The following players are players to target in your drafts, that will outplay their draft position:
Nate Robinson, New York Knicks
Welcome to the Mike D’Antoni era in New York, where all Knicks players become viable options. To understand what I mean, take a look at Steve Nash. His career high in assists prior to playing in D’Antoni’s system was 8.8 Assists. Then Nash dished out an average of 11.2 Assists over the following four years (In D’Antoni’s System). Robinson, is well-suited for this run-and-gun tempo, which is exactly why he should flourish while playing at least 30 minutes a night.
Currently owned in 24% of Yahoo! Leagues, and ADP of 139
2008-09 Prediction:
31 Mins, 15.4 Pts, 2.1 Treys, 4.1 Asts, 3.7 Rebs, 1.5 Stls, 2.6 TOs
Jordan Farmar, LA Lakers
Derek Fisher is old, period. 34 years old to be exact, Fisher’s minutes have declined each of the last three seasons, and should continue to decline. Phil Jackson is also said to be concerned about his veteran’s being tired come playoff time, which will only help Farmar get more playing time as Fisher rests more than usual. Farmar’s biggest asset is his outside shooting. Only 20 players averaged more than two 3-Pointers per game last year, with increased playing time Farmar has a great chance of joining that elite list.
Currently owned in 23% of Yahoo! Leagues, and ADP of 134
2008-09 Prediction:
25.9 Mins, 12.1 Pts, 1.9 Treys, 3.4 Asts, 3.0 Rebs, 1.3 Stls, 1.9 TOs
Luke Ridnour, Milwaukee Bucks
Teammate, Ramon Sessions, is currently owned in 21% of ESPN Fantasy Leagues. Ridnour, on the other hand, is only owned in 0.9%. This is due to Sessions 7 game stint last season as the starting point guard in which he averaged a massive 13 assists per game. However, new coach Scott Skiles is all about fundamentals, and Sessions 3.6 Turnovers per game during that 7 game stint would be untolerable to Skiles. With the surrounding crew of Redd, Richard Jeff, Villanueva and Bogut, the Bucks are really better off with a point guard that doesn’t turn the ball over, Ridnour is that guy.
Currently owned in 23% of Yahoo! Leagues, and ADP of 142+
2008-09 Prediction:
28.9 Mins, 11.6 Pts, 0.7 Treys, 6.1 Asts, 2.5 Rebs, 1.2 Stls, 2.1 TOs
Marcus Williams, Golden State Warriors
Coach Don Nelson is up to his old tricks again, naming C.J. Watson the starting point guard. The Watson-Experiment shouldn’t last long, as Marcus Williams will outplay C.J. and earn his 30-plus minutes a night. Visit our Sleeper Alert on Marcus Williams for more reasons to expect a breakout.
Currently owned in 77% of Yahoo! Leagues, and ADP of 118
2008-09 Prediction:
31.3 Mins, 13.6 Pts, 1.8 Treys, 6.1 Asts, 3.9 Rebs, 1.1 Stls, 2.5 TOs
Randy Foye, Minnesota T-Wolves
Saying that the T-Wolves were awful last year is an understatement, they weaseled out 22 wins the entire season in 2007-08. Foye was injured for much of last year, but will be a big part of a much improved Minnesota squad in 2008. The team won 35% of the time when Foye played over 25 minutes (12-22), as opposed to 23% in other games (10-34). It’s also interesting to note that Minnesota was 4-1 when Foye scored over 20 points, which says a lot for how important it is for Minnesota to get Foye involved. Start targeting Foye in your drafts after the 50th pick because that’s exactly what you’re going to get this year, a Top 50 Fantasy Player.
Currently owned in 92% of Yahoo! Leagues, and ADP of 77
2008-09 Prediction:
35.7 Mins, 15.0 Pts, 1.7 Treys, 4.8 Asts, 3.8 Rebs, 1.1 Stls, 2.2 TOs
Check out our related Sleeper Posts:
Shooting Guard Sleepers
Small Forward Sleepers
Power Forward Sleepers
Center Sleepers
image courtesy of cbs.sportsline, through the Creative Commons License
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Gotta love the green Knicks uniforms