Just like in the real NBA, many fantasy basketball rookies enter the league amidst tons of hype and fanfare but then fail to deliver. One needs to look no further than this year’s fantasy and real-life bust, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anthony Bennett, to see how bad things can get. However, for every Bennett, there’s also usually someone like Philadelphia 76ers point guard Michael Carter-Williams.
Although he was certainly talked about in the preseason, Carter-Williams has blown away all expectations and will likely end up with the Rookie of the Year award.In addition to Carter-Williams, here’s a look at what to expect going forward from some first-year players in fantasy.
Evan Bleier is a freelance writer based out of wherever he can plug in his laptop. You can send him questions, comments and Buffalo wing suggestions @itishowitis or "like" CraveOnline Sports on Facebook
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Fantasy Basketball Rookie Roundup
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Anthony Bennett, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers
Don’t look now, but things have gotten even worse for the No. 1 overall pick. After stinking up gyms around the league for much of the year, Bennett has been diagnosed with a patellar strain in his left knee and will be sidelined for three weeks. Bennett has yet to crack the 20-point mark and he will have even less of a chance to do so thanks to the injury. Until he does something besides stink, the big man is simply not a fantasy option.
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Ben McLemore, SG, Sacramento Kings
Sort of like a version of Bennett-lite, McLemore been somewhat of a bust this year. The addition of Rudy Gay certainly didn’t help McLemore get on the floor earlier in the year, but he has also been mostly a dud since moving into the starting lineup following Marcus Thornton being traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He clearly has upside, but McLemore needs to do more before he will be worth owning in most fantasy formats.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo, SG/SF, Milwaukee Bucks
The Greek Freak is exactly the kind of player that gets fantasy basketball players all hot and bothered because of his ability to block shots and hit threes while also handing out assists and stealing the ball. He’s shown flashes of his talent this season for the Bucks, but Antetokounmpo has failed to play well consistently. It’s probably not all his fault as Milwaukee is one of the worst teams in the league, but Antetokounmpo certainly has the potential to emerge as a lower-end Shawn Marion/Nicolas Batum-like contributor in fantasy next year.
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Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Philadelphia 76ers
Granted, terrible teams sometimes provide an overly-fertile environment for fantasy goodness, but Carter-Williams would likely be a top contributor even if he was playing for a contender. Although health has been somewhat of a factor, Carter-Williams should be treated as a borderline top-seven point guard in fantasy as long as the 76ers continue to play up-tempo and forego defense.
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Nate Wolters, PG, Milwaukee Bucks
Another player who is probably not being helped by playing for the Bucks, Wolters has shown the ability to distribute the ball when given the chance. While he was starting when Brandon Knight was injured, Wolters put up serviceable lines on a consistent basis with assists being his top category by far. If the Bucks ever decided to start Wolters at shooting guard, he could be an interesting option. For now though, he’s basically off the fantasy radar.
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Pero Antic, PF/C, Atlanta Hawks
An intriguing player because of his ability to block shots and hit from downtown, Antic has been given some time to shine thanks to Al Horford’s injury and he has done well when healthy. It would be nice to see him get some more rebounds for a big guy (think Andrea Bargnani), but Antic is looking like he will be a solid guy to have as the last man on a fantasy roster as long as he is getting 20-25 minutes of playing time per game; he also has to stay healthy.
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Trey Burke, PG, Utah Jazz
He’s clearly a step below Carter-Williams and Oladipo, but Burke has done enough in his rookie season to remain on most fantasy rosters now and put him on the radar for the mid-rounds of next year’s draft. Although he isn’t a great contributor on defense, Burke consistently produces assists and three-pointers and also chips in fairly solid numbers in rebounding. An injury kept Burke sidelined for some of the preseason and the beginning of the regular season, so it would be logical to expect an level of improvement if he is able to get in a full training camp prior to next year.
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Victor Oladipo, PG/SG, Orlando Magic
A versatile player with a penchant for filling up the stat sheet, the second overall pick would probably be in line for Rookie of the Year honors were it not for the play of Carter-Williams. Oladipo isn’t a great shooter – yet – but he steals the ball a ton and averages more than half a block per game, which is a great contribution from the guard position. Oladipo should be a fantasy asset for the foreseeable future.
