Fantasy NBA Sleeper Alert: Rising Ty May Lift Your Team's Boat

Ty Lawson won't get any fantasy love as long as Chauncey Billups is in town. But that doesn't mean he shouldn't be on your fantasy radar. All the talk of a potential Carmelo Anthony trade should signal the possibility that Billups might go next.

Without Carmelo, it makes little sense for the Nuggets to lose and pay Billups $13 million a year, especially with a less expensive yet capable replacement waiting in the wings. A Carmelo trade just might be the falling domino that opens the door for Ty Lawson at some point this season.

The fact that Lawson continues to improve makes the 33-year-old Billups even more expendable. Lawson showed flashes of starter's ability in summer league this year, averaging 16 points, five assists, 1.6 blocks, and an absurd 58 percent shooting from the field in five summer league games.

Here is what assistant coach Chad Iske had to say about the entering sophomore point guard:

We want him to be assertive as a point guard. I think George has complete faith in him out on the floor and wants him to have more faith in himself when he's out there, taking control, calling a play, being aggressive, not being afraid to shoot the ball.

He can shoot the ball, and I think sometimes he hesitates because of the veterans he's out there with, and wants to make sure that he's keeping them happy and running stuff through them.

We have ultimate confidence in him. Somewhat, we want him to have more confidence in himself when it comes regular season time and feel like he can be assertive even though he's out there with great players.

It's also worth noting that Ty put up solid numbers in the six games in which he received 30-plus minutes last season due to Billups' injury. In those games, Ty averaged 20 points, 6.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.8 turnovers, 58 percent from the field, and 81 percent from the line.

While a six-game sample is admittedly tiny, it is still comforting to know that Ty was able to produce in limited opportunities.

Fantasy Outlook

Keep your eye on Ty as the season progresses. His efficiency from the field and minimal turnovers make him a potential fantasy steal whenever Denver turns over the reins to him.

With all the attention focused on Jrue Holiday, Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, Steph Curry, and a whole host of other young point guards, Ty Lawson often goes unnoticed.

Because of this, you shouldn't necessarily draft him since it's highly uncertain when Billups will get moved—if at all. But this is a notice to put him atop your watch list so that you can grab him off of waivers as soon as news of a Billups trade breaks.