The start of the NBA season is almost here. The time is now to draft your fantasy basketball squads. While we still have 82 games to enjoy, let’s make some fantasy awards predictions before the season gets underway.
Most Valuable Player: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
The top pick in fantasy basketball this season comes down to Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic. Jokic is a proven commodity who has already carried plenty of fantasy managers to a championship. He has averaged at least 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in each of the last four seasons. Last season was arguably his best ever, averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, nine assists and 1.4 steals. He was also incredibly efficient, shooting 58.3 percent from the field and 81.7 percent from the free-throw line.
As good as Jokic has been and should continue to be, Wembanyama still has the crazy upside that makes him the pick. As a rookie, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.8 3-pointers over 30 minutes per game. What set him apart for fantasy was the combination of those averages and his defensive contributions of 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. With a full season under his belt and a veteran point guard in Chris Paul now in the fold to help get him easier shot attempts, Wembanyama is poised to dominate basketball.
Others under consideration: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Rookie of The Year: Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies
We were spoiled by Wembanyama last season. Most rookie classes don’t have a player who makes nearly as big of an immediate fantasy impact as he did. This rookie class swings a bit in the other direction with no clear player set to thrive. Top overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, has plenty of talent around him on the Hawks and is more of a project right now. Alex Sarr comes with plenty of defensive upside and should play a lot for the Wizards, but his shooting could be a problem. Reed Sheppard has the potential to be a lights-out shooter, but his minutes could be limited on a Rockets team that has a lot of quality depth.
One player who could step into the most significant role right away is Edey. The Grizzlies needed size, making him a perfect fit for their roster. Jaren Jackson can play center and is an excellent shot-blocker, but he’s not a great rebounder for his size. Edey should start at the beginning of the season and rack up plenty of rebounds and blocks for fantasy managers.
Others under consideration: Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets, and Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards
Defensive Player of The Year: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
This one requires a disclosure. The top option to win Defensive Player of the Year for fantasy is Wembanyama. He can carry a fantasy squad with his blocks and is no slouch in terms of steals, either. However, to get another player into the mix for this award, let’s focus on Davis.
Just about everything went right for Davis last season. He played in 76 games after making 56 or fewer appearances in each of the previous three seasons. Not only did Davis play in a lot of games, but he also averaged 36 minutes. Before that, he hadn’t averaged 36 minutes per game since the 2017-18 season. With plenty of playing time under his belt, Davis averaged 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals to go along with 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Davis has averaged at least 1.1 steals and two blocks in 10 of his 12 seasons in the league. With the Lakers, he has averaged at least 2.3 blocks in three of five seasons. The Lakers return mostly the same squad from last season, so if they want to make the playoffs, they will need Davis to reprise his dominant role. The only question with Davis is, can he stay healthy again?
Others under consideration: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs, and Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Most Improved Player of The Year: Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers
It was a rocky rookie season for Henderson, who shot just 38.5 percent from the field. He also missed 20 games because of injury. However, it wasn’t all bad news. His averages of 14 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.4 3-pointers did help fantasy managers. He also shot 81.9 percent from the charity stripe.
After spending a good chunk of the season as a member of the second unit, Henderson started each of his last 14 games. During that span, he averaged 18.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.3 3-pointers. He still wasn’t efficient, but his 40.8 percent shooting from the field during that span wasn’t as damaging. A key was that he logged 34 minutes per game during that stretch, compared to his season average of 29 minutes per game.
Some of Henderson’s success as the season came to a close can be attributed to the Trail Blazers missing some of their better players. This season is already starting on a sour note for them in that department, with Shaedon Sharpe (shoulder) expected to miss 4-for-6 weeks. Outside of Henderson and Anfernee Simons, the team is thin at guard. They did add forward Deni Avdija during the offseason, but he has only a 16.8 percent usage rate for his career. Henderson should play a ton and have the ball in his hands a lot for a team that should struggle to win games again. If he can shoot over 40 percent from the field and play more minutes like he did down the stretch last season, he could provide significant returns for fantasy managers.
Others under consideration: Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons, and Terance Mann, Los Angeles Clippers
