The fantasy basketball campaign is 170 days long. Throughout this long hoops marathon, we must navigate a series of pivotal roster decisions, and for some of them well want to seek outside counsel. If you have a crucial trade to consider or a meaningful waiver transaction in the works, feel free to use the hashtag #FBAMailbag on Twitter or email me at jmccormickespn@gmail.com to potentially find a solution in this weekly mailbag series.#FBAMailbag Down big in Roto league, first year for keepers. Considering selling my non-keeper stars for keepers,what can I expect for KAT?- HoopsHead_1987 (@HoopsHead_1987) December 8, 2016Towns was drafted fourth overall on average in ESPN drafts this fall, so wed want to net a sizable haul for such a high-end investment. Even though Towns is only 17th on the Player Rater at this stage after finishing seventh overall last season, his scoring, minutes, 3-point and assist production are all up from last season. Some regression, in shooting efficiency and defensive metrics, has lowered his ceiling a bit, but with a higher usage rate and a higher PER (player efficiency rating) already this season, you should demand a real ransom for this standout sophomore.Since you are behind big in a rotisserie league -- which can prove daunting to mount a comeback -- it does make sense to market your top commodity for stellar keeper resources. If your league allows for multiple keepers, you can pursue a bevy of young assets in return. Names like Bostons Avery Bradley -- in the thick of his prime, ranked in the top 40 of the Player Rater and due heavy minutes in an efficient up-tempo scheme -- are ideal targets.Youll want more than just Bradley, so maybe seek out teams that have multiple core keepers; names like Clint Capela of Houston, Dennis Schroder of Atlanta and, of course, Joel Embiid come to name. I do advocate being first to market your star assets in a league like this, as recognizing the reality of a last-place roto roster can serve to bolster your future, and you can have a number of your leagues contenders bidding for Towns.@_JimmyMcCormick #FBAMailbag is it worth keeping Noel for when he returns from injured list for philly- Jason Gulden (@Jason84CubsNum1) December 8, 2016Word is Noel has rejoined the team in New Orleans on Thursday and could make his debut as early as this weekend. On the mend from preseason knee surgery, Noel is an intriguing fantasy asset to consider, given hes still floating in some shallower/short-bench formats. The fade angles for Noel are somewhat clear; the team has a glut of frontcourt assets with Jahlil Okafor and Embiid claiming high-usage roles from the pivot, while Ersan Ilyasova and Dario Saric share minutes and touches from stretch-four roles. Noel is also a compromised offensive commodity, with just 10.5 points per game on a sluggish .491 effective field goal percentage over his two seasons.Then again, the promotion points for Noel are even more impressive, as hes one of only three players in league history to average at least 10 points, eight rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in each of his first two NBA seasons. The other two are these guys named Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. The steals are entirely unique, as we find below.610+ players to average 1.7+ steals in multiple seasons: Hakeem Olajuwon (10x), Tom Gugliotta (3x), Nerlens Noel (2x), David Robinson (2x)- Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) June 3, 2016Trade talks are also swirling around Noel, as he hasnt hidden his discontent with the teams talent traffic in the frontcourt. A trade wouldnt likely compromise Noels fantasy stock, as any team that invests in him would likely value his rare defensive prowess, which is where his impressive fantasy ceiling comes from. This is likely the nadir of Noels fantasy stock -- so yes, Jason, Id advise hoarding shares wherever possible. Whether its in Philly or an eventual new club, Noel is among the rarest defensive contributors to enter the league in a generation.@ESPNFantasy someone offered me Chris Paul and Marc Gasol for Rajon Rondo and Demarcus Cousins. Should I accept? #FBAMailBag- Paul S. John (@Paul_S_John) December 8, 2016A big blockbuster is always fun to consider. Even with the grand scale of the commodities involved, Id say yes to this deal. Rondo enjoyed a volume-driven season in Sacramento last year in George Karls fantasy-friendly scheme, but has experienced a 41 percent dip in assist production and a 35 percent deflation in steals, as he shares the rock with ball-dominant peers in the Chicago backcourt.Boogie is a fantasy monster, but he could also lose some upside with a potential trade. Its mostly about what your netting, though, as Paul is fifth on the Player Rater and Gasol is 18th. As ESPNs Zach Lowe shares below, Gasol is in the midst of a dime-driven pinnacle performance, which proves sustainable with Mike Conley ailing. You take a downgrade from Cousins to Gasol, but the overall profit margin with Paul is significant.Marc Gasol on pace for one of the highest assist rates ever for players 6-11 or taller: https://t.co/TgeNglNIfb- Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) December 7, 2016@_JimmyMcCormick Do you think Kyle OQuinn is going to eventually start for the Knicks? Time to drop Noah and add OQuinn? #FBAMailbag- Uncle Reed (@The_Reed_) December 8, 2016Some fantasy hoops queries coming from Montana! This might read as pessimistic, but OQuinn might not require a coaching decision to earn an uptick in exposure and usage, as Noah played only 42 percent of his games over the past two seasons. Noah has been an unequivocal disappointment in New York, but the fact hes playing just 21.7 minutes per game for the Knicks suggests his starting designation is merely semantics. We cant trust OQuinn just yet, as the only valuable big on New York at this stage is Kristaps Porzingis. If Noah is ever injured for an enduring stretch -- a real possibility, given recent trends -- we can then discuss streaming OQuinn in standard fantasy formats.@_JimmyMcCormick @ESPNFantasy #FBAmailbag I was offered Nicola Vucevic and a player of my choice, (Curry, Wall, Jordan, AD) for Jimmy Butler- Joe Cook (@joecook37) December 8, 2016The player of your choice element is entirely intriguing, as you can net a double-double machine in Vucevic -- as hes 15th in the league with 16.7 rebounding chances per game -- and a complementary superstar. I would execute a deal, personally, as you can get a high-floor forward like Vucevic and your choice of three superstars (not including Jordan in this tier).It comes down to your team needs. I personally would assume the risks of Anthony Davis cathedral ceiling; as you immediately gain elite blocks, points and boards and, with the Magics glass-cleaner, make a substantial shift in rebounding. If you need 3-point volume and steals, Curry is obviously there for you. Im not a huge fan of taking on Wall here, especially with this pattern of sitting out the second leg of back-to-back sets. He does offer differentiation in assists, but I feel like you can get that elsewhere. A move of Butler for Davis and Vucevic bears some risk, but also some truly intriguing profit potential. Wholesale Browns Jerseys . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. Browns Jerseys Shop .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. http://www.cheapclevelandbrownsjerseys.com/ . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Damion Ratley Jersey . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. Austin Corbett Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Some high school students face a certain difficult decision when they graduate: go to college and (possibly) play an NCAA sport or serve in the military. Laura Madaio and the team at Athletes of Valor are working to end the false impression that they cant do both.Athletes of Valor is a start-up based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, whose mission is to provide veterans, active duty military personnel and transitioning servicemen and women the resources and platform to go from the military into college sports. Although the NCAA has a rule that says that student-athletes have five years to complete their four years of eligibility (and their clock typically starts ticking one year after high school graduation), servicemen and women are exempt, meaning they retain their eligibility.What Athletes of Valor has been trying to do is make military personnel aware they have this opportunity once they complete their service. Its platform is in place to streamline the process, allowing servicemen and women to publish profiles with their information and videos, then connect with college coaches who also use the platform.Every coach weve talked to, hands down, wants to recruit veterans, wants to recruit active duty military, said Alex Stone, a former Marine sergeant who left his job at Under Armour to found Athletes of Valor. Theres not one coach whos ever said, No, Im not interested. And thats a tribute to what these men and women can accomplish both on and off the field.Although the NCAA, according to a spokesperson, does not track the number of veterans competing in college sports, Athletes of Valors numbers are already in the hundreds despite only existing for a few months and having a staff of just four (plus an intern). But Madaio, its marketing manager whose responsibilities range from social media and editing to public outreach and finding prospective student-athletes, wants the number to be in the thousands by the end of 2017.Madaio, 25, a former two-sport athlete at Western New England University, previously worked with the Pawtucket Red Sox, 98.5 The Sports Hub, Wheaton College and IDG. But once she discovered Athletes of Valor, It was really a no-brainer.Here is Madaios story, in her words.A taste of humble pieI think being here for the Marine Corps birthday and for Veterans Day has definitely been top of mind as far as really bringing me back down to earth and realizing what were doing, the impact that its making. Even in this small office, people are very familiar with what were doing, and having people come out of nowhere into the office to say Happy Veterans Day and Happy Marine Corps Birthday to Alex and director of sales and business development Jay Blydell and realizing that I work for some really great people. And I know that, but I think it never hurts to get a reminder like that, have someone come in and say that these guys are our heroes.Family tiesI think I just grew up very pride-filled and very appreciative. Both my grandfathers served. I have two uncles that were Marines, one that was in the Air Force. My dads cousin was titled one of the most decorated Vietnam veterans in Massachusetts. So Ive grown up listening to these stories. When I got to talk to my uncles about all of this and talking to my grandpa, they were just so thrilled and excited that peoplle are still making strides toward veterans affairs.dddddddddddd Ive obviously been super passionate about being a woman in sport, and the fact that I can now aid women in sport while now working in sport is super exciting for me. If we can help anyone, I think weve done our job if we can help one person.More than footballI think theres definitely the misunderstanding that we just want male college football and lacrosse players on the platform. Of course thats gonna be a huge population for us, but what is most exciting is seeing the female athletes sign up and get involved, and knowing that type of word of mouth on a story that comes out about a female that is a former Army Ranger who went on to row -- or whatever that story is in college -- and then having that light bulb go off in someones head thats either active duty or veteran coming home and thinking, Oh, I can do that. All we really need is for these men and women to have that light bulb go off and say, Im competitive, I can do that.Not a charity caseRight now, we have coaches either reaching out to us and signing up or coaches reaching out to us and asking questions about how they get involved. Its been really exciting to see the response weve gotten from coaches. Coaches are understanding that this is not a charitable thing. This is not put a veteran on your team for good PR and to make you feel good about yourself. This is put a veteran on your team because you know theyre gonna make a difference, and you know that theyre gonna compete, and you know that theyre gonna be the guy in the locker room thats rallying everyone up and the guy thats out on the field giving his absolute all.Finding camaraderieIn a lot of our research, veterans are finding themselves feeling individualized and almost alone on campus unless they have some great veteran services to aid them in that type of transition. The sports structure is bringing that again. Its sharing your water with guys on the field. Its having meals -- a lot of sports teams eat breakfast together, or dinner -- taking long rides together, getting to know people again. They just align quite well the more you think about the day-to-day structure in the military and in sport.Then, from what weve seen, a lot of the times, a lot of college athletes need leadership and they need brotherhood, and these veterans have stories, amazing stories and experiences, in explaining to us that theyve provided that for students. A 26-year-old veteran who shows up to his college dorm and realizes hes rooming with 18-year-old freshmen on his baseball team, hes gonna provide that maturity and that cultured type of persona in their lives and on that team.Reading the commentsI run our social media accounts, and Im getting notifications nonstop. ... When I check my phone and see that an active-duty Marine commented on our Instagram and said, This is great, Im signing up, or I see someone, a mom or a girlfriend tag their son or daughter or significant other and say, Check this out, thats incredibly exciting for me not because I think that our ad is working; its because I think our story is resonating with people, and thats probably the most exciting thing. Cheap NFL Womens Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale NFL T-shirts China NFL Jerseys NFL T-shirts From China Wholesale NFL Hoodies Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '