Get ready for your fantasy basketball drafts with Dan Titus’ division previews for the 2024-25 NBA season. On today’s slate: the Atlantic.
Boston Celtics
Piggybacking off of the uncertainty surrounding Kristaps Porziņġis’ health, fantasy managers are becoming equally concerned. Porziņġis’ ADP fell to the ninth round over the past week — a drop-off of 10 spots to 98th overall. That said, you must take him if he slips beyond the mid-to-late ninth round. A true draft-and-stash, KP offers too much upside even if he requires a ramp-up program following his targeted December return date.
In the meantime, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Jalen Brown and Jrue Holiday will hold it down for fantasy managers as top-70 players. One other player to keep an eye on is Payton Pritchard. Thanks to Brown’s honesty and trolling, we learned that the Celtics could scheme to get more opportunities for their key rotational players against lower-tiered opponents. As the presumed sixth man, Pritchard has proven to be an efficient and effective fantasy asset whenever he receives at least 20 minutes of action.
New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns got a boost in my latest rankings after the blockbuster trade. Brunson moved up a few spots in the second round, and Towns moved from a third-round value to a second-round value.
KAT enjoyed some of his best seasons statistically under Thibs and fantasy managers need to recognize the growth opportunities ahead. Towns could be looking at 12 rebounds per game and more shot-blocking potential with Robinson sidelined, as KAT will be in the paint more than in his previous role in Minnesota. Adding more counting stats to his uber-efficient offensive skill set will be great for his fantasy outlook.
If OG Anunoby can stay healthy, his stocks and 3s will propel him to outperform his ADP at 96 overall. I’m slightly concerned about Mikal Bridges, though. In theory, he should be more efficient than last year because he’s in a supporting role versus being the star. But I can’t help but notice his jumper looks oddly different this offseason. Hopefully, he will regain that efficiency with increased stocks, as he did in Phoenix, but that new release looks a bit sus, just saying.
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Brooklyn Nets
Cam Thomas is in for a breakout season. The 23-year-old bucket-getter was one of four guards aged 23 and under to average at least 20 points per game last season, with a 30% usage rate. Add in his evolving playmaking, and he’s an upside pick in the sixth round.
Nic Claxton is a good source of blocks, rebounds and FG%, while Cameron Johnson will look to build off a disappointing and injury-riddled season. Johnson finished 128th in per-game value primarily because his efficiency dipped across the board.
Noah Clowney is an intriguing late-round flier, but he’ll become more valuable once the Nets fully commit to the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. Dennis Schröder will have his moments too, and I have more faith in him contributing this season than Ben Simmons.
Philadelphia 76ers
All hell is breaking loose in Philly.
First off, Joel Embiid’s “new normal” is a huge blow for fantasy. He’s not playing in back-to-backs and reportedly has scheduled evaluations with periods of time off baked into his in-season health and wellness program. Yikes. If he doesn’t play in back-to-backs, that brings his maximum games played down from 82 to 67. Then, if you factor in the time off, who knows if he’ll make it to 60, let alone 50 games. I’d stay away from Embiid in the first round and honestly, it’s probably not worth the headache to draft him at all. Andre Drummond is a worthy late-round flier as Embiid insurance.
Paul George is also sliding in my latest rankings as he sustained an injury on Monday night that’s been considered a hyperextended knee. There’s been no imaging results or timeline so fantasy managers will have to see how long this could impact the Sixers’ new star forward. As part of the Embiid health and wellness announcement, Paul George was also mentioned as a player who won’t play in back-to-back sets. So, when factoring his current injury and the no back-to-back team mandate, PG is also at risk of missing upwards of 20+ games.
I had George as a late-second, whereas now he’s more of a mid-to-late third.
Now, to sum this all up, load up on Tyrese Maxey shares because with two stars attempting to remain healthy for the postseason, Maxey will have a heavier workload than previously anticipated. Maxey’s going in the mid-third but he’s a mid-to-early second-rounder now.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors have some emerging talent on the horizon that will make some noise in fantasy. Starting with stat stuffer Scottie Barnes, who’s an easy pick in the second round if you’re looking for a player who can contribute to every category. He’s a very well-rounded fantasy asset.
Then there’s Immanuel Quickley. Since coming to the Raptors last season, Quickley averaged 19 points with five rebounds and seven assists per game. He only saw a 2% drop (22% to 20%) in usage while sharing the court with Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, which is encouraging how much the Raptors system is predicated on sharing the ball. A fifth-round draft pick might feel rich, but it’s worth buying into Quickley as he’s on the verge of a breakout campaign.
Barrett is the quintessential points league player, although his efficiency has been night and day since playing for his hometown Raptors. It’s hard to tell if it was Barrett was playing over expectations or if he figured out his game, but going from a 42% shooter to a 55% shooter says some regression is imminent. His recent shoulder injury won’t help, either.