball implications. Here's my take on the winners, losers and wait-and-see guys post-deadline. Is Robert Covington a total winner? Is Juan Hernangomez a must-add now? How is Marvin Bagley a loser this trade season? Listen to find out. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Music: "Wizard" by Jahzzar From the Free Music Archive CC BY NC

It's been way too long, but I'm back with a new episode. With nearly a month's worth of games in the books, it's a good time to take a closer look at players who have fallen short of preseason expectations and those who have outperformed expectations. Why are they underperforming or outperforming so far, and what should fantasy basketball managers do about it? In this episode, I discuss players like Nikola Jokic, Draymond Green, Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Jonathan Isaac, Andrew Wiggins and Tristan Thompson, among others. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Music: "Wizard" by Jahzzar From the Free Music Archive CC BY NC

If you have a fantasy basketball draft coming up (or even if you've already completed your draft), this episode is for you. Here's a deep dive into a 12-team, H2H mock draft (on Yahoo) I recently participated in (I had pick No. 8). In this lengthy episode, I discuss just about every player drafted. If you want to follow along with all the picks, use this page displaying the full results on basketballmerlin.com. Remember to visit basketballmerlin.com for my recently completed series on punting. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Music: "Wizard" by Jahzzar From the Free Music Archive CC BY NC

Now that we're three episodes deep into this new fantasy basketball podcast, it's time to show my true colors by going pessimistic — or pragmatic, as I like to call it. In this episode I talk about nine players I don't want to own in the 2019-20 NBA season: Joel Embiid Kawhi Leonard Kemba Walker Russell Westbrook Mitchell Robinson Kristaps Porzingis Chris Paul Kevin Love Hassan Whiteside Also, remember to visit basketballmerlin.com for my ongoing series on punting in fantasy basketball. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Music: "Wizard" by Jahzzar From the Free Music Archive CC BY NC

In the second episode of this new podcast, I briefly discuss the 11 Golden Rules of fantasy basketball. This isn't a comprehensive list, of course, but the rules herein are ones that I think are particularly important for new and veteran managers alike. Be pragmatic Don’t overreact Don’t be an absentee owner Accept/reject trades in a timely manner Know your league’s settings and rules Don’t abuse veto power Don’t be cheap with your trade offers Make educated trade offers Be smart about 2-for-1 trades Be nice Have fun Head to basketballmerlin.com for my ongoing series on punting in fantasy basketball. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Music: "Wizard" by Jahzzar From the Free Music Archive CC BY NC

Behold, a new fantasy basketball podcast rises! Thanks for tuning in to my first ever podcast for Basketball Merlin. In this episode, I discuss my first set of player rankings (top 150 for H2H, nine-cat redraft leagues) heading into this season's drafts by spotlighting some players, including LeBron James, Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, Zion Williamson and Victor Oladipo, among others. Head to basketballmerlin.com to see the full set of rankings. Yahoo's help page indicating that its fantasy basketball platform reopens Aug. 15. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Music: "Wizard" by Jahzzar From the Free Music Archive CC BY NC