FanPost

NBA Sleepers for the 2014/2015 Season

Andy Lyons

It's that time of year again: The year you will finally win your league. You got to the Finals last year. You lost to Bros Before Hos because of his late-season Steph Curry-for-3 first round picks trade in your dynasty league. You weren't happy about it, but you couldn't veto in good conscience.

But this is your year, electronic baller. This is the beginning of the 4th quarter. All the experienced Fantasy vets know that scooping up the best players before they become the best players is the key to winning your leagues long term (particularly in dynasty/keeper leagues). Sure, maybe you can get lucky with a February Jrue Holiday rookie year pickup, but most likely, all the players with the most upside were scooped up by people like me way before then...

So without further ado, here are some players you should be targeting in your draft this year. Everybody knows who to take in the first 6 rounds, but these late round picks (for 1-year leagues) could really make a difference. [EDIT: Noel and Wiggins aren't late picks per se, but I wanted to give them some attention. Both have immense upside immediately.]

1. Nerlens Noel, PF/C, Philadelphia 76ers. Noel was a monster in Summer League. 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks in 24.7 minutes. Don't expect any miracles, but I think he's the favourite for ROY going into the season. Remember when Blake Griffin was injured his entire rookie year, then became the hottest thing in the NBA? Don't expect that kind of upside on the offensive end, but there is a precedent here.

2. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Minnesota Timberwolves. After all the trade speculation, he's finally gone off to the barren NBA wasteland: Minnesota. But sometimes in the desert, beautiful flowers grow... Remember KG? K-Love? Wiggins with a chip on his shoulder could end up being a Fantasy monster right out of the gate...

3. Jonas Valanciunas, C, Toronto Raptors. Jonas was drafted all the way back in 2011. After his 1-year absence from the league - and 2 years learning the C position in the NBA - Jonas is a little under-the-radar. His rebounds jumped to 8.8/game from 6/game in his rookie year. He also averaged 11.3 PPG last year - and is a career 77.3% FT shooter. He's also only 22 years old. With a solidified role in the offense, and an established veteran core around him, Valanciunas is only going to get better. You could do worse than a nightly double-double threat with good shooting percentages.

4. Terrence Jones, SF/PF, Houston Rockets. After a rookie season that completely took Terrence Jones off the radar, TJ followed up his lacklustre freshman effort with an unexpected breakout year. While certainly not the most consistent player, Jones shot 54% from the field, 12.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 1.2 BPG, and did it all in 27 MPG. The dude went from not being part of the rotation - to being one of the most intriguing Fantasy options in the electronic game. With stat machine Chandler Parsons off to Dallas, TJ could soar...

5. John Henson, PF/C, Milwaukee Bucks. I look at Terrence Jones and John Henson as being part of a package deal. Both were drafted with intriguing potential, both disappointed in their rookie years, and both flashed signs of Fantasy Beast potential during their sophomore efforts. John Henson went from a negligible rookie year to averaging 11.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.7 BPG in only 26:31 MPG. Rumor has it he's got the starting C job for J-Kidd locked up, and he's been hitting the gym like a beast. Get in on this guy now. Oh yeah. He's also only 23 years old.

6. Kendall Marshall, PG, Milwaukee Bucks. Kendall is a risky pickup, but he's an assist machine with a streaky jump shot playing for a coach who was an assist machine with a streaky jump shot... Marshall went from going the Adam Morrison route to being one of the best assist men in the entire NBA (8.8/game). I'm not entirely sold on Marshall moving forward, but his upside is too high in J-Kidd's system to ignore his potential. For a late round flier - or for those in deep leagues - Kendall Marshall has to be on your Fantasy radar.

7. T.J. Warren, SF, Phoenix Suns. Another low risk/high reward Fantasy option. Warren lit up Summer League - averaging 17.8 PPG and shooting 54.4% from the floor. Last year, he averaged 24.9 PPG and 7.1 RPG in the NCAA. While Phoenix' rotation can be a nightmare for swings, T.J. Warren perfectly fits the profile of the kind of player who puts up numbers in the big league...

So there's 7 options for you, cyberballers. Keep your eye on the waiver wire the first month of the season. We just had one of the deepest drafts in NBA history, so some real gems could emerge out of nowhere. Just make sure you get the jewels before everybody else - and that usually means having them in your draft queue before anyone else even knows their names...

Bobman

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