Fantasy Basketball 2018: Breakout Stars Ready to Be Among the NBA's Best
Selecting superstars will only get you so far in fantasy basketball.
In order to achieve success over the entire season, you need to have depth on your roster, which means a bit of research is required to find the next set of breakout stars.
There are plenty of candidates across the league ready to take the next step up in their respective games, but only a few will actually do so.
Some of the players on the verge of breakout seasons have improved each year they've been in the NBA, while there's also a few who will benefit from preseason injuries.
Breakout Stars
Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee
Since he was selected with the 36th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Malcolm Brogdon has turned into one of the best young stars in the NBA.
After breaking through during his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Brogdon upped his totals last season, as he averaged 13 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
The Virginia product won't be the main contributor on the Bucks' roster, which is a role occupied by Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he's once again going to be an integral part of the team's success.
Brogdon should receive plenty of opportunities to shine on offense with opposing defenses focused in on Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe.
With the Eastern Conference wide open after LeBron James' departure from Cleveland, Milwaukee needs to take the next step under first-year head coach Mike Budenholzer.
If Milwaukee's top scorers play to their potential, Brogdon should be able to take advantage of open looks and move his points per game above 15.
Brogdon is a perfect mid-level fantasy draft option, and with his value expected to rise if he stays healthy, he could be worth a look in the first five rounds.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Brooklyn
Brooklyn's focus is firmly set on the summer and the collection of free agents that will be available, but the Nets will still have some bright spots during the 2018-19 season.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson improved his points per game total by five in his third season out of Arizona, and he's poised to take another step forward.
Brooklyn is expected to have a handful of key contributors on offense, and the addition of Shabazz Napier should help with the distribution of the ball.
Hollis-Jefferson is one of the more well-rounded players on the Brooklyn roster, and his defensive statistics have a chance to increase alongside developing big man Jarrett Allen.
The fourth-year player has a legitimate chance to average over 15 points and eight rebounds, but it's reasonable to have concerns about the ceiling of the Nets.
At best, the Nets will battle for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, but they could also linger near the bottom of the standings and wait for the wave of draft picks and cap space to kick in.
If the Nets produce a product resembling a near-playoff team, selecting Hollis-Jefferson in your leagues will look like an even better pick than it is at the moment.
Derrick White, San Antonio
The San Antonio Spurs will look much different than they have in the past, with Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker no longer on the roster.
DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge are expected to be the main contributors, but they need help in order to boost the Spurs into the top eight of the Western Conference.
Dejounte Murray was supposed to fill that role, but he's out with a torn ACL.
Murray's injury sets up second-year player Derrick White with an opportunity to take the next step in his game and become one of San Antonio's top players.
In 17 games as a rookie, White averaged 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in a limited role off the bench.
Those numbers will grow based off what is expected of White now that Murray isn't part of the team's plans.
White is projected to be the starting point guard, which would make you assume he's due for an uptick in assists with DeRozan and Aldridge demanding the ball.
As the third scorer on the roster, White needs to average 10-15 points per game in order to keep all of the pressure off San Antonio's pair of stars.
Even though he shouldn't be selected in the early rounds, it might be worth taking White earlier than expected because of his increased role.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference
