Fantasy Basketball 2015: Breakout Stars Ready to Be Among the NBA's Best
The best players in the NBA will hope to stay on top for a little longer, but the next generation of stars is always knocking on the door. In fantasy basketball, it's important to get these young players before they explode on the big stage.
Last season saw the elevation of Stephen Curry, James Harden and Anthony Davis to the MVP race, while Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard jumped into superstardom. It's not always easy to predict which players will make this type of leap, but there are definitely a number of candidates with this ability.
Here is a look at a few young players ready to take the next step in their careers and who could become extremely valuable sleepers during the 2015-16 season.
Nerlens Noel, C, Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia fans have been trusting the process in rebuilding, and so far the best product of the strategy has been Nerlens Noel. In his first year in the lineup, the forward was dominant at times with 18 double-doubles.
Noel's performance in March—14.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 2.1 rebounds per game in 17 contests—gave a glimpse of how good the former Kentucky star can be when healthy.
While there are questions about how well he will be able to play alongside first-round pick Jahlil Okafor, they seem to be getting along fine so far in the preseason:
The reality is the 76ers have few playmakers likely to take away shots from Noel. Okafor might even take away some of the defensive attention down low, allowing Noel to have more open looks.
Although Noel might never follow in the footsteps of fellow Kentucky star Anthony Davis, he certainly has the talent to play at an All-Star level for many years, beginning with this one.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, Milwaukee Bucks
There is very little Giannis Antetokounmpo can't do on a basketball court. With incredible length and athleticism, the 6'11", 222-pound forward is a matchup nightmare on both ends of the court, and it is only a matter of time before he turns this skill set into big-time numbers.
His playing time increased as the year progressed in 2014-15, and although his shooting was inconsistent, he continued to be productive.
Now he is ready to hit that next level. NBA general managers picked the "Greek Freak" as the second most likely breakout candidate for the upcoming season behind only reigning rookie of the year Andrew Wiggins, according to John Schuhmann of NBA.com.
ESPN's player ranking also has seen him shoot up since his rookie year:
With Jason Kidd at the helm as head coach, the Milwaukee Bucks are going to have a dynamic team with exciting players at each position. Antetokounmpo could be the best of them all and become a go-to option en route to a breakout third season.
Elfrid Payton, PG, Orlando Magic
Although his rookie-year numbers don't necessarily explode off the page (8.9 points, 6.5 assists per game), it seems like the Orlando Magic have found their point guard of the future in Elfrid Payton.
The Louisiana-Lafayette product got better as the year continued and showcased his skills as both a scorer and a passer. After the All-Star break, Payton averaged 11.1 points, 8.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.
This is the type of all-around performance you want in a point guard both in fantasy and on the court.
The only holdup at this point is the ineffectiveness as a shooter. Payton finished the year just 11-of-42 from beyond the arc during his rookie season. However, head coach Scott Skiles has encouraged the guard to become more aggressive, per Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel:
"Elfrid's never really thought like a shooter. He thinks like a penetrator. So we want him to think and look for his shot, and then eventually that should evolve.
[...]
If he's one of those guys that can become fairly reliable [with his shot] and then at some point mix in a corner 3, with the way he can penetrate, the sky's the limit for him.
"
Adding an outside shot to his already-wide skill set could make Payton one of the top point guards in the NBA.
C.J. McCollum, SG, Portland Trail Blazers
Coming out of college, C.J. McCollum was often compared to Damian Lillard as an elite small-school scorer who can make the transition to the NBA. Now the duo could form one of the best young backcourts in the league.
McCollum burst onto the national scene with an outstanding performance in the playoffs, combining for 77 points over the final three games against the Memphis Grizzlies. This hot stretch actually started earlier with the guard averaging 15.4 points per game during the month of March.
ESPN's Kevin Pelton had high praise for the guard (h/t NBA.com's Cody Sharrett):
"I think (McCollum) has a legitimate chance to win Most Improved Player this year. Stepping into a larger role, he's going to be the starting shooting guard next to Damian Lillard, which is a role he filled down the stretch a little bit last season and played a lot of minutes during the playoffs and was very effective offensively. Seems to really have found his way in the NBA.
"
Gerald Henderson could take away some minutes early, but McCollum could easily end up being the second-leading scorer on the Blazers behind only Lillard. The opportunity is there for big minutes and a lot of production, and the 24-year-old has the talent to take advantage of it this season.
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