If you’re in a 10-team league with standard rosters, this probably isn’t for you. If you’re in a league where you need to be one step ahead of 11-plus savvy owners, I’m hoping to give you a leg up to finish strong in your deep drafts.
If you haven’t checked out Jonas Nader’s regular sleepers, column, you can in this guide, as well.
Here are some guys beyond Jonas’ list. He threw in De’Anthony Melton, Montrezl Harrell, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who would probably also qualify as a deep sleeper.
Point Guard
Derrick White - The Spurs are suddenly looking like they want to go young. White still needs a few things to go his way, but the opportunity could be there with Manu Ginobili retired and Tony Parker gone. Perhaps the biggest piece of info we’re waiting on is if Rudy Gay will slot into the PF spot almost exclusively. White is coming off a big-time summer league, and he did fare well in his minutes with Dejounte Murray. Don’t be shocked if he starts at shooting guard.
Elie Okobo - While De’Anthony Melton may have the higher fantasy upside, Okobo may be better suited to start and general manager Ryan McDonough has said the Suns viewed him as a first rounder by a good amount. Okobo should have a chance to get minutes right away, but this could all be moot if the Suns add a point guard.
Yogi Ferrell - He wants to play point guard and he really only has De’Aaron Fox in front of him. Fox had an Achilles issue in summer league and he is racking up the injuries.
Frank Jackson or Tyrone Wallace - Elfrid Payton couldn’t even get minutes on a bad Suns team, and now he could get much stiffer competition from these two. Both Jackson and Wallace potentially could have a high upside, especially if the Pelicans lead the NBA in pace again.
Tyus Jones - Maybe the Wolves trade him for some assets, especially if Jimmy Butler bolts. Jones with the other four starters besides Jeff Teague was one of the best lineups in the NBA last season.
Shooting Guard
Malik Monk - Nobody was worse than Monk’s 0.43 points per possessions last year (among players with 25 possessions, 511 qualify). The Hornets have already said they want to play Monk more, and they may have finally realized that he’s not a point guard at all. Obviously this is more for points leagues or for FG% punters, but the Hornets look to be catering their offense to a Kemba Walker and Monk backcourt. He has nowhere to go but up.
Antonio Blakeney - The Bulls are in a transition period with their offense, and they do have some young players at their core. However, Zach LaVine is coming off an ACL from two years ago and Kris Dunn couldn’t finish his first year in Chicago as a healthy option. Blakeney was the Most Improved Player in the G League, and he thrived in Vegas after a rough start. It won’t take long for him to hop over Justin Holiday, and he could fit next to LaVine in a two-SG lineup.
David Nwaba - The Cavs could opt to gut their roster, which may help Nwaba get a sizable role.
Kevin Huerter - It’s probably fair to say that Huerter is ahead of DeAndre Bembry, who just can’t stay healthy these days. If Kent Bazemore is dealt and Justin Anderson doesn’t pick up the offense, maybe Huerter is off to a fast start.
Luke Kennard - The Pistons could start to rebuild and the team wants him to play some point guard.
Small Forward
Moe Harkless - Perhaps one of our biggest whiffs as as full-team favorite target, Harkless was finally getting it going before his knee issue. The Blazers didn’t add too much depth to their roster and now his competition for minutes should come from Gary Trent Jr. or maybe Seth Curry as a three-guard lineup option. The Blazers also probably won’t go with two true bigs in their lineups either, so that should help him too.
Stanley Johnson - This one is about the situation. A new coach, a new system, and not too much competition around him could get him going in his fourth year.
Keita Bates-Diop - Strictly off the Jimmy Butler trade talks here, but KBD looked terrific in summer league after dominating the Big 10. He has the size to play some four in smaller lineups, too.
Justin Anderson - We’ve seen him play well at times, and he does have a connection to coach Lloyd Pierce from their Philly days. If Kent Bazemore is traded, maybe Anderson can find himself in a decent role.
Miles Bridges - Much like Monk, you have to consider a young player with a new coaching staff. The Hornets will likely try to unload some guys, and there’s already some buzz about how they like Bridges’ switchability on defense.
Power Forward
Harry Giles - We’re not going off much information here, but we have seen reports that the Kings want their frontcourt of the future to be Giles and Marvin Bagley III. As you know, Giles didn’t play last year as he recovered from leg issues, but he was out there for Vegas and the California summer leagues. Giles was a highly-touted prospect from high school, and he looked to be healthy in July. Of course, there’s a lot of risk in drafting Kings because of how they treat their rotation with their veterans, so Giles is a guy most owners should have on a short leash. In other words, he could be a cut candidate quickly.
Zach Collins - He’s more of a center, but I’ll slot him here because he’s played some power forward. The Blazers letting Ed Davis walk was a big indicator that they felt ready to give Collins a longer look. They traded up to get him in the 2017 draft last year, and he did show some upside. Plus, coach Terry Stotts and general manager Neil Olshey both have said they want more 3-pointers, so that suggests they want Collins out there to help space the floor. If the oft-injured Jusuf Nurkic misses time, fantasy owners will be flocking to the wire to get the former Zag.
Trey Lyles - With Will Barton now locked in as a starter, that should make Lyles the main forward scoring option. Plus, beat writer Chris Dempsey has covered the numbers for several years and made a prediction that Lyles would be fourth in scoring behind Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Will Barton. Lyles may need Isaiah Thomas to have some rust, but the Nuggets are going to score so many points that he could produce in 22-plus minutes. Plus, he would gain value if any starter went down.
Henry Ellenson - Like Stanley Johnson, it’s a make-or-break year for Ellenson. The Pistons gave him a bright green light in Vegas, and it’s not like Blake Griffin can stay healthy.
Center
Willy Hernangomez - As we’ve mentioned on the pod a bunch, the Hornets starting lineup will be something to watch. They have a new front office and a new coach, who wants to push the pace more. It’s not like Cody Zeller or Bismack Biyombo are locked in to their roles, so a strong camp could mean we get a Free Willy. His per-minute numbers could be attractive, so grabbing him after 160 makes sense.
Mitchell Robinson - If you saw him in Vegas, you know why he’s on this list. He led the event in blocks and was passable on offense. If the Knicks unload Enes Kanter’s expiring, it could be a big year for the second-round pick.
Alex Len - We got some news on Sept. 4 that Dewayne Dedmon is out with an ankle issue, but Len would’ve made this list either way. Maybe he can shake off the bad vibes from Phoenix, and coach Lloyd Pierce is certainly the best developmental coach he’ll have as a big man.
Richaun Holmes - The Suns are the odds-on favorite to lead the NBA in pace, and Holmes fits right in as a straight-line rim runner who can also space the floor. The Suns probably don’t want to give Deandre Ayton 30 minutes right away, and flirting with a 110 pace suggests they could have like 54 minutes worth of action in relation to slower teams.
Ivica Zubac - We could picture Zupac rollin’ with some weak competition around him. Plus, we know that JaVale McGee isn’t exactly a minutes monster.
