Fantasy NBA bargains: 6 players you should draft early
One of the best ways to prepare for your NBA Fantasy league is to work out where the value lies on Yahoo’s fantasy basketball ranks.
Winning a league requires shrewd drafting and picking players who are going to put up more points than they are generally expected to score.
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Here are six players who are currently undervalued and you might want to reach for in NBA Fantasy drafts.
De’Aaron Fox
This is the most obvious one on the board. Last season, Fox was the 21st ranked player averaging 43 fantasy points per game.
He is currently ranked 56th. It’s insanity.
Last season the 56th ranked player averaged 35 fantasy points (Gordon Hayward).
Fox to me is a borderline first-round player, so even if you get him 20 spots ahead of his 56th ranking, you have got yourself a huge bargain for the upcoming season.
Kevin Porter Jr.
With John Wall out in Houston, Porter is the Rockets’ starting point guard.
Yahoo’s scoring system won’t penalise him for his poor shooting and he is going to play a lot of minutes and take quite a few shots.
Last season, despite sharing the court with Wall, Porter was the 79th ranked player averaging 30 fantasy points, so even if you think there will be no improvement, he is a bargain at pick 92.
But I think he can crack the top 50 this season, making him a great option to reach for.
Collin Sexton
Sexton ranked 53rd last season and averaged 35 points. So why on Earth is he ranked down at 100?
Is everyone scared he will be traded to a team who will play him for 22-minutes in a sixth-man role? It’s the only explanation.
Sexton has an outside shot at the top 50 this season, so drafting him anywhere around 70-85 is a great deal and he is going to be available there in a lot of drafts.
RJ Barrett
The Knicks added firepower in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier this off-season.
Will that cause Barrett to drop off from his 30 fantasy points he averaged last season?
Perhaps, but heading into his third season, Barrett could also improve. And even if he does drop off, I doubt he moves from the 80th player to outside the top 100, as he is currently ranked 108th.
Will Barton
Last season was tough for Barton. But despite those issues he was still able to rank inside the top 135 - 20 spots higher than his current season projected rank of 155.
This season he heads in without Jamal Murray, he's fully healthy, and he's ready to start and be a main option on offence for the Nuggets.
Barton could move into the top 100 this season. But even if you pick him a round ahead of his rank you will still have tremendous value.
Keldon Johnson
DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Rudy Gay have all left San Antonio.
Johnson will continue to start, but he should see his minutes and usage improve from last season as he heads into his third year.
He struggles with efficiency and defence at times, but for a fantasy points league, Johnson’s bulk volume should push well above the 24 fantasy points he averaged last season.
To me, he is a guy I would look at right around pick 100, with the top 80 not out of the realm of possibility.
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