10 Vastly Underrated Fantasy Basketball Studs

Fantasy sports, with fantasy basketball in particular, are based on trends.

While some might find the NBA’s length of schedule demands far too much lineup managing and tweaking, it allows those of us who are fantasy-obsessed to get a true and definitive edge through checking statistical trends that occur every year.

A player coming off of seven good games is more of a lock to produce in your lineup when plucked from the waiver wire than a fantasy footballer with one solid game under his belt. 

The waiver wire in fantasy football yearly yields a few season-saving caliber players like Michael Vick and Arian Foster, but is primarily a vehicle for addressing injuries and managing bye weeks. Sleepers are often players that have the potential to keep right on sleeping in the NFL, and those speculative picks may never crack your roster.

But, this is fantasy basketball. And here, sleeper picks are more likely to pay off. As long as a player is going to get the minutes, he will produce as much as his own talent and determination will allow him. He is as not dependent on touches or coaching schemes, and therefore can offer more serious upside to the in-touch owner.

While the waiver wire may save seasons, there is nothing more satisfying than destroying the league with the guy you took two rounds too early and is now a top-20 player.

Here are 10 guys who have shots at finishing significantly higher above their average draft position (ADP), as based on ESPN’s fantasy basketball system. 

These guys will help you win your league and, if they perform under expectations, can still contribute to your dominance.

Jarrett Jack: ADP 95

When Chris Paul was packing his bags to Los Angeles, Jarrett Jack called him up and thanked him for helping him understand the point guard position and saying how much he would miss him. He also simultaneously picked himself in the latter rounds of his own fantasy draft.

When Jack has been able to start in New Orleans, he has produced a stat line around 12 points, five assists, a couple rebounds and a steal.

However, Jack has never had an extended period of time to take the reigns. His starting gigs have come in spot instances when Paul was dinged up.

For a pick this late, Jack’s past production as starter makes him a bargain.

With a whole season ahead of him at the head of the Hornet’s offense, something to the tune of 15 points and seven to eight assists would be far from unspeakable, and would make Jack a flat-out steal.

Draft him as early as you would, yet not ahead of guys like Kyrie Irving and Raymond Felton, because he offers just as much upside as they do with a much lower price tag. 

DeAndre Jordan: ADP 91

Another big beneficiary of the Chris Paul trade and the other half of the newly formed
“Lob City”, Jordan makes a huge leap on sleeper lists everywhere for two major reasons.

Firstly, the Paul trade obviously gives Jordan his first legitimate point guard in his career to get him the ball.

Secondly, by shipping Chris Kaman out, it eliminates all talent at the center position other than Jordan.

He is a hyper athletic center on a team with an elite point guard and a dominant post presence next to him that is also in line to get the largest heaping of minutes in his young career.

That is the perfect recipe for a big sleeper.

The scarcity of sure thing centers this year makes him even more appealing, as does his proficiency for blocks.

Something around 15 points, nine rebounds, and two to three blocks a game would be right in line with his potential. While it could be argued that Blake Griffin’s own stats will take away from Jordan’s, their situation could also play out like the other Los Angeles team, where both Gasol and Bynum produce at elite fantasy levels when healthy.

When looking at guys in earlier rounds like Serge Ibaka or Roy Hibbert, consider that you could get close production for less with DeAndre Jordan.

Danilo Gallinari: ADP 72

The reason players like Gallinari are at all captivating and why fantasy basketball is so fun is one word: potential. 

A sweet-shooting foreign forward with the kind of game that makes Jay Bilas have a borderline heart attack yelling words like “upside” and “wingspan”, Gallo is primed to cash in on that potential this year.

A pesky ankle injury and a change of scenery from New York to Denver last year may have had some effect on his game, but he still managed to put in 16 points, five rebounds, and two threes a game.

He would qualify for this list just by being healthy and settling into his surroundings.

What makes him a true gem though, is his teammates decisions to play in China rather than wait for a lockout resolution.

The Nuggets will be without J.R. Smith, Wilson Chandler, and Kenyon Martin until March. Those guys all got major minutes under George Karl, while Chandler and Martin were in direct competition with Gallo for forward minutes.

All of these key rotational players have minutes that have to go somewhere, and more importantly, scoring that needs to manifest somehow. Everyone on the roster will have to step up, and Gallo will be given the first chance to do that.

Gallo could average 20 points a game with three threes this year even if he has not improved at all as a player.

He will produce at the same level as a Stephen Jackson or Luol Deng, but can be safely grabbed a round or two later for value.

Tyson Chandler: ADP 70

Tyson Chandler actually played better in the regular season than in the playoffs, statistically speaking.

But, it was his finals production that got him the contract in New York which puts him on this list this year.

The Knicks, because of Mike D’Antoni, are always capable of having five fantasy-relevant starters. Center has been a problem for them, as starting the likes of Ronny Turiaf next to Amar’e Stoudemire really does not make for an intimidating post duo.

They also have a defensive problem.

Chandler fixes those problems handily. People forget that Chandler is actually a very athletic big man, because for some reason, being a savvy defensive leader usually takes athleticism away from a player in public perception.

Use this to your advantage in your drafts. He put up about a double double last year, averaging just under nine rebounds and 10 points a game.

This year, he could easily improve those numbers to somewhere around 14 points and 12 rebounds, with two blocks thrown in and an excellent percentages for a big.

He is also a high profile sleeper, which may lead to him becoming overhyped and overvalued soon. For now he is being drafted behind Marcin Gortat and JaVale McGee, and that makes him very valuable.

Greg Monroe: ADP 68

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Charlie Villanueva. For the money Detroit paid him, you would  think they had some sort of legitimate, versatile, post weapon on their hands.

Luckily for fantasy owners and horribly for Pistons fans, they were terribly wrong. 

Now, Greg Monroe and his versatile game that includes things Charlie V’s lacks, like scoring and rebounding, are primed to take the sophomore leap into fantasy elitism.

He’s shown good percentages and put up 14 points and 10 rebounds when John Kuester finally made some sense and put him in the starting lineup late last year.

He is a pretty stereotypical center, but has some midrange game and is an incredibly skilled passer. This means that, despite his age, he already has the tools to dominate the weakness that is every center outside of the top five at the position.

As a young building block, expect him to get more and more touches this year, as the Pistons carve out some form of identity and try to look back on their lost season last year.

The best way to forget last season in Detroit is to get your young studs as involved as possible, and Monroe will benefit to the tune of about 18 points and 12 rebounds, with a few assists thrown in as a sweet bonus.

Monroe should be drafted as soon as you start to see question marks as the only post options left, and I would be as bold to select him over players like Andrew Bynum and Nene.

Andrea Bargnani: ADP 54

Even though he is a seven-footer, Andrea Bargnani’s game is not that of a center.

Much like Dirk Nowitzki, Bargnani is a deadly shooter because of his combination of touch and size.

He has the height to grab boards, and does so passingly with about six a game, but his main value is in points and threes. He plays more like a shooting guard for fantasy purposes.

The Raptors have been trying to pass him off as a center for almost his entire career, and seemed to have wised up, with prevailing reports pointing towards playing Ed Davis at center and moving Bargnani to power forward.

This will free him to shoot more and worry less about manning the post, at least mentally, and he should flourish.

Expect over 25 points and 2-3 threes as a result.

He is a different player than Serge Ibaka types, so he may or may not be more valuable than them. Production-wise, he deserves to be picked over Manu Ginobili or Kevin Martin.

Brook Lopez: ADP 43

There is only one reason that Brook Lopez is not the second most productive fantasy center, and it is a pretty glaring hole for a seven-foot true center to have: rebounding.

The largest reason Kris Humphries could get so many rebounds is because Lopez did not grab them. He only got six boards a game last year, which is just inexcusable.

Despite this, he is still a top center. This speaks volumes to his production in other areas, which will only increase from having Deron Williams in a Nets uniform this season.

He is on this list because he could be ridiculously valuable if he could just find four more missed shots a game, but even if he does not, he will not underperform his draft slot.

He's also literally never missed an NBA game, a stat that gets undervalued far more than it should.

A little bit like Brook Lopez. 

Tyreke Evans: ADP 30

Plantar fasciitis—no NBA fan really knows what it means, other than that it hurts your feet a lot and never really seems to go away in the same season it is contracted.

Luckily for future superstar Tyreke Evans, the injury that limited him all last year is gone. He does have a new, minor foot injury which is unrelated and could be a cause for concern.

However, the upside of the fourth ever NBA rookie to average 20 points, five assists, and five rebounds a game, in the company of LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Oscar Robertson, cannot be denied for long.

Believe it or not, the Sacramento Kings actually have some talent for their leader to take advantage of. DeMarcus Cousins and Marcus Thornton are great upside scorers, and Jimmer Fredette is their joker in the deck.

If he can just produce at his rookie level, scarily, he would be a top-15 fantasy producer.

He was never healthy enough to take advantage of his growing game, but one preseason game in, he already looks like he’s back.

There is no player better than Evans at getting to the rim, and it will translate to something around 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists this year.

He should be drafted in the same company as John Wall and Rajon Rondo.

Eric Gordon: ADP 24

As the third beneficiary of the big Chris Paul trade on this list, it may surprise you that none of these three are Paul himself.

A player of Paul’s caliber is already a top three pick, and he will likely not improve enough to get to No. 1 overall or fall past No. 10 on the year, so he cannot exactly be called a sleeper.

Eric Gordon definitely can be, though. As the clear-cut second banana to Blake Griffin last year, he still managed to pour in 22 points a game. He is also a competent passer and a treyball connoisseur.

In New Orleans, he becomes the offense.

His scoring will spike, and his shooting percentage will likely suffer slightly. He will also be called upon to utilize his expanding passing game.

It does not seem at all absurd to expect at least 26 points and six assists from Gordon, with up to even 30 points a night in the realm of possibility.

Think leading the league in scoring is ridiculous for Gordon?

Unless some combination of Chris Kaman, Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Jarret Jack, and Carl Landy manage to each score over double figures every night, there is no reason that Gordon could not muster up 30.

He is that good of a scorer and his situation is that ripe. Expect greatness with the possibility of some crazy stat lines from Gordon, and draft him as early outside of the first round as you wish.

Deron Williams: ADP 8

Deron Williams is not really a sleeper, but he is definitely underrated.

No one will be sleeping on Williams this year, technically, but there is a sort of phenomenon around the lack of respect he gets every year.

For fantasy purposes, consider this Deron’s year to break free from the shackles of Chris Paul and supplant him as the league’s dominant fantasy point guard. 

While Paul will be delighted to throw alley oops to “Lob City” all year, Williams owners will be delighted to see almost all statistical worth in New Jersey outside of Brook Lopez come from their stud point guard.

Jerry Sloan’s slow-moving system was another source of confinement for Williams, and he has been released from this as well.

There always seem to be moments of absurdity from D-Will where he will make some sort of ridiculous pass or dunk on someone’s head in a way that makes us wonder what reserve of skill and athleticism William’s drew it from.

We have been so used to seeing bland Williams over his NBA tenure thanks to the Jazz that we have almost been tricked into thinking that Williams is not some kind of athletic ball-handling monster of a guard.

Those absurd moments will become somewhat mainstream after a full season of freedom, as Williams will easily post career highs across the board.

It will look something like 25 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, two threes, and a steal, night in, night out.

That effort will firmly put him within the top three of fantasy, and if Kevin Durant does not elevate his all-around game and LeBron is handicapped statistically by Dwyane Wade, then Williams may finish the season as the best overall fantasy player.