2010 Fantasy Basketball Draft: Top 10 Sleepers
There was a time when consensus No. 1 pick Kevin Durant was an unproven rookie and considered a risky investment.
There are many on this list that have been considered busts, injury prone or maybe names you've never heard of. But I believe these guys will have a bigger impact on their teams than most have thought.
Here are the top 10 fantasy basketball sleepers of the 2010-11 NBA season.
10. Josh Childress
1 of 10
Remember him? Josh Childress, the guy with a big afro and braces?
Well he's back in America as a Phoenix Sun after a brief stint in Greece playing for Olympiacos Piraeus.
His debut numbers on Tuesday wasn't impressive (four points, zero everything else), but he is also bothered by a finger injury.
Once that heals up, Childress should get more than 20 minutes per game and be a factor in the Suns' offense.
9. Darko Milicic
2 of 10
Darko Milicic was drafted before Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
I could make fun of the Detroit Pistons here for their pick, but why kick a team when it's down in the dumps.
Milicic is the classic case of never meeting the expectations of a top-three NBA lottery pick.
But if you watch closely, Milicic can provide a team two-plus blocks per game if given 25 to 30 minutes per game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves traded away Al Jefferson, the centerpiece for the trade that sent away Kevin Garnett, and Milicic has taken his starting center position.
If you're in a head-to-head league, think about Milicic as someone that has the potential to give you 12 blocks per week. He might be worth a flyer in the last couple rounds.
8. Francisco Garcia
3 of 10
Francisco Garcia was Rick Pitino's best player at Louisville before he was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2005.
The 25th pick has battled through injuries which resulted in inconsistent playing time. But when healthy, like in 2008-09 when he averaged over 30 minutes per game, Garcia has showed flashes of a well rounded game fitted for fantasy basketball.
If he can improve his shooting percentage to 47.5 percent (his career percentage is 44.3), Garcia can provide a team with a great rotisserie stat line that includes under two turnovers, just over 1.0 blocks and steals, 10-plus points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
His numbers are well rounded and maybe worth taking a risk on in a roto league.
7. Tyson Chandler
4 of 10
Tyson Chandler is Marcus Camby light in every way.
He won't score more than 10 points a game, he'll get you 10-plus rebounds and block two shots per game. But he is seemingly made out of glass and gets injured so often that he missed about 45 percent of the last two seasons.
Dallas Mavericks' starting center Brendan Haywood played well last year, but it's the only year he played well. I don't expect Haywood to be as good as he was last year and Chandler to get about as much playing time as Haywood.
Chandler will throw bricks at the free throw line and may have box scores like zero points and 15 rebounds. His game is not fit for a rotisserie league, but a head-to-head league could take advantage of his defense.
Well, that is when he's not injured.
6. Blake Griffin
5 of 10
As a self-proclaimed biggest Los Angeles Clippers fan in the world, you can only imagine how excited I was when the Clippers drafted Blake Griffin.
You can also imagine how I expected some type of curse to take out Blake Griffin's knee in last year's preseason.
Griffin has the potential to be a 15 points, 11 rebounds type of guy for the Clippers. Not only that, he'll most likely shoot over 50 percent.
Even though he doesn't have the range Kevin Garnett does, his numbers could very well be similar to Garnett's in his prime.
Even with Baron Davis, Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman, Griffin will get his touches. He is worth a fifth-round flyer in any format.
5. Dorell Wright
6 of 10
Before Chris Bosh donned the No. 1 jersey in Miami, there was Dorell Wright.
This wingman decided to take his talents to the Golden State, and the Warriors' fast-paced offense will suit him well.
He showed brilliance in Miami with 1.5 three pointers and blocks per game that is rare in the fantasy world. He has the potential to score 15 points at above a 47.5 percent mark and can get rebounds like an average small forward.
The only reason he is not higher on this list is that the Warriors' offense will most likely run through Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. I'm not even sure if their arguably best player, David Lee, will get that many touches.
Still, his game could be a roto-owner's dream if it pans out.
4. Jamario Moon
7 of 10
Speaking of Chris Bosh, Jamario Moon played a critical role as a Tornoto Raptor before he was traded away.
His game was simple: around eight points, one three-pointer, five rebounds, 1.5 steals, one block and less than one turnover per game with high shooting percentages.
The stats won't jump off the page, but any roto fantasy owner will tell you that consistent stats in all categories (and for Moon it's everything but assists) is a key to a championship.
With a LeBron James-less Cleveland Cavilers looking for a major scoring option from the wing position, look for Moon to make a big fantasy basketball impact this season.
I'd almost pencil him in for 15 points a game with all his other stats, which may rank him as a top-30 player when it's all said and done.
3. D.J. Augustin
8 of 10
Without Raymond Felton, D.J. Augustin will be in charge of the Charlotte Bobcats' offense.
Behind Augustin is former Los Angeles Clipper lottery pick Shawn Livingston, but I believe coach Larry Brown will play Augustin considerably more at point guard because of his versatility.
Felton was an aggressive shooter and Brown let him play like he did with Allen Iverson. I'm betting on Augustin shooting more than Felton's 13.2 shots per game last season and playing close to 35 minutes per game.
And I think his shooting percentage 38.6 field goal percentage will be closer to 44 this season.
Augustin, because of his playing time, will average close to 1.7 three pointers and five assists per game. His turnover might spike to over two per game, but I'll take 15 points and five assists per game on my roster any day.
2. Mike Dunleavy
9 of 10
Mike Dunleavy was drafted third overall to Golden State Warriors after a spectacular collegiate career at Duke University.
Since then, the only mind-boggling talent he's shown is of often he lands on the injury reserved list.
And the occasional 20 points with three three-pointers, five rebounds, five assists, one-steal and one-block performance.
Dunleavy averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assist, a steal and two three-pointers in 37 minutes in his last two preseason games before, not so shockingly, injuring his knee.
Prognosis is that he'll be fine, and with the offensively struggling Indiana Pacers looking for a spark, look forward to Dunleavy putting up some mind-boggling numbers this season.
1. Anthony Murrow
10 of 10
Anyone from northern California will tell you that the purest shooter on the Golden State Warriors in the last decade is Anthony Morrow.
Morrow averaged 46 percent from the three point line in his two-year NBA career and showed most NBA teams that he shouldn't have been an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech.
With Brook Lopez able to command double teams down in the post, look for Morrow to average above 2.5 three-pointers per game with a high shooting percentage as a New Jersey Net.
I can easily see Morrow being a 20-point player for Avery Johnson because of his flawless stroke and durability. I see Morrow as a better J.R. Smith and my bet to lead the league in three pointers this season.
The Nets couldn't get Carmelo Anthony, but Morrow will prove to be a more pure shooter than Anthony would ever be.
