Have you ever visited fantasy basketball forums and noticed that when people ask a question they often don't provide enough information about their league to enable you to give a thorough and appropriate answer? Or, have you ever bought a basketball magazine and read a fantasy player ranking, or found one on a sports site?

The problem with most player rankings you find is that depending on what site, magazine or ranking you look at, unless that ranking indicates what fantasy scoring system is being taken into account, you need to take it with a grain of salt. The scoring system or fantasy game type in which the ranking is factoring might be completely different than the type of scoring system you're dealing with in your league(s).

And, it makes a huge difference.

There are many, MANY types of fantasy basketball leagues. If you're going to ask the question of whether or not your team is any good; whether or not one player is better than the other; whether or not you should accept or propose a trade...you need to first provide some context. For instance, if I ask you whether or not I should accept the trade of Ben Wallace for Yao Ming (hypothetically), you would need to know first and foremost what type of league is being taken into account.

If it's a roto style league, then the next question would be what STAT CATs are featured in the league. If, say, turnovers are a category, then Ben Wallace's value is greatly increased, because he fills your defensive stats and doesn't cost you many turnovers. However, if they're not a STAT CAT in your league, Wallace doesn't really give you any offensive statistics and therefor probably gives up a huge edge to Yao Ming. If your league isn't a roto style league, is it point-based? Head 2 Head? Another thing to consider is whether or not it's a keeper league.

If you're asking about a trade, what are your team needs if you're in a roto league? Trading Ben Wallace for Yao Ming might be a good idea if you're in desperate need of blocks and maybe steals, but don't have much use for high percentages and points. But, if that's not the case, then the trade might be a good fit for your team. To make a long point short, everyone needs to understand how many different styles and set ups there are in fantasy basketball and all fantasy sports in general.

For more information on Rotisserie Leagues specifically, check out the Rotisserie Breakdown.

For more information on the various types of fantasy basketball leagues, please refer to our Before You Begin section.