Skip to main content

NBA Rookie Report: At the Break

Andrew Wiggins continues to be at the head of the rookie class

Andrew Wiggins continues to be at the head of the rookie class

The NBA All-Star Break is the symbolic halfway point of the season. In reality, for all of us fantasy owners, it is the start of the playoff push as there are roughly four weeks remaining in the fantasy regular season. As we jockey for playoff positioning, we can use any edge we can get. With that said, let’s take a look at the top rookies in fantasy, many of whom are widely available in most leagues.

Get Start/Sit & Waiver Wire Advice

Andrew Wiggins, SF, MIN: Despite recent struggles, Wiggins remains in the lead for Rookie of the Year. In the past two weeks his scoring has taken a bit of a dip (12.6 points per game in his last five games) as Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic and Ricky Rubio have returned from injury. Even with the veteran trio’s return, the Kansas rookie is still logging big minutes for the Timberwolves (40 per game in February). The highlight of Wiggins’ season so far came Jan. 31 as the No. 1 overall pick faced the team that drafted and subsequently traded him, the Cleveland Cavaliers. In that game, the forward proceeded to blow up as he posted a career-high 33 points. He also matched a season-high four steals. After a slow start to the season, Wiggins has really picked up his fantasy fortunes. Standing in the top-100 fantasy ranks on the year, Wiggins has climbed into the top-50 over the past month.

(Average over last 10 games) 16.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 39.5 minutes per game

Nerlens Noel, PF, PHI: The rookie leader in rebounds, steals and blocks has stepped up his offensive game recently. Noel has five double-digit scoring nights, averages of 10.0 points, and only 2.0 turnovers in his last seven games. His 57 percent shooting from the field and 74 percent from the line over the past two weeks also have Noel trending in the right direction. While no one will confuse Noel’s scoring ability with that of James Harden, the uptick in scoring, combined with Noel’s defensive prowess, has helped the 76ers rookie earn top-35 ranking in fantasy over the past month.

(Average over last 10 games) 8.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 2.2 blocks in 29.6 minutes per game

Elfrid Payton, PG, ORL:  For the first 35 games of the season, Payton looked lost on the court, with an average of 6.6 points per game on sub-40 percent shooting from the floor and below 50 percent from the line. As soon as the calendar flipped to 2015, Payton has been a different player. Since the start of January, the point guard is posting 10.0 points on 45.8 percent shooting. He has even bumped up his free-throw percentage to 64.3 percent over the past 21 games. The coaching turmoil in Orlando has caused Payton’s minutes to fluctuate between 19 and 40 in the last two weeks. Since Jaque Vaughn’s firing, Payton has resumed his steady 32-plus minutes per game, and has responded with three straight double-digit scoring nights. His strong second half has Payton in the top-75 ranks for the entire season.

(Average over last 10 games) 9.2 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 31.4 minutes per game

Jusuf Nurkic, C, DEN:  Within the last week, Nurkic set his career high in rebounds not once, but twice. He grabbed 13 boards against Detroit on Feb. 6, and then three days later against the Thunder, he topped his freshly set mark with 14 rebounds. Currently second in the rookie ranks with an average of 6.5 rebounds per game on the season, Nurkic ranks first with 8.0 boards per game since taking over the starting duties 18 games ago for the Nuggets. The rookie center is inconsistent on the offensive end, shown by his sub-40 percent shooting over the past two weeks. His struggles were highlighted by an 0-7 performance for zero points against Memphis Jan. 29. Since that dud, Nurkic has posted 9.2 points per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field. If the ‘Bosnian Bear’ can keep the momentum going, he is bound to improve on his top-85 fantasy ranking from the past 30 days.

(Average over last 10 games) 8.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 23.2 minutes per game

Jordan Clarkson, PG, LAL:  Ten games ago, the Lakers decided to hand over the starting point guard duties to Clarkson, as they had nothing to lose. The former Missouri Tiger has put up double-digit points in seven of his 10 starts, logging 17-plus points in five of those games. Despite averaging over 13 points per game, Clarkson is struggling with his two-point shot. He is shooting less than 39 percent from the floor in the past two weeks. Even with the Laker’s recent record, they are 1-9 over Clarkson’s starts, the rookie point guard will continue to get as much floor time as he can handle with L.A. heading straight for the lottery and a probable top-5 pick. Clarkson is a top-100 player in all of fantasy over the past two weeks.

(Average over last 10 games) 13.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in 30.6 minutes per game

Just missed out

Marcus Smart – BOS: Five games ago, coach Brad Stevens finally decided to give Smart the starting point guard position. The results have been a mixed bag for the sixth-overall pick in 2014. Smart has averaged 8.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game over his last five. He has also shot a dismal 31.7 percent from the field, 26 percent from three, and 63 percent from the line in those games. However, with Boston winning four of those five contests, Smart should remain in the starting lineup for the rest of the year.

K.J. McDaniels – HOU: A decline in minutes has limited the upside of McDaniels. Despite playing just 21.1 minutes over his last eight games, the now Houston forward has still managed to put up 8.8 points on only 7.0 shots per night during that stretch. When playing more than 30 minutes per game, McDaniels is averaging 12.7 points on the year. If McDaniels is going to get the uptick in minutes we all would love to see, the former Clemson Tiger needs to improve on his lowly 18 percent three-point shooting in the month of February.

Langston Galloway – NYK: After winning five of Galloway’s first seven starts, the Knicks have struggled as of late. The team is currently on a five-game losing streak, and Galloway is putting up only 9.2 points per game on 29-percent shooting over the past 10 days. On a positive note, despite his recent slump, Galloway continues to play 30-plus minutes per game as the Knicks are definitely lottery-bound. He even posted his first career double-digit rebound night with 11 boards against the Nets on Feb. 6.

Dale Redman is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Dale, check out his archive and follow him @fantasytool.

More Articles

Thursday’s NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, CJ McCollum (3/28)

Thursday’s NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, CJ McCollum (3/28)

fp-headshot by Raju Byfield | 2 min read
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Thursday (3/28)

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Thursday (3/28)

fp-headshot by Joel Bartilotta | 3 min read
Wednesday’s NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions: Cade Cunningham, Lauri Markkanen, Michael Porter Jr. (3/27)

Wednesday’s NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions: Cade Cunningham, Lauri Markkanen, Michael Porter Jr. (3/27)

fp-headshot by Raju Byfield | 2 min read
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Wednesday (3/27)

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Wednesday (3/27)

fp-headshot by Joel Bartilotta | 1 min read

About Author

Hide

Current Article

3 min read

Thursday’s NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, CJ McCollum (3/28)

Next Up - Thursday’s NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, CJ McCollum (3/28)

Next Article