If a players fantasy hoops value was a rough equivocation of his perceived real-life NBA value, our jobs would be cake. Warren Sapp Jersey . Life would be one long Midseason Fantasy All-Stars column.Playoff performance would drive fantasy value. Championship rings accrued would drive fantasy value. Signing a big free agent contract would drive fantasy value. Points scored per game would drive a plurality of fantasy value. Draft position, defensive intensity, SportsCenter appearances, college program and market size would all drive fantasy value.Heres the trick: all of those factors do drive fantasy valuation, but not in a constructive manner.Instead, all of these factors combine to create noise. This noise begets variations in perceived fantasy value versus actual fantasy value.The result is perpetually overrated players like DeAndre Jordan, perennially underrated players like Mike Conley and, more often than not, solid values such as Paul Millsap.Winning in fantasy is simple. If you roster more undervalued players than your fellow owners ... you win. If you roster more overvalued players ... they win.Dont get caught up in name value. Stick to the numbers.Our job is to filter out the noise and focus only on eight or nine categories of statistical impact, and the factors that drive production in said categories.We here at ESPN do an industry-leading job in pinpointing fantasy value. Its a fact. Our tried and true preseason rankings represent just how much work goes into creating a superlative Draft Kit. These rankings are saturated with projections you can take to the bank of your choice.All the same, theres nothing wrong with a dollop of healthy disagreement. Every happy and well-adjusted family has the occasional behind-the-scenes pre-Thanksgiving argument.More often than not, my disagreements with our preseason rankings are fueled by atypical positional production. Players at certain positions tend to simultaneously excel and disappoint in certain categories.Point guards typically produce a surfeit of assists, 3s, steals and solid free throw percentages. They tend to suffer from a lack of rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage. Centers typically produce a surplus of blocks, rebounds and boffo field goal percentages. They tend to lack in assists, steals and free throw percentage.When players at certain positions deviate from these norms, they offer categorical surprises -- positive and negative.Lets take a quick jaunt through my most underrated and overrated players this draft season.Underrated players in the top 10In the first round, every single slot counts. Just moving up or down a couple of draft slots can win or lose your league.Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors (ESPN Rank: 4)I think were overweighting the Kevin Durant effect on Currys production. Curry is projected to drop about four points per game, less than one rebound per game and about a third of an assist per game.If those predictions hold relatively true, I have Curry still at No. 2 overall (behind newly minted PG James Harden). Currys otherworldly combination of 3-point production (projected 5.1 per game in 2016-17) and true shooting percentage (66.9 percent in 2015-16) could end up pushing him back into the top overall slot.Curry is utterly dominant in 3-point production, double any other player in the NBA save for Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard. When a player can win a category on his own while delivering elite production in multiple surrounding categories -- especially while bolstering efficiency -- you can forgive drops in volume.Hassan Whiteside, PF, Miami Heat (ESPN Rank: 13)Whiteside is elite in two categories: rebounds and field goal percentage. Like Curry, he occupies a one-man tier in a single category. Whiteside nearly doubles the blocks potential of every other player in the NBA.When you factor in that blocks are one of scarcer statistics in fantasy, Whitesides fantasy value climbs into the top 10. His free throw percentage (.650 in 2015-16) is somewhat disquieting, but was a big improvement over the .500 he laid down in 2014-15.Overrated players in the top 10Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN Rank: 6)I have Paul valued between No. 9 and No. 10 overall (in non-turnover leagues). Im not projecting the drop based on possibility of injury. (For the purposes of this column, Im assuming everyone stays reasonably ambulatory. If we got into whom we thought was going to get injured, this would turn into a different, darker column.)Pauls drop is due to slight, predictable slides in three categories. Looking over his past three seasons, Paul is trending down ever so slightly in assists, steals and field goal percentage. As long as Paul stays around 10 assists per game, hes a top-10 player. But if, in his age-31 season, his steals rate starts dropping from 2.0 per night to 1.5 per night? Thats a problem because the secret sauce in Pauls Hall Of Fame value has always marinated in his undervalued elite steals production.Underrated players in the top 40Victor Oladipo, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder (ESPN Rank: 27)As of this writing, Oladipo is a top-20 fantasy player. This isnt an educated guess. Over the last third of 2015-16, Oladipo quietly posted top-20 value.He overcame a developmental situation in Orlando, slogged through inconsistent minutes and quietly built one of last seasons most improved fantasy portfolios. Now Oladipos going to ride shotgun next to Russell Westbrook? Reap all of the spacing Westbrook creates? Vacuum up the touches -- and open looks -- Kevin Durant left behind? (And yes. I know Durant will get even more space in Golden State, but Im touting Oladipo here).Were talking Westbrook lite, across-the-board fantasy value with no particular statistical weakness, elite steals and solid (for a SG) free throw percentage. Dont forget SG is looking particularly thin this draft season. If Oladipo eventually qualifies at PG as well -- another thin position -- itll just be another subtle plus.Nikola Jokic, C, Denver NuggetsIf the sight of Jokics minutes per game inching above 30 a night doesnt warm the cockles of your old and embittered fantasy heart, its time to explore other hobbies. This young man doesnt have a single statistical flaw. Double-doubles, blocks, assists, steals, 3s, terrific percentages: Jokic contributes across the board. He qualifies at a position of scarcity. Hes 2004 Andrei Kirilenko with some extra height.Jokic has momentum -- not playoff momentum (an outlier); end of 2015-16 momentum that translated into Olympic momentum. Jokic is a top-30 player right now, end of story.Overrated players in the top 40Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers (ESPN Rank: 11)In reality, Lillard and C.J. McCollum are a great basketball pair. In 2015-16, Lillard combined his 23.7 points, 7.1 assists, 2.8 3s and 4.4 rebounds with McCollums 20.3 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 3s, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals to deserved acclaim.Volume-based acclaim.If you look a little closer, youll notice Lillard is not the kind of player you want to overdraft. Hes quietly inefficient.He sports a scary .419 field goal percentage. Lillards 3-point production (.375) doesnt effectively offset such a low field-goal percentage because Lillard takes (and misses) too many mid-range to long-range jumpers. His 3-point percentage is higher than his percentage from 3 to 15 feet. Almost 15 percent of his attempts are from 16 feet to the 3-point line.A .419 field goal percentage. Lillard launches 20 shots a night. Thats a lot of drag. The effect is enough to knock Lillard down by 8-10 draft slots.Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN Rank: 23)This isnt about the punch. If I was folding in propensity toward injury and/or suspension, Griffins actual value would drop by two full rounds. It isnt about his formerly atrocious, now merely mediocre free throw shooting. Griffin has improved at the line.Griffin simply doesnt help out enough in the defensive categories to warrant a top-25 pick. A top-25 big man needs to chip in with at least a block and/or a steal per night. The once-gaudy points and rebounds are subtly trending downward.Ignore the hype. Griffin is an early fourth-round pick.Al Horford, C, Boston Celtics (ESPN Rank: 25)Horford is one of my most-drafted players of the past five seasons. Every year, he tends to a half round later than he should.His being underrated stemmed from three factors: Being more of an efficiency guy, he excels in out-of-position production, and the Hawks style tends to share the wealth up and down their lineup.His 3.2 assists per game in 2015-16 was one of the best (for a center) in basketball. He emphasized 3-point production, shooting .344 percent from deep and converting 1.1 3s per game. While his overall FG% was over 50 percent, Horford also shot an atypical (for a big man) 80 percent from the line.Its hard to be overhyped in Atlanta. After signing the second-biggest free agent deal of the summer, Horford is riding a wave of hype.Now Horfords coming off a much ballyhooed free-agent deal. Hes going to Boston, playing for it coach Brad Stevens and joining a team that should enter the season as the second-best team in the East.A team with a very deep rotation. Thats what gives me pause. While much of Horfords value is also efficiency based, you have to add some volume to give those ratios some weight.The Celtics are deeper up front than the Hawks. Stevens egalitarian system is not a good environment to add volume. Throw in that this is Horfords age-30 season, and youve looking at a player thats going to go 5-10 spots higher than he should.Kevin Love, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers (ESPN Rank: 34)I dont buy that Love is line for a bigger role in the Cavs offense. In reality, Love is a couple less rebounds per game away from becoming Ryan Anderson 2.0. For a guy ranked 34th overall, thats not a compliment.DeMar DeRozan, SG, Toronto Raptors (ESPN Rank: 42) DeRozan goes a little higher than he should because hes a points per game guy and a volume guy. In fantasy, his lack of 3-point production drags him down by about half a round.Underrated outside of the top 40DAngelo Russell, PG, Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN Rank: 66)Russell should be the biggest immediate beneficiary of playing in a post-Kobe Bryant universe. Kobes last lap around the NBA after All-Star Weekend took attention away from Russells second-half improvement.Kobes departure wasnt the only exodus that will benefit Russell. Byron Scott is also gone. Developing young upside is in. New coach Luke Walton is saying all the right things about Russells role headed into the season. Still only 20, Russells usage rate should take a nice leap from the 23.5 he posted during his (somewhat tumultuous) rookie campaign. I expect all of his volume-based numbers to improve, and his efficiency (13.22 rookie PER) has nowhere to go but up. Vita Vea Jersey . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. Lee Roy Selmon Jersey . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. http://www.authenticbuccaneerspro.com/ . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. A look at the best-of-seven American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians:---Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Cleveland (8:08 p.m.); Game 2, Saturday, at Cleveland (4:08 p.m.); Game 3, Monday, Oct. 17, at Toronto (8:08 p.m.); Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Toronto (TBA); x-Game 5, Wednesday, Oct. 19, at Toronto (TBA); x-Game 6, Friday, Oct. 21, at Cleveland (TBA); x-Game 7, Saturday, Oct. 22, at Cleveland (TBA). (All games on TBS).x-if necessary.---Season Series: Indians won 4-3.---Projected Lineup:Blue Jays: 2B Devon Travis (.300, 11 HRs, 50 RBI), 3B Josh Donaldson (.284, 37, 99), 1B Edwin Encarnacion (.263, 42, 127), DH Jose Bautista (.234, 22, 69), C Russell Martin (.231, 20, 74), SS Troy Tulowitzki (.254, 24, 79), RF Michael Saunders (.253, 24, 57), CF Kevin Pillar (.266, 7, 53), LF Ezequiel Carrera (.248, 6, 23) or Melvin Upton Jr. (.238, 20, 61 with San Diego and Toronto).Indians: DH Carlos Santana (.259, 34, 87, 99 walks), 2B Jason Kipnis (.275, 23, 82, 41 doubles), SS Francisco Lindor (.301, 15, 78, 19 steals), 1B Mike Napoli (.239, career highs with 34 HRs, 101 RBI), 3B Jose Ramirez (.312, 11, 76, 46 doubles, .357 with runners in scoring position), RF Lonnie Chisenhall (.286, 8, 57), LF Rajai Davis (.249, 12, 48, team-high 43 steals), CF Tyler Naquin (.296, 14, 43, among top 5 rookies in several offensive categories), C Yan Gomes (.167, 9, 34, only 74 games because of injuries).---Projected Rotation:Blue Jays: RH Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.48 ERA), LH J.A. Happ (20-4, 3.18), RH Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37, career-high 204 IP), RH Aaron Sanchez (15-2, AL-leading 3.00).Indians: RH Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.14, 227 Ks in 215 innings), RH Trevor Bauer (12-8, 4.26, career-high 190 innings), RH Josh Tomlin (13-9, 4.40, 36 HRs in 174 innings), RH Mike Clevinger (3-3, 5.26 in 17 games, 10 starts).---Relievers:Blue Jays: RH Roberto Osuna (1-6, 2.68, 36/39 saves), RH Jason Grilli (7-6, 1.29, 81Ks in 59 innings with Atlanta and Toronto), LH Brett Cecil (1-7, 3.96), RH Joe Biagini (4-3, 3.06 in 60 games as a rookie), LH Francisco Liriano (8-13, 4.69 with Pittsburgh and Toronto; 2-2, 2.92 in 10 games, 8 starts, for Blue Jays).Indians: RH Cody Allen (3-5, 2.51, 32/35 saves), RH Bryan Shaw (2-5, 3.24, 75 games), LH Andrew Miller (10-1, 1.45 ERA, 12 saves, 14.9 Ks per 9 innings with Yankees and Indians), RH Dan Otero (5-1, 1.53, 39 of last 46 appearances scoreless), RH Jeff Manship (2-1, 3.12, 53 games), RH Zach McAllister (3-2, 4.44, 53 games).---Matchups:Toronto and Cleveland, previously AL East foes, have never met in the postseason. But the cities squared off this spring for a spot in the NBA Finals when LeBron James and the Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors en route to a long-awaited championship. ... As in ALDS between Indians and Red Sox, there are connections between the franchises. Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro spent 24 years with Indians, working his way up through the front office before leaving last year. Toronto general manager Ross Atkins also came from Cleveland, and Blue Jays player development adviser Eric Wedge is a former Indians manager. ... Len Barker pitched a perfect game for Cleveland against Toronto in May 1981. ... Indians played two of their most memorable games this season against Toronto. They won 2-1 in 19 innings on July 1 (Canada Day) to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 14 games. Santana hit the decisive homer off Darwin Barney, the second Blue Jays infielder to pitch in the game. Toronto topped the Indians 9-6 the following day. Cleveland also beat the Blue Jays 3-2 on Aug. 19, winning on Naquins game-ending, inside-the-park homer. ... Four of the seven regular-season meetings were decided by one run. ... Bauer came out of the bullpen in the July 1 win and pitched five scoreless innings. ... Indians batted .227 against Toronto pitchers in 2016. ... Chisenhall hit .348 against Blue Jays despite striking out 12 times in 23 at-bats. ... Napoli batted .148 vs. Blue Jays but has 20 career homers and 51 RBI against Toronto. ... Kluber went 0-1 this season and is 1/3 with a 5.34 ERA in five career starts against Blue Jays. He pitched seven shutout innings in his postseason debut against Boston. ... Miller has faced the Blue Jays more than any Cleveland pitcher, posting a 3-1 record and 4.11 ERA in 30 games. ... Donaldson is 9 for 18 with five doubles and three RBI in four playoff games this year. He has a .778 slugging percentage and has scored five runs. ... Encarnacion is 6 for 16 (.375) with three homers and seven RBI in playoffs. He has four career postseason homers, the second-highest total in Blue Jays history. Bautista and Joe Carter each have six. ... Tulowitzki is 6 for 17 (.353) with five RBI in playoffs. ... Two of Bautistas four hits this postseason have been home runs. ... Blue Jays have outscored opponents 26-12 in four postseason games and outhomered them 10-3. Custom Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys. ... Estrada allowed one run over 8 1/3 innings to beat Texas in Game 1 of ALDS. He is 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA in eight postseason games, four starts. ... Sanchez is expected to make only one ALCS start as Blue Jays limit his career-high workload.---Big Picture:Blue Jays: After snapping a 22-year postseason drought in 2015, Toronto reached the playoffs for the second straight season under manager John Gibbons. The last time the Blue Jays did that was a three-year run from 1991-93 that ended with back-to-back World Series titles. ... This time, Blue Jays (89-73) captured the top AL wild card by winning their last two regular-season games in Boston. They beat division-rival Baltimore at home in the wild-card game on Encarnacions three-run homer in the 11th inning, then eliminated Texas in the ALDS for the second consecutive year. The win over the Rangers marked the first postseason sweep in Blue Jays history. ... Toronto is 6-0 in October after going 11-16 in September, its worst month of the season. ... Blue Jays averaged an AL-worst 3.69 runs in September and October regular-season games, a full run off their season average of 4.70. ... Blue Jays starters were strong down the stretch, allowing no more than one earned run in 12 of the final 17 games. The bullpen struggled, however, blowing leads five times in a seven-game stretch that ended Oct. 1. ... Blue Jays went 46-35 at home, the fourth-best mark in the division. ... Toronto has several pending free agents, including Bautista, Encarnacion, Saunders, Cecil and RHP R.A. Dickey.Indians: Cleveland makes its fifth ALCS appearance and first since 2007. Indians havent been to World Series since 1997. ... Indians (94-67) took lead in AL Central on June 4 and never looked back, winning division with ease. Theyve overcome adversity all season. Star outfielder Michael Brantley played in just 11 games following shoulder surgery, but team got unexpected contributions from Ramirez, Naquin and others to more than pick up slack. ... Clevelands starting pitching was supposed to carry club, but its been a consistent lineup and one of baseballs best bullpens that has Indians playing again in October. Manager Terry Franconas deft touch has kept team energized and believing it can make a deep playoff run. ... Cleveland hasnt won the World Series since 1948, but following Cavs NBA title in June, Indians dont feel pressured to end citys championship drought. ... Front office stepped up at trade deadline and acquired Miller, who might be most valuable reliever in majors. Also, team acquired Brandon Guyer and Coco Crisp to provide depth in outfield. Abraham Almonte is not available in postseason because of PED suspension. ... Indians are different team at home, where they went AL-best 53-28 and led league with 11 walkoff wins. ... Indians didnt lose three straight all season.---Watch For:- Center Stage. Die-hard baseball fans know Lindor, one of the games rising stars. Hes got all the tools: a sweet swing, golden glove and smile that can light up any ballpark. The 22-year-old shortstop plays with a youthful joy that will draw the TV cameras and national audience to him as never before.- Lirianos Status. The left-hander was removed from Torontos roster in the ALDS because of a concussion sustained in Game 2. He was struck in the back of the head by Carlos Gomezs line drive, measured at 102 mph off the bat. Liriano, who has made two relief appearances this postseason, said this week he felt fine. Hes not eligible to return until Game 2 of the ALCS.- Miller Time. Franconas decision in Game 1 of the ALDS to bring in Miller in the fifth inning -- his earliest appearance of the season -- proved to be a defining moment as Clevelands bullpen closed out the opener and the Red Sox never recovered. Francona wont hesitate to use the talented lefty in a nontraditional way again. Miller has not allowed a run in 12 1/3 innings over eight career postseason appearances. He has 17 strikeouts and has limited opponents to a .077 batting average (3 for 39).- Devons Knee. Travis was scratched from Game 2 of the Division Series with a bone bruise in his right knee. After a cortisone shot Saturday, he was available off the bench in Game 3 but did not play. Atkins said Travis is improving and is expected to return for the ALCS. Travis said he felt much better and will be ready to go in Game 1. Barney, a former Gold Glove winner, made two starts for Toronto in the ALDS.- Cleveland Rocks. After waiting 52 years for one of its major pro sports teams to win a championship, Cleveland could be on the brink of a second one in four months. James and a few teammates attended the Division Series to support the Indians and promised a return visit. ' ' '