I’ve tried rebuilding every single team and done everything but Luka always wins mvp and the entire lakers are a god squad somehow and never lose unless I genuinely do some crazy stupid trades and signing and stuff because they always 4-5 peat in my universes if i play real rosters and 2027 idk if our lovely creator loves the lakers or sum but its crazy

Hey everyone, I'm feeling pretty lost with a lot of the mechanics in this game. I'm definitely not saying the game is bad, but my usual trial-and-error process for figuring out management games just isn't working here. I figured I'd list what I did in my first few saves and what I'm still struggling to understand:

1.​For my first league, I picked the biggest market team so I could experiment with trades, contracts, and player development without getting fired immediately. The 'problem' was that my team randomly generated a 23-year-old PF with 75 OVR and 80 POT. So yeah, I basically started with the GOAT.

​Because of that player, I got completely carried to 3 rings (mostly by just abusing Free Agency like a madman to build around him). At the time, I actually thought I had mastered the game, but looking back, I realize I learned absolutely nothing.

2.​I had no idea how to draft. At first, I tried to land a good player (since I got a lottery pick in my first season), but I didn't understand any of the parameters to measure potential or how to tell if a prospect would actually turn out good. I basically just looked at height, basketball IQ, and searched for specific "types" of players, but it never worked out for me.

3.​Player development is what I understand the least; it feels completely random to me right now. I've had players who grew steadily for three years, only to suddenly lose their potential or even drop in overall rating the very next season for no apparent reason. I've tried everything: increasing minutes for talented young guys, reducing their role if they underperform, you name it. But these random regressions seem to happen to players of all ages. I even got to the point where I assumed it was a realism feature—like they got lazy after securing their second contract, or they stopped developing because there was no competition for their starting spot!

​I think these two mechanics (drafting and development) are the main things keeping me from really enjoying the game. I know it's definitely a skill issue on my end, but if I could just wrap my head around them, I'd finally be able to focus on the deeper aspects like the economy and cap management.

4.​Still completely lost, I kept trying to figure things out in new saves (playing with smaller markets), but I just kept experimenting and failing miserably. I tried looking for guides on YouTube, but there's basically nothing out there.

​I will gladly accept any guide, tips, or advice from veteran players. I really want to understand the game so I can properly enjoy it. I wouldn't normally resort to asking like this, but I'm genuinely struggling to grasp the mechanics even after multiple saves. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone!

We're looking for active managers to fill our 10-team ESPN Fantasy Basketball league for the 2026-27 NBA season.

• Platform: ESPN
• League Size: 10 teams
• Format: Head-to-Head Points
• Draft: October 18, 2026
• Scoring: Custom scoring that rewards assists, steals, blocks, and efficiency
• Experience: All levels welcome!

We're hoping to build a fun, competitive league with managers who stay active throughout the season, set their lineups, and participate in trades.

If you're interested, here is the link to join: https://fantasy.espn.com/basketball/league/join?leagueId=834629738&inviteId=c60c4a41-cf2a-4d16-8912-1e8e363dfdb7

50 000 points by the way. philly were rubbish otherwise but they still won 7 championships with my st louis stealing 4 from them