Fantasy Basketball: 5 Players to target in your draft
Fantasy Basketball season has arrived! As you gear up for your draft, here are a few players that you should look to target to get on your team for the 23-24 fantasy hoops season.
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Evan Mobley: While most were expecting an even bigger leap last season for Evan Mobley, he still put forth a fantastic campaign and I think his play did take a step forward but with the addition of Donovan Mitchell to the Cavaliers roster last season his stats maybe didn’t see the huge jump that folks were looking for. None the less, Mobley has shown that he is as steady of a Power Forward / Center as you can find in fantasy basketball. Also, that position setting of being a Power Forward first is something that I love. Big men being so important to fantasy basketball, guys like Mobley that are listed as Power Forwards first are valued a little more, as you can have him along side a number of centers as well. Mobley is efficient, durable and steady and is a welcome addition to fantasy rosters especially when you add in his defensive presence.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: Coming off of a season in which he averaged a career best in Point per game where he averaged 18.6 to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 3 blocks per game. Jackson also was able to stay healthy last season which is a great thing for him and fantasy owners of course. Looking ahead to this year, the Grizzlies will be without point guard Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the season while he serves a suspension, and they swapped out Dillon Brooks for Marcus Smart, so Jackson Jr may be asked to take on an even bigger load on the offensive end at least until Morant returns from suspension. Nonetheless, his role in the offense and as the defensive anchor seem to be set in stone making Jackson Jr an incredibly valuable piece in fantasy basketball this season provided he can again remain healthy.
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3. Cade Cunningham: After suffering season ending surgery on his shin last season, Cade Cunningham is back healthy and ready to go heading into year 3 of his career. Albeit in just 12 games last season, Cunningham averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. He will be the focal point of the Pistons offense this season, and in fantasy as long as he can remain somewhat efficient, Cunningham should be a very nice piece to any fantasy roster and someone you should target in your drafts. Especially when comparing his game to other point guard options, Cunningham has a well rounded game that will produce in fantasy basketball in numerous ways, this coupled with his expected featured role in the Pistons offense makes him a potential breakout candidate in fantasy basketball this season.
4. Mikal Bridges: After being acquired last season in the mega trade that seen Kevin Durant land in Phoenix, Bridges took off in the last quarter of the season with the Brooklyn Nets. In 27 games for the Nets, Bridges averaged 26.1 points per game to go with 4.5 rebounds and a steal a game. Nothing has changed in Brooklyn, Bridges still looks to be the focal point of the offense this season, I expect his numbers to be very similar to where they were last season with Brooklyn and for Bridges to potentially even push for his first all star game this season. He would be a great addition to any fantasy roster.
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5. Brook Lopez: Is there anyone that transformed their game to prolong their career in a more positive way than Brook Lopez? The guy was never a dominate rebounding big, and still isn’t. He now though, has turned into a reliable stretch big as he worked to add a three point shot to his repertoire. The stretch big is a crucial position in the modern NBA, and to go along with that he has turned into one of the games elite rim protector presences. Last season, Lopez averaged 2.5 blocks and 1.7 3 pointers made per game last season. Outside of Lopez getting another year older and having doubts if he can put forth similar statistics, there is no reason not to love Lopez’s prospects heading into this season. I expect him to put up similar numbers and once again be a valuable fantasy big man in the 23-24 season.
