Learn it.
Then play.

Your NBA players earn fantasy points for their real-game stats. Only players in your starting lineup score for you. The Lab adds those points across a weekly matchup; the higher total wins. Assists, steals and blocks help. Missed shots and turnovers hurt. Use ESPN points-league rankings when choosing players.

A 20-point NBA game is not automatically a 20-point fantasy game. Rebounds, shooting, assists and defensive stats change the total.

Everyone starts with $200 in virtual money to draft 13 players. Managers take turns nominating an available player; everyone can bid. The highest bidder wins and pays that amount. Keep at least $1 for each other empty roster spot. Make a price list before the draft, and stop bidding when a player exceeds your limit.

With $40 left and five spots to fill, your maximum bid is $36: reserve $1 for each of the other four spots.

Draft 13 players: ten active slots and three bench spots. The active lineup is PG, SG, SF, PF, C, G, F and three UTIL. G accepts eligible guards; F accepts eligible forwards; UTIL accepts any position. Follow each player's ESPN position tags. Multi-position players make lineups easier to fill. ESPN caps primary-position centers at four. The extra IR slot is for eligible injured players, not a fourteenth draft pick.

Fill the narrow position slots first when setting a lineup. Save flexible players for G, F and UTIL where possible.

You have a separate $100 season-long pickup budget. Submit a private bid of at least $1 for an available player. Bids process every day at 6 a.m. ET; the highest bid wins and is deducted from the winner's budget. Tied bids use ESPN's budget tiebreaker order. The winner moves to the back. Every available player goes through bidding, so you cannot make an instant free-agent pickup.

Win a $6 bid and your $100 becomes $94. The $200 draft budget is separate from this money.

Streaming means adding a player for useful games this week, then replacing him when the schedule changes. Target days with room in your active lineup. Four games at 20 fantasy points can beat two at 35, but only starts count. In The Lab, submit bids before the daily 6 a.m. ET processing. Each successful add costs at least $1. Seven adds per standard weekly matchup is a ceiling, not a target.

Seven $1 pickups every week would cost $140 across 20 matchups. Your budget is $100; spend selectively.

Open My Team in ESPN and check today's games. Move active players into eligible starting slots. A player locks at his scheduled game time, so check injuries and make changes beforehand. Bench points do not count. The Lab's automatic lineup protection is off; you need to handle injury replacements yourself.

Do a quick morning lineup check, then check again before your first game starts.

1. Try an ESPN salary-cap mock draft before Saturday.
2. Set player price limits before the bidding starts.
3. Prioritize reliable minutes and roles over a famous name.
4. Check injuries and set your lineup every day.
5. Use your pickup budget on players who improve your active lineup.

Your draft builds the roster. Daily lineup decisions turn that roster into points.

Compare points, minutes, health, position fit and future keeper cost. In a two-for-one, count the player you must drop. Offer a deal on ESPN; the other manager accepts or declines. Acceptance starts a two-day review, with six votes required to veto. Players arrive on your bench after processing; set your lineup. Trading closes March 15, 2027 at noon Eastern. A traded player keeps his salary and keeper history; the annual raise does not restart for his new team.

A useful question: will this trade improve the players I can actually start?

Keepers carry into next season; their salaries reduce your $200 draft budget. The Lab allows 0–13 for 2027–28, with no year limit. Draft price or winning waiver bid sets the starting salary. First raise: 10%, rounded up, minimum $3 and maximum $7. Each consecutive keep adds $1 to the raise, capped at $7. Trades preserve salary and keeper history. Target improving players whose future value exceeds their cost. Keep only the bargains you still want; returning a player frees draft money.

A $1 player costs $4, $8, $13, $19, $26 and $33 over six keeps.

An accepted trade has a two-day review. Other teams may vote to veto; the trading teams cannot. Each team gets one vote. Six veto votes cancel the deal; fewer allow it to process after review, subject to commissioner action. Follow ESPN's trade notice to vote. Good practice: reserve vetoes for cheating or collusion, not different player valuations or fear of a stronger rival. Bring specific evidence to the commissioner.

Six means six veto votes. It isn't a simple majority of the managers who choose to vote.