2015-16 Fantasy Basketball Primer

It’s hard to believe we’re less than a week away from the start of the 2015-16 NBA season. With that, fantasy players will be preparing for their drafts and getting set for another season.

Use our free Draft Simulator to prepare for your draft

Here’s a look at the expected sleepers and busts for the 2015-16 fantasy basketball season.

Sleepers

Aaron Gordon – ORL – SF
Gordon had a modest rookie season with averages of 5.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.5 blocks while playing 17 minutes per game. The NBA Summer League isn’t the end-all-be-all in terms of indicating whether a player may be in for a breakout season, but Aaron Gordon was a star in the Orlando Summer League. In 32.7 minutes per game, Gordon averaged 21.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals per game all while shooting 50 percent from the field. Yes, that is a small sampling size and it’s against summer league talent but it also shows that Gordon can flash a stat line you want in fantasy basketball. With Channing Frye as his main competition for minutes, there is a good opportunity for Gordon to get upwards of 30 minutes per game. If Gordon can get 30+ minutes per game the opportunity is there for him to produce. Look to grab him near the end of the draft when you can afford to make a mistake.

Nerlens Noel – PHI – PF
When we think of the 76ers, we don’t equate them with winning. However, after an impressive rookie season, Noel is ready to take your fantasy squad to the top even if his real life crew remains in the tank. Top 10 in blocks and steals, Noel’s numbers since the All-Star break were off the charts. With 13.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game, the rookie power forward ranked in the top 20 in all of fantasy over the final two months of the season. Currently going in the fourth round, if Noel can keep raising his percentages he can finish as a top 10 player.

Meyers Leonard – POR – PF
Replacing the recently departed Aldridge in the Blazers’ starting lineup, Leonard has the opportunity jump up the fantasy power forward ranks. His per 36 averages last season of 13.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.0 three-pointers are reasonable possibilities for Leonard in 2015-16. His career shooting percentages of .517 from the field and .837 from the line are bound to dip with more attempts. Although he’s only 22 years old, the former Illini’s ceiling is a top 50 fantasy finish at a 100-plus draft pick cost.

Busts

Deron Williams – DAL – PG
Deron Williams has been on my bust players list for two years and the trend will continue. In his prime, Williams was one of the most physically imposing point guards, but that contact has caught up to him and unfortunately, he hasn’t been the same player for five years. His points per game have fallen each year since then. The Dallas roster doesn’t show much promise in helping Williams in the early going. Wes Matthews and Chandler Parsons are coming off major injuries, Dirk Nowitzki has been hobbling down the court for three years, and Zaza Pachulia was a fall back option for LaMarcus Aldridge and Tyson Chandler.

Kawhi Leonard – SAS – SF
Kawhi Leanard is not a good enough scorer to merit the high pre-season ranking he has. In fantasy basketball it is all about scoring. If you take any player who doesn’t average over 20 points per game in the first two rounds, it will end up being a very long year for you. Leonard averaged 18.5 points per game in 2014-2015. While that is a nice number, it needs to be up at 22+ to warrant taking a first round pick on Leonard. Too many people fall into the trap of taking guys who have good all-around stats but aren’t elite scorers. The first two rounds in a fantasy basketball draft are for scoring, so if the player can’t score you don’t want him. Nicolas Batum has also fallen into this category in recent years as well.

Paul George – IND – SF
Paul George finds his way onto the bust list mainly because of the injury he sustained in the summer of 2014. George may have a nice season but let someone else take on the risk of owning him. There are plenty of other small forwards you will have the opportunity to draft in the early rounds with similar numbers to George but without the same injury risks. There is no doubt that everyone will be rooting for George to have a great return season, but it is best to pass on George in the early rounds of your fantasy draft. Look to grab players like Klay Thompson, Carmelo Anthony, Jimmy Butler, Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gay as all will have similar production to George and can be taken further back in the draft.

LaMarcus Aldridge – SAS – PF
The biggest signing in the NBA free agency this summer, Aldridge put winning over personal numbers by signing with San Antonio. The crowded Spurs’ frontcourt and system will no doubt limit Aldridge’s minutes and field goal attempts, in turn limiting his numbers across the board. Still being drafted in the top 20, Aldridge will disappoint owners that are expecting numbers similar to what he has posted in Portland the past nine years.

Our writers provided rankings for each position, including player tiers to assist you on draft day:

• 2015-2016 FANTASY BASKETBALL PG RANKINGS
• 2015-2016 FANTASY BASKETBALL SG RANKINGS
• 2015-2016 FANTASY BASKETBALL SF RANKINGS
• 2015-2016 FANTASY BASKETBALL PF RANKINGS
• 2015-2016 FANTASY BASKETBALL C RANKINGS

Once your draft is completed you’ll want to run it through our Draft Analyzer to see how you did and to prepare for the start of the regular season.

Here’s to a great fantasy basketball season!