Angle Fantasy Basketball

As your fantasy draft approaches, I have identified five 9-category targets to consider at their average draft position (ADP) in your Yahoo Redraft Leagues. I believe these five players have the potential to smash their ADP and provide you a great return on investment by the time the season comes to an end. Now let’s get started!

Stephen Curry: ADP 16.1

Over the last 10 years, Stephen Curry has been a first-round staple in standard 12-team redraft leagues. I’m capitalizing on the opportunity to grab Curry in the mid-second round. I would probably even reach to take Curry in the back-end of the first round because of how versatile he is with his fantasy game. Curry is an anchor in 3’s per game with clean shooting splits, provides strong rebounds for a guard, solid assists, and possesses above-average steal numbers. Despite a “down” year last season, Curry finished 9th in 9-cat rank. With the addition of Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, we saw a blistering end to his 16th season, finishing in the top 5 over the last 2 months of the season in a 25-game sample size. The attention Jimmy Butler commands on offense has freed up Curry and has given him easier looks to convert over the second half of the season. Look for the momentum to carry over as the Warriors look to take advantage of the back-end of Stephen Curry’s prime. 

Coby White: ADP 60.7

Coby White is one of my favorite mid-round targets this year for many reasons. The era of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan is a thing of the past. Coby White is now positioned as the apex scorer of the middling Chicago Bulls, who are targeting the play-in tournament for the fourth consecutive year. In the 39 games last season without Zach LaVine, Coby White averaged 22.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 4.5apg on 46.2/37.4/91.5 shooting splits. These numbers are very similar to those of Jamal Murray, who has an ADP of 39.3. When lead guards dry up in the early rounds, Coby White is an intriguing option for those seeking some points and assist upside in the middle of the draft.  

Mark Williams: ADP 84.1

If you want a boom or bust player, look no further than Mark Williams. The Suns’ newly acquired Center is their best option to man the post and anchor the Suns’ defense this year. Khaman Maluach is a rookie and quite raw, and Oso Ighodaro is a serviceable backup big, but lacks size in the interior. Despite a less-than-ideal injury history, Mark Williams intends to start the season healthy and is determined to prove the doubters wrong. Williams is a double-double machine who will anchor your field goal, while also proving to be a net positive in his free throw percentage. Williams finished his 3rd campaign as a top 40 player in 9-category leagues, averaging 15.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, with 0.7spg and 1.2bpg on 60/80 shooting splits. Scared money doesn’t make money, and with Mark Williams, I am willing to run towards the fire because of his top 20-30 upside this late in the draft.   

Jalen Suggs: ADP 102.5

Jalen Suggs is a fan favorite here at Angle Fantasy Basketball. The defensive intensity and his ability to rack up stocks at the guard spot are the allure of Jalen Suggs. I see Suggs as a lesser version of Derrick White when White was in San Antonio and in his first few years in Boston. Even though Suggs had an outlier year in usage at 27.7, he’s capable of being effective at the low 20’s mark, where he can drain spot up 3’s, fill the passing lanes in the fast break, and play off-ball and cut backdoor in the halfcourt. Let’s put it this way: if you consider a low-usage defensive-minded player like Dyson Daniels in the 30’s, you’re going to love the value Suggs provides in the 100’s.

Reed Sheppard: ADP 119

The new starting point guard of the Houston Rockets is Reed Sheppard. Sheppard’s golden opportunity came after the unfortunate news that FVV tore his ACL during a team workout last month. In dynasty circles, Reed was seen as a top 1-2 prospect in dynasty rookie drafts because of his clean percentages, 3-point volume, and stock potential due to active hands. Reed had a quiet rookie year as the Rockets had championship aspirations, where they finished as the 2nd seed in the West. In this season, he will finally have the chance to showcase his talent in a starting role where he can crack the top 80-100 numbers in 9-category leagues. The Rockets need 3-point shooting with the departures and absences of Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and FVV.  Reed Sheppard is the answer to fill that void. Coming off a scorching 23ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 4.0 spg, and 3.5 3’s per game in Summer League, Sheppard is ready to make a name for himself in the redraft community. This is only the beginning!