NBA Sleepers: Don't Let These Players Fly Under Your Radar

Whether you're a fantasy basketball player, or just a knowledgeable fan, everyone is always keeping an eye out for potential sleepers each season.

So, who are the players to keep your eye on in the upcoming 2008-2009 NBA season?

Here's my list of the top 10 players to watch out for:

10. Wilson Chandler, F, New York Knicks

In 2007-2008, Wilson Chandler averaged 7.3 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 19.6 minutes of action in the 35 games he played in.

However, those stats don’t tell a great story. In the 11 games where he played at least 30 minutes, he averaged 13.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.0 BPG.

But that was his rookie year. What can we expect in year two?

To put it simply: Big things. With Renaldo Balkman and his 14.6 MPG going to Denver and new head coach Mike D’Antoni in town, Chandler will get plenty of chances to show off his skills; mainly his athleticism.

D’Antoni’s system is perfect for a guy like Chandler who is big, athletic, and runs the floor like a gazelle. His offensive skills will thrive, and he can bring a defensive presence from the small forward position.

With many reporters debating whether or not Chandler’s minutes will suffer because of D’Antoni’s history with current Knick Quentin Richardson, people are understandably skeptic of Chandler.

Not me.

I think Richardson will get plenty playing time at shooting guard, but he will be on the floor with Chandler, not instead of him.

9. Jeff Green, F, Oklahoma City Thunder

After spending a year playing next to some kid named Kevin Durant, Jeff Green’s 2007-2008 stats weren’t greatly publicized.

But when you take a close look, they’re actually quite impressive: 10.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG in 28.2 MPG over the season. He can play both forward spots and can stay on the floor longer because of that.

Green is a great scorer, can shoot from anywhere inside the three-point line, and should team up with Durant to form a great scoring duo down in Oklahoma City. Don’t be surprised if Green gets up around 16-17 PPG this year.

8. Marcus Banks, G, Miami Heat

Marcus Banks has been a good scorer throughout his entire career, but has never been able to stick with a single team, mostly because of injuries.

In the 2005-2006 season, Banks was traded from Boston to Minnesota, and became the starting point guard for the Timberwolves for 28 games. In those games, Banks averaged 12.2 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 1.24 SPG, proving that when given time, he can be effective.

Well Miami is going to give him every shot to start this year, and it will be interesting to see how he does. With Mario Chalmers impressing coaches in summer league (15.8 PPG, 5.4 APG, 26.75 MPG) and Chris Quinn on the roster, Banks may be on a short leash.

He is being given his shot, and he should thrive. He will score in bunches, and shouldn’t have any problem giving the ball up to Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, and Michael Beasley to rack up the assists.

7. Jared Dudley, F, Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats made Jared Dudley the No. 22 pick in the 2007 draft after acquiring the pick from Toronto, and make no mistake about it, they want him to start.

Dudley is an undersized power forward with an unbelievable work ethic and a motor that never stops, and fans should see more of that this year.

If Charlotte had grabbed Brook Lopez at No. 9 this year and slid Emeka Okafor back to power forward, then Dudley would have been mostly on the bench again this year. But with D.J. Augustin instead being the pick, Dudley is going to have an opportunity to battle with Sean May to start next to Okafor, unless the Bobcats go with Okafor/Nazr Mohammed up front, which is doubtful.

If Dudley wins the job (which I expect him to), expect his minutes to shoot up from 19.0 per game last year to somewhere around 25-30 per game this year.

His toughness will allow him to bang with the big guys (quit your giggling) at the NBA level and he shouldn't have a problem getting his numbers in 2008-2009.

6. Maurice Evans, G/F, Atlanta Hawks

Maurice Evans is a good swingman and spark player off the bench. He can score in bunches and isn't a liability on defense, which is what most teams look for in a reserve.

So after that a lot of you are probably thinking "well if he's just a reserve, why does it matter?"

Well, I'll tell you why.

With the departure of Josh Childress to Olympiakos Greece, Evans is in line to be the sixth man for the Hawks, and that should lead to some solid production.

With a similar skill set to Childress, don't be surprised if Evans puts up similar, or even better numbers than Childress did last year (11.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.5 APG).

5. Travis Outlaw, F, Portland Trailblazers

When people talk about the Blazers, it’s usually about All-Star Brandon Roy, up-and-coming LaMarcus Aldridge, “rookie” phenom Greg Oden, or even the recent acquisition of Jerryd Bayless.

And that’s understandable, since those guys are good players to get excited about.

But what about the player at the one position (small forward) we didn’t mention?

Travis Outlaw is a man on a mission, and has been improving constantly since he came into the league. His PPG, RPG, and MPG have risen in each of his five years, and this past season he played in all 82 games.

His 13.3 PPG last season were good for third on the team, despite only starting in six of the 82 games he played.

He is currently in a battle with fellow college-skipper Martell Webster to be the starting small forward, and while Webster started 70 games at the position last year, his hold on the job is by no means secure.

Even if Outlaw remains on the bench, look for his minutes to keep rising, and his scoring to continue to improve.

4. Jordan Farmar, G, Los Angeles Lakers

Jordan Farmar has had to compete with Derek Fisher for playing time in each of his first two years, but he has gotten considerable minutes each season, increasing from 15.1 MPG in 2006-2007 to 20.6 in 2007-2008.

His PPG and APG averages have also increased with time, going from 4.4 and 1.9 in ’06-07 to 9.1 and 2.7 in ’07-08.

So what can we expect from Farmar this season?

The numbers say double-digit PPG and around 4 APG. The points I won’t argue with, but the assists should definitely be more.

Farmar is a good scorer, but an underrated passer. He’s not going to put up Steve Nash numbers, but in games when he got 25 minutes or more, he averaged 4.7 assists, nearly double his season total, which makes me believe that if he gets upwards of 25 MPG this season, he can easily average 5 or 6 per game.

In his third year, it wouldn’t surprise me if Farmar got more minutes than Fisher. He’s comfortable in the offense, and has no durability issues, playing 154 games over his first two years.

Farmar may not lock up a starting job over Fisher this year, especially in the playoffs, but his only other competition for minutes (Javaris Crittenton) was traded to Memphis mid-season last year, so his window is wide open.

Farmar might not be a super-stud like Chris Paul or Deron Williams were in year three, but expect him to be extremely solid throughout the year.

3. Rodney Stuckey, G, Detroit Pistons

Rodney Stuckey is a very popular sleeper pick this year, and it’s easy to tell why.

In his two regular season starts, he averaged 18.0 PPG, and over the season he impressed enough to quickly become the first guard off the bench as a rookie, averaging 19.0 MPG.

He even made enough of an impression that when Chauncey Billups went down in the conference semi-finals, Stuckey was the man to fill in as starter. And he came through, averaging 17.0 PPG and 4.0 APG.

The off-season isn’t over yet, and Chauncey Billups might still be traded away. If that happens, Stuckey is likely in line to see upwards of 30 minutes a night. Even if Billups stays, Stuckey will certainly see increased time off the bench, since his injured wrist is fully healed, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he averages 25 MPG as a reserve.

Stuckey is a score-first player comfortable at either guard position, and his versatility is what helps him get so much playing time.

13-15 PPG as a reserve isn’t out of the question at all, and as a starter? 18-20 with 5-7 assists seems extremely likely.

2. Thaddeus Young, F, Philadelphia 76ers

Don’t let Thaddeus Young’s season averages fool you. 8.2 PPG and 4.2 RPG doesn’t sound very impressive.

But in games when he got 30+ minutes of playing time? 14.0 PPG and 5.0 RPG.

After starting all six playoff games for Philadelphia, it’s clear that the 76ers have faith in their young forward.

Young got all of his 22 regular season starts (28 including playoffs) at power forward, but with the acquisition of Elton Brand, look for Young to go back to his natural three spot, sliding Andre Iguodala to shooting guard.

With Brand on the team, Young won’t average much more than five rebounds, but his points should hover somewhere around 18 or 19 on the season.

With increased playing time thanks to the departure of his only competition at small forward (Rodney Carney), Young should have no problem showing off the great scoring ability and freakish athleticism that made him the No. 12 overall pick in 2007.

1. Ramon Sessions, G, Milwaukee Bucks 

If you watched late-season basketball last year, you know about Ramon Sessions and his ridiculous stats.

13.1 PPG, 13.1 APG, 5.6 RPG, 1.7 SPG in 42.7 MPG as a starter. Unbelievable.

With Mo Williams out of the picture, Sessions is in line to be the full-time starter in his second year.

Now, before I get loads of hate mail from the 6 Luke Ridnour fans in the world, I have to pose a question to all of them: if Ridnour can’t beat out Earl Watson for a starting gig, how does he upset a young phenom who already has the backing of his coach?

No, Sessions won’t get 42.7 MPG again this year, but 30-35? Bank on it.

Don’t expect 13 and 13 again, but somewhere around 12 and 9 with the same averages in rebounding and steals as he had this past year in his starts.

Keep this in mind: I don’t have a crystal ball here, so these are just educated guesses based on the numbers and my opinions.

Don’t go picking up any of these guys in the first round of your fantasy draft, but take a chance on them, they’ve got a ton of potential. And if you’re an NBA fan, keep your eye out for these guys. You’ll see a lot of them this season.