Well, the 2014/2015 NBA season is finally upon us, which for many of us also means the return of fantasy basketball. Many experts are looking at this as possibly being one of the greatest, and most exciting fantasy basketball seasons ever with the incredibly deep rookie class, the seemingly endless depth of talent at the point guard position, the emergence of young talents such as Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Michael Carter Williams, Victor Oladipo, and others, as well as an overall deep pool of talent in virtually every position. The talent depth has recently taken a bit of a hit with injuries to some of fantasies most valuable players. Most notably Bradley Beal (out two months) Victor Oladipo, MCW, Paul George (the entire season) and fantasys reigning top dog Kevin Durant who is out for two months. There are also major injuries to valuable but lesser fantasy talents such as George Hill, and David West. While injuries certainly lessen the talent pool, the talent still runs deep. One of the good things about top talent being out is that it gives you the opportunity to go deeper into the fantasy talent pool and perhaps find some hidden treasures. I love experimenting and finding hidden fantasy gems. That is one of the funnest parts of the fantasy game. One thing I have learned in playing fantasy over the years is that when a top dog goes down, theres a bunch of hungry and talented guys waiting in the wings with baited breath to take their spot. Anyway, I want to focus on my favorite fantasy prospects this season. I find that when I do drafts, most of them turn out fairly similar as I tend to focus on the same group of guys. Obviously the most talented guy in the fantasy game pre-injury was Kevin Durant, but there are a couple guys who I value more than KD now that he is out with injury. My favorite fantasy prospect this season is Anthony Davis. In only his second season in the league, he averaged a phenomenal 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 1.3 steals, and perhaps most intriguing to me was his amazing 79% ft percentage. While it is common to find a big who can score, rebound, and block shots, it is incredibly rare that a 7 footer can block shots and also shoot close to 80% from the charity stripe. This makes him extremely valuable, and coveted. In the past, people would hesitate in drafting bigs early on in drafts such as Shaq and Dwight Howard because theyd kill your ft%, but Davis not only doesnt hurt you from the foul line, he actually helps you, as his ft% is better then the average point guard. Davis made huge improvements from his first season to his second, and I expect the same kind of leap in production in his third season. I dont think a stat line along the lines of 24 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, and 1.5 steals are out of the question. Davis is my clear cut top fantasy option with KD out for two months. My second favorite fantasy option is Stephen Curry. I expect him to have another phenomenal season, and to put up similar numbers to what he put up last season. Expect something along the lines of: 24 points, 8.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 3.4 threes on 90% ft shooting, and 49% fg shooting. Curry is my early pick for MVP. I think if GS wins 58 games, and round 1 in the playoffs, then he will win MVP with similar stats to what I projected above. I love Curry because from a fantasy standpoint he is far above average in every category other then blocks. That kind of statistical diversity is rare. Another guy who Im really intrigued with this season is Russell Westbrook. Westbrooks per minute numbers are amazing. In less then 31 minutes per game last season, he put up phenomenal stats. 22 points, 6.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.5 threes. In UNDER 32 MINUTES!!! If he can put up stats like that playing alongside Durant in under 32 minutes, can you imagine what kind of stats he can put up as the sole man in OKC, and in 35+ minutes per game? In Durants absence, I wouldnt be surprised by a stat line comparable to this: 28 points, 8 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.7 threes. I see his stats dropping when Durant returns, but remaining very strong. 25 points, 7.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1.5 threes. Dont be surprised if Westbrook is in the running for MVP come seasons end. Another guy I love is DeMarcus Cousins. Hes another guy whos per minute production is phenomenal. In just over 32 minutes a game last season, Cousins averaged 22.7 points, 1.3 blocks, 1.5 steals, 2.9 assists, and 11.7 rebounds. Sadly, I dont see his minutes going much higher this season, but if he got 35 to 37 minutes per game, hed be a top 5 fantasy guy, and a possible MVP candidate. In 36 minutes per, projections put his stats in this range. 25.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.7 steals. Cousins has great skills, but with limited playing time, expect stats similar to last seasons. So outside of Durant and Lebron, those are my four favorite fantasy players this season. Here are some more of my favorite fantasy players for the 2014/2015 seasons. I have had much success over the years in focusing on the guys listed above and below, and I can almost guarantee success by focusing on these guys. Joakim Noah, Paul Millsap, Al Horford, Marc Gasol, Eric Bledsoe, Kyle Lowry, Rajon Rondo, Larry Sanders, Nerlens Noel, Nicolas Batum, Serge Ibaka, Darren Collison, Jeff Teague, Kenneth Faried, Andre Drummond.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 13:33:31 +0000
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