It was a busy NBA offseason and there were plenty of movers and shakers among this year’s free agent class. We’ve been looking at the Top 10 players who have gained fantasy value via free agency in our first installment of this series and today we’re ready to wrap it up with our Top 5.
5. Jarrett Jack, Brooklyn Nets – With the depth behind him in Steve Blake, Donald Sloan and Shane Larkin being nothing special, the Jack-Attack is going to see plenty of minutes now that the Nets let Deron Williams walk. People will say Jack is old, but he’ll only turn 32-years old on October 28, so he’s not exactly a dinosaur. He’s played in 79 games in all but one season throughout his career (including the strike-shortened season in 2011-12 in which he played in 45 out of the 66 games) and averaged 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 0.9 steals over 28 minutes per game last season. However, he averaged a much-better 15.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in 34 minutes per game in 2011-12 when he started in 39-of-45 games he played. Those numbers in 2011-12 compare to what Mike Conley put up last season. Basically, Jarrett Jack’s value will be third/fourth round material that you can draft in the seventh or eighth round.
4. Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers -- After air-balling on their pick last season (Joel Embiid), the Sixers made a slam dunk with this grab. Okafor, like any rookie, will have some growing pains, but he’ll put up quality numbers this season in both the points and rebounds categories. That Embiid character mentioned earlier? Yeah, he is going to miss the entire season with a broken bone in his foot. The Sixers shipped off Jason Thompson to the Warriors, so there isn’t much talent in the frontcourt behind Nerlens Noel and Okafor, so expect Okafor to play huge minutes and rack up some serious fantasy points.
3. Greg Monroe, Milwaukee Bucks -- There wasn’t a bigger surprise in free agency than when Monroe signed with the Bucks, but this move makes complete sense. He now gets to play center on a team that desperately needs a big body down low, while escaping the shadow of Andre Drummond’s superior rebounding skills in Detroit. The Bucks shipped Zaza Pachulia to Dallas to clear up more playing time for Monroe, so don’t expect much from Miles Plumlee who has proven that he is not a viable starting center. Monroe averaged 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds over 31 minutes per game last season. Don’t sleep on him as you can probably expect those numbers to rise this year with an increase in minutes and if all comes to fruition, he could lead the Bucks in both points and rebounds this year.
2. Roy Hibbert, L.A. Lakers -- The Lakers made a strong move by trading for the shot-blocking center, especially since they don’t have any other quality big men on the roster. Hibbert saw his minutes decrease from about 29-30 minutes per game to 25 minutes last season. Not only should he benefit from an increase in playing time, but a change of scenery means he should feel rejuvenated and see an increase in his overall statistical production. Hibbert always slips in drafts despite his ability to average close to a double-double with two-plus blocks a game so keep tabs on where he is falling in your draft. He is shaping up to be one of the best values in fantasy drafts this year so look for him around the seventh or eighth round with the ability to be a top-five shot blocker in the league.
1. Damian Lillard and Gerald Henderson, Portland Trailblazers- The Blazers are in complete rebuild mode after they let Wesley Matthews walk (which was the right move), traded Nicolas Batum to the Hornets, and parted way with LaMarcus Aldridge, who signed with the Spurs. That is why no player gained more fantasy value in free agency than Lillard. The Blazers are basically handing over the keys to their franchise to Lillard, who has proven to be one of the best young point guards in the league. He had a career high in points (21.2), FGM/FGA (7.2/16.6), rebounds (4.6), assists (6.2) and steals (1.2) per game last season and both the points and field goal attempts should increase this year as there aren’t any other legitimate scoring threats other than him and Henderson. And speaking of Henderson, he should fill in nicely for Wesley Matthews as he is a quality scorer who has averaged close to 15.0 points with 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the three seasons he has played 31-plus minutes per game. Henderson is one of my favorite value options in drafts and in DFS, as he will easily exceed his price tag on a regular basis. Target both of these players in all types of fantasy formats.
Until next time, Adios, amigos.