Playing fantasy hoops is the ultimate test of whether you can separate your fandom from what will make your virtual team win! It’s hard! Sometimes your faves aren’t the smart choice. Here are a few tips on mistakes to avoid making on draft night.

1. Don’t draft a bunch of players from the same team!

I get it! You’re a fan of a team and will be watching them all the time, which logically means you’d want to take as many of their players as possible, right? WRONG! There’s only one basketball. If one player goes off, that doesn’t leave much room for the others to log big-time stats. Diversify the teams on your roster!

2. Bigs run the WNBA and fantasy sports. Don’t overdraft a guard just because.

Skylar Diggins-Smith, Courtney Vandersloot, Arike Ogunbowale and Jewell Loyd are maybe the four best guards in the world right now, and definitely should all be taken by the end of the second round. But don’t draft them before the elite bigs! Last year’s top 6 players in MVP voting were all forwards or centers, and in the fantasy world, remember that blocks are worth two (double) points!

3. Don’t draft these players high (if at all)

The WNBA news cycle is tough to follow, and we don’t blame you if you’ve struggled to keep up. Here’s a quick cheat sheet on players you probably don’t want to take on Draft Day:

• Nyara Sabally, the Liberty’s No. 5 pick is out for the season due to a knee injury

• Lynx All-Star Napheesa Collier is expecting her first child in May

• Mercury center Brittney Griner is detained in Russia, and her future is uncertain

• Mercury guard Kia Nurse tore her ACL in October, and her timetable for return is unclear

4. The Elena Delle Donne conundrum

When healthy, Delle Donne, the W’s two-time MVP and lone member of the 50/40/90 club, is one of the best players in the world. But three years after the back injury she suffered en route to a 2019 championship, we’re still questioning whether she can play a full season. Delle Donne opted out of the 2020 season due to Covid-19 concerns, but only played three games in 2021 because of back ailments. She’s a high-risk pick, but the reward could win your fantasy league

5. Don’t draft rookies high

This year’s class isn’t expected to make its mark on the league from the get-go. The top-2 picks, Rhyne Howard and NaLyssa Smith, will definitely get loads of playing time and should be taken in the top-50 of drafts. Outside of those two, minutes could be sparse.