There may not be an exercise that shows the difference in how the NBA is discussed than selecting an All-Rookie Team. While the standard process tends to lean toward players with higher scoring averages, fantasy basketball requires a deeper look. Take Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, for example. The clear betting favorite to take home Rookie of the Year honors, the first overall pick in last June’s draft finished this season ranked outside the top 200 in 9-cat, per-game value. Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin, who’s likely to be a first-team All-Rookie selection, was also outside the top 200. Rotoworld’s Zak Hanshew, Raphielle Johnson, and Noah Rubin came up with their respective squads, which will be just as noteworthy for who made the cut as who didn’t. Also, there were no strict rules regarding positions.
Zak Hanshew’s All-Rookie Team
PF/C Walker Kessler
SG/SF Jalen Williams
SF/PF Keegan Murray
PF/C Jabari Smith
PF/C Jalen Duren
These weren’t all clear-cut selections. Kessler and Williams - who finished first and second in per-game value among rookies, respectively - were easy calls. But after that? Not so much.
Kessler and Williams were both top-75 players on a per-game basis and top-50 players in total fantasy value, as each played at least 74 games. Jay Dub finished the season 23rd in per-game value over the final month, and Kessler was 66th. Both players were surely on many championship rosters. On average, both players were drafted outside the top-135, so those who took a late-round flyer were handsomely rewarded.
Murray wasn’t a highly difficult selection, but he failed to live up to his per-game billing in his first season with Sacramento. Murray had an ADP in the mid-8th round but finished just 115 in per-game value. He played 80 games, however, so his total value was 66th. He finished the campaign strong, producing top-25 numbers over the final two weeks of the season and top-45 numbers over the final month while setting the rookie record for made triples.
The last two spots had some serious contenders in Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, Jalen Duren, Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin. Banchero is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, but these are fantasy picks, and Banchero finished outside the top-175 in per-game value despite carrying a hefty fifth-round ADP. If you punted FG% and TOs, he still finished just outside the top 100. He’s out.
Ivey, Mathurin, and Nembhard had some stellar moments, but none had a body of work deserving of All-Rookie fantasy honors. Eason finished the season as a top-110 player over the final month, but inconsistent usage throughout the campaign made him hard to hold in 12-team leagues. He was a top-100 player in total value thanks to 82 games played, but the highs just weren’t high enough to make up for the lows. Stephen Silas is out, so maybe Eason will finally get the run he deserves in Year 2?
The final two spots went to Smith and Duren. Smith was in drop territory at various points throughout the season, but he finished on a high note, providing top-40 value over the final month. He ranked 106 in total value, just slightly behind Eason (97). Finally, we’re giving the last spot to Duren. Yes, he dealt with a major injury down the stretch, and yes, he lost minutes to James Wiseman, but for a month-long stretch during the season, he was a top-12 player. He finished as a top-100 player over the final month, and his monster production at times was enough to vault him over Eason.
Every season is draft season with the Rotoworld Draft Guide Bundle. Get our baseball, football, and basketball draft guides at one low price, $44.99 for the year. Plus, use promo code BUNDLE5 and save an extra $5 at checkout. Buy today!
Raphielle Johnson’s All-Rookie Team
PG/SG Andrew Nembhard
SG/SF Jalen Williams
SF/PF Keegan Murray
PF/C Jalen Duren
PF/C Walker Kessler
Two things stood out to me when thinking about this question. One, the production of the betting favorite for the actual Rookie of the Year award, Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, did not exactly translate to fantasy basketball this season. While the Magic offense did improve slightly this season, thanks in part to the addition of Banchero, he finished the season ranked outside the top 200 in 9-cat, per-game value. He was significantly better in 8-cat formats, providing 12th-round value for the season.
What also stood out was the lack of productive rookie point guards as far as fantasy value was concerned. This isn’t a huge surprise given the number of elite veteran guards in the NBA, but not having any rookies with point guard eligibility ranked within the top 200 in 9-cat formats was eye-opening. Indiana’s Nembhard was the closest, so he’s made the cut for my All-Rookie Team due to a personal desire to follow Yahoo’s position rules. In 8-cat formats, Detroit’s Jaden Ivey was ranked slightly higher than Nembhard.
Kessler, Williams, and Murray were easy choices for me. Included in the trade that sent Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, Kessler was outstanding for the Jazz, beginning the season as a reserve before taking over the starting center role for good in mid-January. He finished the season ranked just outside the top 50 in 9-cat formats and has the look of a player the Jazz and fantasy managers can build around for years to come. If you drafted Kessler in a dynasty league, pat yourself on the back.
Williams was in a similar spot to Kessler in that he was not a lock to start early on. That changed in mid-December, and JDub finished the season as a top 75 player in 8- and 9-cat formats. Last but not least for my “locks” is Murray, who was a starter from Day 1 in Sacramento and would become the first rookie in NBA history to hit at least 200 3-pointers in a season. He was a better fit in 9-cat formats than those of the 8-cat variety this season, but he’s a quality guy to have rostered either way.
Going back to Nembhard, his rookie season in Indiana was better than many anticipated before the season began. His versatility got him rotation minutes from the start, and Nembhard would move into the starting lineup for good in early November. The presence of Tyrese Haliburton won’t help matters heading into next season, as Nembhard will spend a lot of time off the ball, but at least he’ll be on the radar in fantasy drafts. We couldn’t say that last fall. Duren was my final pick due in large part to his rebounding prowess. He led all rookies with an average of 8.9 per game, making 67 appearances after it was reported during the preseason that he could spend a decent amount of time in the G League. The one concern moving forward is the logjam in the Pistons’ frontcourt, but we’ll see how the next head coach handles that.
Rotoworld’s Roundball Stew Podcast: From waiver wire pickups to season-long NBA trends, to DFS and random side bets, the crew has you covered. Don’t forget to rate and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
Noah Rubin’s All-Rookie Team
SG/SF Jalen Williams
SF/PF Keegan Murray
SF/PF Paolo Banchero
PF/C Walker Kessler
JDub didn’t go through the struggles that most rookies go through. He was far more efficient than most rookie guards (52.1% from the floor, 1.6 turnovers per game), and his fantasy value received a boost from his 1.4 steals per game, which was first among rookies. Williams made a late push for Rookie of the Year, and though he likely won’t win, he was a big part of OKC’s return to the postseason. Over the final two months of the season, he was a top-20 player in 9-cat leagues.
Kessler had the best finish in 9-cat leagues among rookies. He was a 5th round producer over the course of the season, and over the final two months, he was a 2nd round contributor. He was fourth in blocks per game as a rookie with 2.3. Only Mitchell Robinson (2.4) averaged more per game during his rookie season since 1998. Kessler did his best to fill the void at the center position after Rudy Gobert‘s departure. He started the season coming off the bench, but he was too good to stay there.
Murray set the rookie record for 3-pointers by a rookie, as he hit 206 across 80 games after being selected 4th overall. Donovan Mitchell held the record previously with 187, so Keegan really cemented his record. His ADP was inflated (96.1), and he didn’t play to it, but he was too productive to not make this list. After winning Summer League MVP, he had high expectations for his rookie season, and he fit in flawlessly with the Kings. Over the final two months of the season, Murray provided 7th-round value with averages of 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 triples per game.
The likely Rookie of the Year, Banchero’s value in 9-cat leagues didn’t truly display just how good he was in his first season. Shooting 42.7% from the field and 73.8% from the line and turning it over 2.8 turnovers per game kept Banchero outside the top 200 in 9-cat production, but there aren’t many rookies that are averaging 20 points per game. Only seven other players have averaged 20 points per game and played at least 70 games as a rookie since 2000: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Tyreke Evans, Blake Griffin, Donovan Mitchell, and Luka Dončić. Pretty good company.
Williams was limited in the first half of the season as he was trapped behind Mason Plumlee. After being freed at the trade deadline, he averaged 11.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on 62.9% shooting from the floor. That resulted in him sitting just outside the top 100 in 9-cat value during that stretch. Williams has a bright future ahead of him as Charlotte’s center, and he displayed his talent during his rookie season, despite being limited at times.