2011-2012 NBA Fantasy Basketball Sleepers - Small Forwards
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Corey Maggette (SF, Charlotte Bobcats)
Corey Maggette had a down year last year, but he’s shown that when he’s in an optimal situation, he has the power to score at will. And this year, in Charlotte, it’s even more than that for the 31 year old small forward. The main scoring options for the Bobcats are all gone (Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace), leaving Corey Maggette to scoop up all the points he can get. Kemba Walker and D.J. Augustin will battle for the starting point guard on the team, and both will provide Maggette with a good amount of looks. He doesn’t get many defensive stats, nor assists, but his FG% and FG% will be enough to make up for those. The reason why he wasn’t fantasy relevant last year was because he only played 20.9 minutes a game, on a team that wasn’t interested in giving him more; many people forget that Maggette averaged 19.8 PPG in just under 30 minutes a game in the 2009-2010 season.
Omri Casspi (SF, Cleveland Cavaliers)
Omri Casspi was traded earlier this year to a very shallow Cleveland Cavaliers team. Shallow teams are always great breeding grounds for fantasy production, and Casspi is expected to start. With basically no one to take his minutes, Omri has shown that he can produce when given the time. He had a promising rookie year as a sharpshooter, but a bit of a down year last season due to a messy and crowded Sacramento Kings team. With ample playing time (who’s going to take over his SF spot… Christian Eyenga?) and a brand new Kyrie-Erving-led offense, Omri Casspi could very much have his breakout year in the NBA. No one’s really looking at him to be too productive, so you can sweep him up with a late pick for very little risk.
Jared Dudley (SF, Phoenix Suns)
With the departure of Vince Carter, Jared Dudley is looking to get much more playing time, possibly starting a majority of the Suns’ games. He’s always been a solid shooter from the 3 point line, last year making 41.5% of his shots from there. With plenty of new opportunities to raise his 1.3 3PM from last year, Dudley could be an extremely viable option flying below the radar. He's always been very consistent, and with Steve Nash at the helm, open looks obviously won't be a problem.
Danilo Gallinari (SF, Denver Nuggets)
The Nuggets are in quite the situation this year… both Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith are stuck in China until at least February. There’s not too much offensive power left on the team, so Danillo will definitely get upwards of 35-37 minutes a game. He will no doubt make a lot of 3s (he averaged 2.3 a game in the 2009-10 season with the Knicks), and also is underrated as a free throw shooter (attempted about 7 free throws a game last season), with a career FT% of .847. With tons of upside and little risk (who else is going to score on the Nuggets?), Danilo is a pretty safe sleeper to pick up in the middle-later rounds.
Austin Daye (SF, Detroit Pistons)
The Pistons are almost completely devoid of any star-power, and many of the starting jobs are up for grabs. Austin Daye could fill into the starting lineup in a couple different ways, as he’s an incredibly versatile player. He hasn’t been effective for extended periods of time partly because of Detroit’s former coach, John Kuester, who was rather erratic with the Piston’s starting lineup last year. Kuester has since been fired, so Daye’s 3 point shooting, rebounding, and defense may be utilized further than they have been.
Danny Granger (SF, Indiana Pacers)
I know, I know, Danny Granger can’t really be considered a sleeper. But, he’s entering the 2011-2012 NBA season with the lowest expectations in a couple years. A decrease in FG% and PPG apparently warranted Brian McKitish of ESPN to drop the perennial first/second rounder all the way down to the third/fourth round in his fantasy rankings. Granger was shooting nearly 45% from the field only two years ago, so look for him to rebound in that stat as the rest of his offense gets more comfortable with each other. Darren Collison, the Pacers' starting point guard, has shown flashes of brilliance in the past two years, and as he develops, Granger will get more open chances, instead of having to heave low percentage shots up. Also, he played 79 games last year, which means in roto, he probably had a more productive season than his 09-10 one. Only missing two games last year was a good sign for Danny Granger, who has been hampered by injuries in 08-09 and 09-10.
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Uh read his section again. I say he isn't a sleeper. And he's definitely not taken within the first 2 rounds.... if he is in you're league then either someone's a fan or they're not sure what they're doing. What I'm saying is that he's a late 3rd rounder who you can get 2nd round value with.
He's been taken mid 2nd to early 3rd in all drafts
His average draft pick on ESPN is 28.2 . In a standard 10 person league, that's late 3rd round.
Jordan 4 months ago
Granger isn't exactly a sleeper now is he? He's taken within the first 2 rounds of any fantasy draft...