NBA Divisional Breakdown- Atlantic Division
@Hoover__26 November 22
For a long time, the Atlantic Division was filled with some of the best teams in the league. The Celtics were perennial contenders, the Sixers had some exciting rosters, and the Knicks-Nets rivalry was must-see TV. However, there was also a dark age to this division, as the record of the clinching team in the Atlantic would have landed second or third in other divisions. But, as with most things, this division seems to be on the verge of a rebound. Here is the list of my favorite, least favorite, and best sleepers of each position in the Atlantic division.
Favorite Guards- Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas, Jarrett Jack
This is an intriguing division when it comes to fantasy. Kyle Lowry, obviously, is far from an underdog in the fantasy world. His much improved Raptors are garnering national attention, and he is just stuffing the stat line (20.6 points, 6.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game). But the other two, regardless of how well they play, seem to fly a bit under the radar. Thomas’ points and assists average is pretty much equal to Lowry’s, and Thomas commits less turnovers than Lowry, yet Thomas no one considers Thomas elite. Jarrett Jack is flying even further under the radar, probably due to the poor play of the Nets. He has posted a very strong stat line, with 14.4 points, 7.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, yet some experts (including one from Yahoo! Sports) still recommends Marcus Smart over Jack (fantasypros.com).
Favorite Forwards- Thaddeus Young, Carmelo Anthony
At this point, telling you I like Carmelo Anthony is pretty much like telling you Stephen Curry has played pretty well to start the year. Melo is a fantasy beast (check out our #TBT on him, if you haven’t already), averaging 22.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, not to mention he is actually playing some defense. Melo is owned in 99.8% of ESPN leagues (the other 0.2%, seriously?), and should stay near the top of the fantasy power rankings. Thaddeus Young, however, has slipped through the cracks. As I said before, even the top fantasy players in this division are sleepers. Young’s 15.6 points and 8.2 rebounds are shrouded by the fact that Brooklyn has (ahem) started a little slow.
Favorite Centers- Jahlil Okafor, Brook Lopez
Jahlil Okafor has vaulted himself into fantasy stardom in these first 13 games. Despite the fact that we are still waiting for Philadelphia to win a game (trust the process), Okafor is playing like a star against other top NBA centers. He put up 21 points and 12 rebounds against the Spurs, and his best game came against the Bulls, so his numbers aren’t inflated for poor teams. He is a legit top fantasy big, and should be recognized as such. Brook Lopez has been a top fantasy big for years now, and I see no signs of stopping. The Nets have some really good players, so don’t be fooled by their record.
Sleeper Guards- Avery Bradley, T.J. McConnell
Avery Bradley is stuck in a really talented Boston backcourt, and his near14 points per game have gone near unnoticed. Sure, his big games have been noticed, but not many people are seeing that he can string these together. T.J. McConnell is another Philadelphia prospect (what can I say, trust the process) that I really like. As soon as I saw him play last year for Arizona, and I saw his vision, I said “that guy’s going to do something in the NBA”. While his funny-looking shooting motion might turn a few people off, this kid is amazing. T.J. McConnell is Stockton-esque, as his 6.4 assists per game as a rookie certainly shows. McConnell can also shoot, and do pretty much everything. Honestly, McConnell could be one of the more memorable players to come in this year’s draft that wasn’t taken in the stacked lottery. Don’t sleep on him.
Sleeper Forwards- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jae Crowder, Kristaps Porzingis
T.J. McConnell’s teammate at Arizona, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson landed in Brooklyn after being drafted by Portland. While he has only played a little over 20 minutes per game this year, his rebounding has shined. He averages 9.7 rebounds per 36 minutes (basketball-reference.com), and can score the ball as well. Jae Crowder can shoot and play defense. Period. Crowder is a tremendous scorer, and averages almost 3 steals per game. Take advantage of how cheap he is now, because his role can only grow. What can I say about Kristaps Porzingis that hasn’t already been said? He is a true star in the making, as he is a stretch four in a center’s body. He can rebound against stronger guys, and has a thing for putbacks. Snatch him, he is a legitimate second option behind Carmelo.
Sleeper Centers- Bismack Biyombo, Jared Sullinger
With Jonas Valanciunas out for who knows how long, Bismack Biyombo will step in to fill a large void. We all know Biyombo can rebound and block shots, and his scoring numbers may go up as defenders focus on a star-studded backcourt. Jared Sullinger is a do-it-all kind of big, and if he can keep his scoring and rebounding up, he could be a very valuable asset to your team.
Least Favorite Guards- Marcus Smart, Nik Stauskas
Marcus Smart is talented, don’t get me wrong. But with scorers like Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Evan Turner and Jae Crowder, Smart’s skill might get lost in the mix. Nik Stauskas could be very good, but just isn’t there yet. He feels the need to take way too many shots, and that is a problem for someone who isn’t the undisputed team stud. Chances are, Stauskas is going to end up somewhere other than Philly (I will say it again; trust the process), and he might see a diminished role there. I just can’t see hanging on to him, when their are so many sleepers out there.
Least Favorite Forwards- Nerlens Noel, David Lee
Another 76ers young gun, Nerlens Noel is stuck in a platoon with the more offensively talented Jahlil Okafor. The old saying “this town ain’t big enough for the two of us” never applied more in basketball, and something tells me Okafor is winning this duel. With Joel Embiid still waiting to make his debut (which will probably happen next year), Noel is the odd man out with his limited offensive ability. David Lee isn’t playing like he did in New York (or Golden State for that matter), and I don’t think he ever will again. Lee has moved from a good option to fantasy liability, and I can no longer condone the ownership of David Lee.
Least Favorite Centers- Kelly Olynyk, Robin Lopez
Most of the Boston scoring is coming from the backcourt, and what is coming from the frontcourt isn’t coming from Kelly Olynyk. He is averaging only 7.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, and less than one three. His role has also diminished, averaging only 17.5 minutes per game. Robin Lopez is doing some good things for the Knicks, but not for anyone’s fantasy team. He has had double digit points only five times, and double digit rebounds only once. I see no reason to own either of these two.
Favorite Guards- Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas, Jarrett Jack
This is an intriguing division when it comes to fantasy. Kyle Lowry, obviously, is far from an underdog in the fantasy world. His much improved Raptors are garnering national attention, and he is just stuffing the stat line (20.6 points, 6.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game). But the other two, regardless of how well they play, seem to fly a bit under the radar. Thomas’ points and assists average is pretty much equal to Lowry’s, and Thomas commits less turnovers than Lowry, yet Thomas no one considers Thomas elite. Jarrett Jack is flying even further under the radar, probably due to the poor play of the Nets. He has posted a very strong stat line, with 14.4 points, 7.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, yet some experts (including one from Yahoo! Sports) still recommends Marcus Smart over Jack (fantasypros.com).
Favorite Forwards- Thaddeus Young, Carmelo Anthony
At this point, telling you I like Carmelo Anthony is pretty much like telling you Stephen Curry has played pretty well to start the year. Melo is a fantasy beast (check out our #TBT on him, if you haven’t already), averaging 22.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, not to mention he is actually playing some defense. Melo is owned in 99.8% of ESPN leagues (the other 0.2%, seriously?), and should stay near the top of the fantasy power rankings. Thaddeus Young, however, has slipped through the cracks. As I said before, even the top fantasy players in this division are sleepers. Young’s 15.6 points and 8.2 rebounds are shrouded by the fact that Brooklyn has (ahem) started a little slow.
Favorite Centers- Jahlil Okafor, Brook Lopez
Jahlil Okafor has vaulted himself into fantasy stardom in these first 13 games. Despite the fact that we are still waiting for Philadelphia to win a game (trust the process), Okafor is playing like a star against other top NBA centers. He put up 21 points and 12 rebounds against the Spurs, and his best game came against the Bulls, so his numbers aren’t inflated for poor teams. He is a legit top fantasy big, and should be recognized as such. Brook Lopez has been a top fantasy big for years now, and I see no signs of stopping. The Nets have some really good players, so don’t be fooled by their record.
Sleeper Guards- Avery Bradley, T.J. McConnell
Avery Bradley is stuck in a really talented Boston backcourt, and his near14 points per game have gone near unnoticed. Sure, his big games have been noticed, but not many people are seeing that he can string these together. T.J. McConnell is another Philadelphia prospect (what can I say, trust the process) that I really like. As soon as I saw him play last year for Arizona, and I saw his vision, I said “that guy’s going to do something in the NBA”. While his funny-looking shooting motion might turn a few people off, this kid is amazing. T.J. McConnell is Stockton-esque, as his 6.4 assists per game as a rookie certainly shows. McConnell can also shoot, and do pretty much everything. Honestly, McConnell could be one of the more memorable players to come in this year’s draft that wasn’t taken in the stacked lottery. Don’t sleep on him.
Sleeper Forwards- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jae Crowder, Kristaps Porzingis
T.J. McConnell’s teammate at Arizona, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson landed in Brooklyn after being drafted by Portland. While he has only played a little over 20 minutes per game this year, his rebounding has shined. He averages 9.7 rebounds per 36 minutes (basketball-reference.com), and can score the ball as well. Jae Crowder can shoot and play defense. Period. Crowder is a tremendous scorer, and averages almost 3 steals per game. Take advantage of how cheap he is now, because his role can only grow. What can I say about Kristaps Porzingis that hasn’t already been said? He is a true star in the making, as he is a stretch four in a center’s body. He can rebound against stronger guys, and has a thing for putbacks. Snatch him, he is a legitimate second option behind Carmelo.
Sleeper Centers- Bismack Biyombo, Jared Sullinger
With Jonas Valanciunas out for who knows how long, Bismack Biyombo will step in to fill a large void. We all know Biyombo can rebound and block shots, and his scoring numbers may go up as defenders focus on a star-studded backcourt. Jared Sullinger is a do-it-all kind of big, and if he can keep his scoring and rebounding up, he could be a very valuable asset to your team.
Least Favorite Guards- Marcus Smart, Nik Stauskas
Marcus Smart is talented, don’t get me wrong. But with scorers like Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Evan Turner and Jae Crowder, Smart’s skill might get lost in the mix. Nik Stauskas could be very good, but just isn’t there yet. He feels the need to take way too many shots, and that is a problem for someone who isn’t the undisputed team stud. Chances are, Stauskas is going to end up somewhere other than Philly (I will say it again; trust the process), and he might see a diminished role there. I just can’t see hanging on to him, when their are so many sleepers out there.
Least Favorite Forwards- Nerlens Noel, David Lee
Another 76ers young gun, Nerlens Noel is stuck in a platoon with the more offensively talented Jahlil Okafor. The old saying “this town ain’t big enough for the two of us” never applied more in basketball, and something tells me Okafor is winning this duel. With Joel Embiid still waiting to make his debut (which will probably happen next year), Noel is the odd man out with his limited offensive ability. David Lee isn’t playing like he did in New York (or Golden State for that matter), and I don’t think he ever will again. Lee has moved from a good option to fantasy liability, and I can no longer condone the ownership of David Lee.
Least Favorite Centers- Kelly Olynyk, Robin Lopez
Most of the Boston scoring is coming from the backcourt, and what is coming from the frontcourt isn’t coming from Kelly Olynyk. He is averaging only 7.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, and less than one three. His role has also diminished, averaging only 17.5 minutes per game. Robin Lopez is doing some good things for the Knicks, but not for anyone’s fantasy team. He has had double digit points only five times, and double digit rebounds only once. I see no reason to own either of these two.