Major Sleepers and Busts for Fantasy Basketball
As the NBA preseason begins, many of you are starting to draft fantasy teams. Here are some guys who we think could be major sleepers to stash on the bench or guys that we think will crash and burn.
Sleepers
Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns
Bledsoe came out of college as one of the five members of the Kentucky 2010 team that featured John Wall and Demarcus Cousins. He wasn’t expected to be a superstar, but many thought that he could become a decent sixth man. When the Clippers tried to trade for Chris Paul, the one issue that held the Clippers from making the trade was how hard New Orleans pursued Eric Bledsoe as one of the trade pieces. The Clippers instead offered Eric Gordon. When Chris Paul was injured last season, the Clippers defended their case for keeping Bledsoe, when Bledsoe showed flashes of greatness. Bledsoe was trading in the offseason to Phoenix. Backcourt teammate Goran Dragic has describe him to be a “mini-Lebron” in practice and offseason workouts. Bledsoe is currently ranked very low in drafts and I predict that he will be a top 50 player this year.
J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers
This player may be a little bit biased because I am a huge Duke fan, but I really think that he will have a great season. After graduating from Duke, Redick has had a fairly average NBA career. He is typically know as the shooting guard that can only SHOOT. Last season, was a very good season for Redick, if not a breakout season. He averaged 15 ppg. before being traded to Milwaukee. He was very dissapointed about the trade and therefore, he didn’t play very good. His production dropped off a lot. In leagues, where three point shots get points, Redick is a very solid add to any lineup. I think he is going to have a great season because he won’t have to be the no. 1 guy with Chris Paul at the point. J.J. will just have to settle into his spot and just catch and shoot. His production will improve thus, a monsterous season for all fantasy owners.
Busts
Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat
Dwayne Wade is an all-time great and the best player in Miami Heat franchise history (for now). Wade is a superstar SG and is a top player in all of the league. Many of you may think that Shooting Guard is a weak position, so you might as well take Wade because he is top 5. I wouldn’t follow that rule because fantasy basketball doesn’t really matter about positions. The key aspect is points. Instead of drafting Dwayne Wade 15th overall, try drafting John Wall or Derrick Rose who will give you points and assists. Wade has also been on a serious decline in the past few years. His numbers have clearly gone down from where he was before Lebron took his talents to south beach. I still think he is good, but not for fantasy.
Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans
Eric Gordon is an intriguing piece to this young Pelicans roster. The Pelicans are a decent team, but have a bunch of good offensive threats like Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson, Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday. And then there is Gordon who is good, but very erratic. He is constantly injured and has the tendency to shoot too much. With all of these decent offensive pieces, I don’t know how effective he will be as a scorer on the team. The other Pelicans players have a much higher upside because they all have the ability to either rebound, assist or shoot 3’s.
Who do you think are going to be good sleepers and busts. Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
About Dylan Bernstein
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