Hey y'all,
Apologies if this is a little off topic, but I was just wondering how you might order these high-hype prospect for fake (fantasy) basketball purposes. I play in a league where we draft 3 college players each year and I'm trying to decide what order to target these prospects 1-10. The league is a 12-team Dynasty league so as soon as I own a guy I have the option to keep him forever.
How would you guys order these prospects based upon what we know now for fantasy league purposes? I realize it's super hard when they haven't even played a college game yet, but I'm just looking for a little input.
I have the #6 overall pick and have my current order as something like: Okafor, Towns, Mudiay, Stanley J, Alexander, Oubre.
What do you guys think? Thanks a bunch!
Fantasy question - best NBA potential?
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Fantasy question - best NBA potential?
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dfree86
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Re: Fantasy question - best NBA potential?
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Notanoob
- Analyst
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Re: Fantasy question - best NBA potential?
As a guy who doesn't even play fantasy, this is pretty hard, but I suppose that what you want are guys who can pick up a wide variety of counting stats, or at least dominate in one area?
I feel like Okafor is overrated in general and is a black hole- but he'll probably go to some awful team being the top prospect and get tons of shot attempts, and being a big he'll naturally get a bunch of rebounds too. I have low expectations for his defense too, since Coach K didn't seem to give a damn about defense last year, so he might not work on that part of his game as much and therefore not be the shotblocker his size and length suggest. He isn't some freak athlete either. Think Al Jefferson, but without all the hype he's gotten because Charlotte suddenly got a good coach when he joined them, and with better foul-draw rate (potentially, no idea how to judge this in a big from high school).
I like Towns more than Okafor, and it's a good thing that he's going to Kentucky. Coach Cal has been churning out stud big men like mad, and Towns should be the next big thing there. I hope that like Noel, Davis, and WCS (underrated, and should be a very good NBA player), he'll pick up mad steals+blocks+boards. Towns appears to be a good shot, so he'll be able to score well and play off others in addition to having a decent post game. He's also pretty smart, I think that he might turn into a better passer than Okafor. I'd take him first.
Mudiay is IMO overrated- there are simply too many good PGs in this league, he simply won't stand out. Nearly every team in the league has a solid starting PG, and some have backups capable of starting. Chances are very good that he'll be crowded out, and I think that playing against very weak competition in China will only hurt him, since he'll continue to totally overmatch anyone he faces, unlike what would happen in college. I doubt that stats-wise he'll provide you anything more than any other borderline top-10 guy could at best. It isn't as though he's a sniper or a magnificent floor- general. He's a great athlete with a very nice handle, and that sounds like a recipe for being overrated but not providing impact- think a very poor man's Westbrook.
Oubre should be a good fantasy wing I suppose, in that he can fill up the stat sheet. He's a real freak on the wing who has the handle to slash, can pass, will rebound well for his position, and with his length he should pick up steals and blocks if only by accident. His shot is bad, and his shot selection along with it, but if you want a guy who will probably be allowed to produce raw numbers, he should be it.
I like Johnson a lot more in terms of on-court impact due to his defense. He's also a freak, but he's less advanced on offense, so he'll likely get fewer touches. IDK if he'll be the sort to produce big numbers; if his offensive game doesn't develop he could just be a great defender on the perimeter-not the sort who gets you counting stats.
Cliff Alexander is a guy who I don't really get as a top-5 guy from a hype perspective, but he could be a very productive player in terms of rebounding at the very least. He's an undersized center with some potential as a shooter-the problem is that you want defense out of your center, and I don't know if he has the skills to play PF full time, really. Tough call on him, but I can't say for sure since I don't really know enough about fantasy. How much value does a stud-rebounder on both ends+ decent scoring (some dunks and a few J's) have?
1. Towns
2. Okafor
3. Oubre
4. Mudiay
5. Alexander
6. Johnson
Just for fantasy though.
I feel like Okafor is overrated in general and is a black hole- but he'll probably go to some awful team being the top prospect and get tons of shot attempts, and being a big he'll naturally get a bunch of rebounds too. I have low expectations for his defense too, since Coach K didn't seem to give a damn about defense last year, so he might not work on that part of his game as much and therefore not be the shotblocker his size and length suggest. He isn't some freak athlete either. Think Al Jefferson, but without all the hype he's gotten because Charlotte suddenly got a good coach when he joined them, and with better foul-draw rate (potentially, no idea how to judge this in a big from high school).
I like Towns more than Okafor, and it's a good thing that he's going to Kentucky. Coach Cal has been churning out stud big men like mad, and Towns should be the next big thing there. I hope that like Noel, Davis, and WCS (underrated, and should be a very good NBA player), he'll pick up mad steals+blocks+boards. Towns appears to be a good shot, so he'll be able to score well and play off others in addition to having a decent post game. He's also pretty smart, I think that he might turn into a better passer than Okafor. I'd take him first.
Mudiay is IMO overrated- there are simply too many good PGs in this league, he simply won't stand out. Nearly every team in the league has a solid starting PG, and some have backups capable of starting. Chances are very good that he'll be crowded out, and I think that playing against very weak competition in China will only hurt him, since he'll continue to totally overmatch anyone he faces, unlike what would happen in college. I doubt that stats-wise he'll provide you anything more than any other borderline top-10 guy could at best. It isn't as though he's a sniper or a magnificent floor- general. He's a great athlete with a very nice handle, and that sounds like a recipe for being overrated but not providing impact- think a very poor man's Westbrook.
Oubre should be a good fantasy wing I suppose, in that he can fill up the stat sheet. He's a real freak on the wing who has the handle to slash, can pass, will rebound well for his position, and with his length he should pick up steals and blocks if only by accident. His shot is bad, and his shot selection along with it, but if you want a guy who will probably be allowed to produce raw numbers, he should be it.
I like Johnson a lot more in terms of on-court impact due to his defense. He's also a freak, but he's less advanced on offense, so he'll likely get fewer touches. IDK if he'll be the sort to produce big numbers; if his offensive game doesn't develop he could just be a great defender on the perimeter-not the sort who gets you counting stats.
Cliff Alexander is a guy who I don't really get as a top-5 guy from a hype perspective, but he could be a very productive player in terms of rebounding at the very least. He's an undersized center with some potential as a shooter-the problem is that you want defense out of your center, and I don't know if he has the skills to play PF full time, really. Tough call on him, but I can't say for sure since I don't really know enough about fantasy. How much value does a stud-rebounder on both ends+ decent scoring (some dunks and a few J's) have?
1. Towns
2. Okafor
3. Oubre
4. Mudiay
5. Alexander
6. Johnson
Just for fantasy though.
Re: Fantasy question - best NBA potential?
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dfree86
- Ballboy
- Posts: 12
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- Joined: Oct 13, 2014
Re: Fantasy question - best NBA potential?
Thanks a ton for that informed perspective. I ended up choosing Stanley J with both towns and Okafor already gone. I feel like his tenacious defense will keep him on the floor and he has the right mentality and size to grow into a better offensive player. I'm hopeful that it works out. I was also rubbed wrong by Mudiay and Oubre. We'll see!