The start of the NBA season is just three weeks away, which means fantasy basketball draft season will be here before you know it. We want to help you get one step closer to winning a championship, so over the coming weeks we’ll be providing you with a few looks into our 2020-2021 Rotoworld Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide from the Rotoworld Premium EDGE+ Roto package.
Complete with content aimed at providing the knowledge you need to make the perfect draft decisions in a variety of league formats — from projections, rankings, tiers and exclusive expert columns — this year’s edition is the finest we’ve ever produced. And because we’re eager to share what we’ve created with you, you can use promo code HOOPS10 for 10% off any tier or package.
Previously, we previewed the top of our overall rankings for 9-cat format, showcasing the best of the best at producing in fantasy basketball, the perennial no-doubters. This week, we’re going to take a different approach, and identify some potential fantasy sleepers for the 2021 season, players who are in a position to outperform their ADP and provide you with some serious return for your draft capital.
Have a look:
2020-21 Fantasy Basketball Sleepers
Michael Porter Jr. (Early ADP of 74)- To be clear, I’m expecting this number to continue shooting up. MPJ and Nikola Jokic formed one of the deadliest two-man combos in Orlando, putting up an offensive rating of 119 (!). MPJ was a stat magnet too, posting top-10 fantasy numbers in the bubble with 22.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.9 blocks, 2.7 triples and 2.0 turnovers on 55% from the field and 93% from the line. Anyone who watched him in Orlando will have him starred, circled and highlighted on their draft boards, so you will need to reach a bit in competitive leagues. If he’s going to finish in the early rounds, he’ll need to stay healthy and avoid head coach Malone’s doghouse - how many times did Malone say last season that he was going to find more minutes for MPJ only to DNP-CD him the next game?
Dejounte Murray (Early ADP of 83)- Rotoworld readers cashed in on Dejounte last season with his 55th overall finish in 9-cat last season but the market has been slow to reflect that in his ADP. I’m expecting another jump from Murray this season, as last year was his first since tearing his ACL. I think his floor is a top-75 player, and he has a shot at early-round value as I have a feeling the Spurs will move the final year of DeMar DeRozan’s contract to jumpstart a rebuild. With DeMar off the court, Murray has per-36 stats of 17.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.7 steals, 0.6 blocks and 0.8 triples.
Lonzo Ball (Early ADP of 91)- To be clear, Jrue Holiday was traded to the Bucks so we’re going to see a drastic spike in Lonzo’s ADP over the coming weeks. Ball finished last season with a top-50 stretch in 9-cat over his last 25 games with 11.5 points, 7.8 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 1.0 blocks, 2.4 triples and 3.5 turnovers on 42% from the field and 61% from the line, but he’s about to hit another gear. With Jrue off the court, Lonzo’s AST% shot up from 25.7% to 33.6%. He showed tremendous progress with his three-point shot last season, and Lonzo said he has since turned his focus to his mid-range game and ability to finish - he hit just 26% of his mid-range attempts and shot 59% at the rim. New head coach Stan Van Gundy has been talking him up as the engine of the offense and Lonzo will have the best lob threat in the NBA in Zion, so all signs point to a monster season.
Cam Reddish (Early ADP of 129)- After a nightmare start, things really started to click for Cam around the new year. He’s already approaching elite status on the defensive end with strong steal/block rates, but he also showed glimpses of his playmaking and finally started hitting his shots towards the end of the season. A lot of it may have to do with his health, as he’s been playing at less than 100 percent since Duke. With a full offseason under his belt, expectations are high after he posted top-70 numbers in his final 10 games with 16.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.1 triples.
Chris Boucher (Early ADP: N/A)- All Boucher needs to have value is the backup center role, as his per-minute production can hang with anyone in the league. Instead of per-36 stats, let’s look at his per-24 minute numbers which is a lot more realistic on the current Raptors: 12.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 0.8 dimes, 0.7 steals, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 triples.
For the full (and extensive) list of sleepers included with all of our other Draft Guide features, as well as season tools for MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL plus much more, you can purchase EDGE+ Roto here for as low as $3.99 per month! And if you’re into DFS and betting, be sure check out our EDGE+ Pro package that includes our DFS Tools for as low as $7.99 per month and try out our new betting tools FOR FREE. Don’t forget, you can use promo code HOOPS10 for 10% off any tier or package.
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