Fantasy Basketball drafts are now being held in advance of the 2017-18 NBA regular-season, which begins on October 17th. The usual suspects will dominate the early-rounds of the drafts, but many times it’s the back end where competitions are won or lost – where that sleeper or two who everyone forgets about and provides added depth to your fantasy basketball roster can be found.
To be clear, most of the players listed below will not get drafted even in 16-team leagues, and most will have to rely on injuries and/or demotions to earn enough minutes to make an impact, but injuries and demotions happen all the time in the NBA. These guys will not win your fantasy league for you and will likely go unnoticed during the first several weeks of the season when rosters are tweaked, yet are worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses when the main bodies begin to wear down.
Point Guards
Spencer Dinwiddie – Brooklyn Nets
As the Nets continue their roll towards positionless basketball, Dinwiddie, who at 6’6″ can play both guard positions (“Wait, I thought they were playing positionless basketball!”), and towards the end of the 2016-17 season began showing the form that had him so highly-ranked at the University of Colorado before sustaining a serious knee injury, can help out with threes and assists, and is also a good rebounder for a guard (“Wait, I thought they were playing positionless basketball!).
T.J. McConnell – Philadelphia 76ers
Last season McConnell wrested the 76ers starting point guard position away from Sergio Rodriguez and kept it. With top draft pick Markell Fultz and Ben Simmons now on board, the minutes may be difficult to come by at that position for anyone but those two guys. But if Fultz is not quite ready or Simmons is more suited to a wing position, McConnell can still get quality minutes. He won’t score much or shoot threes, but can rack up assists and long rebounds and is a bandit on defense.
Mario Chalmers – Miami Heat
Current Memphis Grizzlies’ head coach David Fizdale was an assistant coach at Miami during the Heat’s Lebron James-led title runs, and he knows the value of Mario Chalmers. Dogged defensively, he can also occasionally burn you from deep and run the offense. He’s also a quality free-throw shooter. He’ll provide veteran backup minutes for Mike Conley if he’s fully recovered from last year’s injuries.
Tyler Ulis – Phoenix Suns
Ulis took full advantage of his opportunities last season when the Suns decided to give their young guys some floor time. Ulis can score – though he’s not a three-point shooter – pass and hound careless ballhandlers into turnovers. He’s smallish, but can still be part of the Suns’ rotation.
Tomas Satoransky – Washington Wizards
Satoransky has a chance to nail down minutes as the main backup to John Wall. Has the court vision to rack up some assists, can score a little and, at 6’7″, should be able to help out on the boards, too. He’s not a three-point threat. Wall plays a lot of minutes, so his value will come by playing alongside Wall at times, especially with Tim Frazier also in the PG picture.
Jarrett Jack – New York Knicks
A pro’s pro. If he survives the final cut – he doesn’t have a guaranteed deal – he, along with Ramon Sessions, will provide a steady backcourt hand while the Knicks await the development of rookie Frank Ntilikina, whose progress has been hampered by nagging injuries since summer league. Jack is not much for defensive stats, but he can score, stays within his range and thereby shoots a decent percentage, can distribute and is a reliable free-throw shooter.
Shooting Guards
Justin Holiday – Chicago Bulls
This guy was actually one of the more reliable Knicks during the 2016-17 season, and one of the few who’d willingly get his hands dirty on defense. Back with the rebuilding Bulls, he may be in line for more minutes. He won’t dazzle you with stat lines, but he can hit the three. Has to get the field goal percentage up.
Garrett Temple – Sacramento Kings
Temple’s all-out play will keep him on the court in Sacramento. He’s a good source of steals and threes given the playing time. If Sacramento commits to playing defense, Temple will play more.
Alec Burks – Utah Jazz
Burks hasn’t been healthy in three years, but the league knows what he can do when given minutes. With the departure of Gordon Hayward, Burks will try to get back to his peak years where he’d contribute around 13 points and a few assists off the bench. He’ll help fantasy teams with three-point shooting in a pinch.
Jodie Meeks – Washington Wizards
Meeks looks to be the primary backup to starting SG Bradley Beal, who tends to miss time during the season. Meeks is a good enough shooter to earn minutes in the Wizards’ guard rotation. He can help out with threes and free throw percentage.
Bryn Forbes – San Antonio Spurs
Another scouting victory from the San Antonio Spurs. He’s mainly a three-point specialist/undersized shooting guard, but he can shoot the lights out. And at some point during the season, an extra three-point shooter will be needed on your fantasy roster.
Small Forwards
Nemanja Bjelica – Minnesota Timberwolves
Bjelica can shoot from deep, pass and rebound. His biggest challenge will be playing time as the Wolves brought in some veterans to guide the team to the next level. He had a 24-point, 8-rebound, 3-assist game (including 5 three-pointers) against the Lakers last season. He’ll get some minutes at both forward positions.
E’Twaun Moore – New Orleans Pelicans
Moore isn’t spectacular in any phase, but on this roster he’ll get minutes unless the Pelicans decide they need Tony Allen’s defense on the court more.
Mario Hezonja – Orlando Magic
It’s just time for Hezonja. Perhaps this is the year he breaks out, even a little. Has shown flashes of shooting, passing and swiping skills, but the numbers game seems to knock him down. Regressed a bit as a shooter last season, but he has the tools.
Justise Winslow – Miami Heat
Winslow looked to be putting it together until shoulder surgery ended his sophomore NBA season. He was taking on the look of a stat-filler, though not a scorer. Can rebound, pass, and will help with defensive stats as well. And the minutes will be there.
Denzel Valentine – Chicago Bulls
The Bulls’ youth movement will surely benefit guys like Denzel Valentine, who will see is minutes increase if he can get the field-goal percentage up from last year’s 35. He’s a ball-mover who can score and works hard for boards. He’ll definitely be in line for playing time while Zach Lavine is out.
Luke Kennard – Detroit Pistons
Kennard played well during the summer league and showed an ability to make an impact on both ends of the floor. He’s one to keep an eye on as a spot-up shooter, especially during the second-half of the season.
Furkan Korkmaz – Philadelphia 76ers
Another potential late-season waiver wire pickup for fantasy players, Korkmaz is another dead-eye long-distance shooter in a league that values that skill. He’ll have a tough time cracking the Sixers’ rotation early but we know all about NBA attrition during the long season.
Power Forwards
Caleb Swanigan – Portland Trailblazers
Although a rookie, Swanigan appears to be a perfect fit for a Blazers squad in need of frontline scoring, rebounding and toughness. He looks to be a willing passer as well. He’s being talked up a lot, so his sleeper status may be quite temporary.
Dragan Bender – Phoenix Suns
Bender is obviously multi-skilled, but needs to fill out. Likes to shoot from long-range, and the percentage will go up this season, if only by default. If the Suns reamin committed to developing their many young players, Bender will get minutes.
John Collins – Atlanta Hawks
Opportunity will likely not be a problem for the rookie Collins as the Hawks have decided to go young. He was impressive in summer league play, especially on the boards. He’s relentless, so it will be difficult to keep him off the court. He looks capable of helping out with defensive stats as well.
Trey Lyles – Denver Nuggets
Lyles will struggle for minutes behind ironman Paul Millsap, but can help out as a big who can shoot from deep. He may have to play some small forward to stay on the court.
Davis Bertans – San Antonio Spurs
Bertans is primarily a three-point specialist at this point, but the Spurs have a way of getting the best out of unknown players, and he’ll back up LaMarcus Aldridge who will get his share of rest throughout the season.
Guerschon Yabusele – Boston Celtics
They call him “The Dancing Bear”, and he can rebound and pass. With the Celtics currently lacking frontcourt depth, the opportunity is there for Yabusele to become a regular part of the rotation and help out with rebounds if the Celtics don’t acquire some veteran frontcourt help. He might be a factor on the defensive end as well.
Bobby Portis – Chicago Bulls
Portis is an inside scorer who can rebound, but he’ll be locked in a battle for minutes Nikola Mirotic and others on a very young Bulls’ squad. He mIght average double-figures in rebounds if he gets consistent minutes.
Michael Beasley – New York Knicks
Surely there are minutes on a bad team for a guy who – in his own estimation – ranks right alongside Lebron James and Kevin Durant in terms of talent, correct? Beasley can score and can rebound a bit, but struggles defensively. On the Knicks, that probably won’t cost him minutes. He might even start.
Domantis Sabonis – Indiana Pacers
Sabonis had some moments last season as a rookie with the Thunder, but he’ll have to improve defensively and on the boards to stay on the floor in Indiana. He likes to launch from beyond the arc, but the percentages should go up this season.
Center
Joffrey Lauvergne – San Antonio Spurs
With already thin Spurs front line aging (Pau Gasol) or wishing to be elsewhere (LaMarcus Aldridge), the opportunity exists for Lauvergne to step in and grab a few boards. Can shoot the three and pass a little for a center as well.
Mike Muscala – Atlanta Hawks
Muscala earned minutes in the Hawks’ rotation before they dismantled their roster, so this season he’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate why the Hawks have kept him around for four years by rebounding, shooting a high percentage and scoring from the perimeter. He also shoots free throws well for a big man.
Joakim Noah – New York Knicks
Merely based on the Knicks’ need for someone wearing their colors who can defend, Noah may earn some unexpected minutes. The Knicks have several offensive-minded bigs who struggle on the defensive end, so if Noah can stay healthy and flash back to about 4-5 years ago, he’ll be a good source of rebounds and blocks, and is still one of the league’s best passing big men.
Lucas Nogueira – Toronto Raptors
Nogueira, when given minutes, can help out with boards and blocked shots, especially if starting center Jonas Valenciunas misses any time. He’ll also have to fend offJakob Poeltl, who will also be in the mix for playing time. He rarely strays from his limited offensive range, so the field-goal percentage will be high.
Aron Baynes – Boston Celtics
The Celtics lack of frontcourt depth almost guarantees minutes for Baynes, who can hit a mid-range jumper and free throws as well as board some. Not much of a shot-blocker.
The NBA is full of talented players; most guys just need an opportunity to display their talents. There are other names who will emerge, especially towards the end of the season when teams are eliminated from playoff contention or just want to take a look at younger players while occasionally resting their veterans (no, the new schedule features will not change that) for a potential two-month playoff grind. There is usually a surprise player or two promoted from the G-League as well.
Good Luck!!
