NBA Players to Stash
The NBA preseason is underway and we will get our first taste of action on Friday night when the Nuggets take on the Clippers. That means that fantasy basketball drafts are right around the corner, and it’s never too early to think ahead, especially for those of you in competitive leagues. In this article I will be examining eight players who you should consider stashing this season. This doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to draft these players (though Justin Anderson is already a must-own player in my mind), but they are players whose value should only rise as the season progresses and who are worthy of a spot on the end of your bench.
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T.J. Warren
I’ve been following Warren’s career since his days at N.C. State, so I might be a little biased here. He made just 40 appearances during his rookie year with averages of 6.1 points, 2.1 boards and 0.5 steals on 52.8 percent shooting from the field, and he only saw 15.4 minutes per game. So why am I so high on him? Well, it’s pretty simple. Warren looked like a new player after the All-Star break last season and his basketball IQ and ability to move without the ball really captured my attention.
Warren never made a blip on the radar in fantasy leagues last season, but things are really looking up for him entering his sophomore campaign. Coach Jeff Hornacek said that Warren has been the “biggest surprise” this summer, and it sounds like he has a legitimate shot to challenge for the starting small forward spot. In fact, Warren actually ran with the first unit during a scrimmage this week. To make things even better, the Suns will more than likely trade Markieff Morris after he spent the summer voicing his displeasure with the franchise, so that could also open up some more minutes. I don’t see Phoenix challenging for a playoff spot, so it makes sense for them to develop their younger players. Warren doesn’t take a lot of 3-pointers and he won’t give you a lot of defensive stats which will limit his upside in standard leagues, but owners in points leagues shouldn’t sleep on him.
Justin Anderson
This one is too easy. Anderson was one of the most impressive players at summer league with averages of 17.5 points, 4.2 boards, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.5 three-pointers per game, and coach Rick Carlisle and Mark Cuban seem to really love him. Carlisle indicated that Anderson will see time at the two and three this season, and his game should translate to fantasy very well because of his ability to generate steals and treys.
Chandler Parsons is coming off a sketchy knee surgery (the Mavericks were eerily quiet about the details this summer) and Wesley Matthews is recovering from a torn Achilles, and it’s still not clear if either player will be ready for opening night. This means that Anderson could be pressed into action right away, but he should still be the first wing off the bench when the Mavs are at full strength. Anderson will probably go undrafted in a lot of leagues, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he became a must-start player towards the end of the season.
John Henson
We all know that Henson has some tantalizing upside, but I can’t tell you how frustrating it was to own him last season since coach Jason Kidd refused to give him a sizable role and basically just used him as a backup center. Henson still scraped together averages of 7.0 points, 4.7 boards and 2.0 blocks in just 18.3 minutes per game, though his free throw percentage (56.9) was irritating. The Bucks also acquired Greg Monroe in free agency this summer, so Henson’s path to minutes won’t be any easier.
However, Henson just signed a massive four-year deal worth around $44 million and general manager John Hammond made it a point to call him a core player this summer. I’m desperately hoping that Kidd gives him some minutes alongside Monroe and it certainly helps that the Bucks will limit Jabari Parker’s minutes since he is coming off knee surgery. Henson led the NBA in block rate last season, so he is the type of player that I would love to have at the end of my bench. If Monroe were to suffer an injury, look out.
Brandan Wright
Wright has been underrated for a while now, but he showcased his potential when he was traded from Dallas to the Suns last season. He averaged 10.6 points, 7.0 boards, 2.2 blocks and 1.4 steals in 30.8 minutes per game during the month of April when Alex Len went down, but he made an interesting decision to join the Grizzlies this summer on a three-year, $18 million deal. He will immediately slide in as the primary big off the bench behind Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, and he would become a must-own player if either player suffered an injury. Wright will be a decent source of boards, blocks and field goal percentage even in a bench role, but he certainly has enough upside to warrant a roster spot in most leagues. Gasol and Randolph aren’t getting any younger, so I’m hoping that the Grizzlies rely on their second unit a bit more this year and I would love to see Wright get more than 20 minutes per game.
Darren Collison
Collison was solid for the Kings last season before going down with a hip injury, posting averages of 16.1 points, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 3-pointers per game on 47.3 percent shooting from the field. However, he kind of feels like the forgotten man in Sacramento now that Rajon Rondo is in town, but I’d take Collison over Rondo any day. Rondo was a joke in Dallas last season and there is no telling how he will get along with the many personalities in Sacramento, and it’s important to note that he is only signed through the 2015-16 season. There has already been some talk that we could see Collison next to Rondo in two-PG lineups, so he should be able to stay relevant in most fantasy leagues even in a reserve role. If things turn sour for Rondo, Collison could emerge as a mid-round value if coach George Karl hands him the keys to the offense.
Zach LaVine
Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune hinted that LaVine could challenge Kevin Martin for the starting shooting guard spot, but I still think Martin will open the season as the starter. However, the Wolves are nowhere close to being a playoff team and I’m fully expecting them to prioritize the development of their young studs. LaVine showed some serious upside when the Wolves were ravaged by injuries down the stretch last season, posting averages of 21.1 points, 6.6 assists, 5.8 boards, 0.8 steals and 1.6 3-pointers in eight April appearances. He is obviously not going to come close to those numbers because he was playing to close to 40 minutes per game during that stretch and was also playing point guard, but his role will only grow as the 2015-16 season progresses.
LaVine isn’t expected to spend a lot of time at point guard which is a little bit of a buzzkill, but an injury or a trade of Ricky Rubio could change things, and head coach Sam Mitchell has indicated that he wants his shooting guards to handle the ball a lot more. You won’t need to draft LaVine by any means, but I’d definitely recommend picking him up prior to the All-Star break when the Wolves set their youngsters loose.
Jerian Grant
The Knicks have arguably the worst backcourt in the NBA, and I’m not too optimistic about their chances of making the playoffs in the East. Jose Calderon is coming off an Achilles injury, Arron Afflalo was a disaster last season and Langston Galloway is better suited to be a role player, so I could definitely see Grant earning a significant role. Grant has four years of experience at the college level and he is also athletic with 3-point range, but it remains to be seen if he will be the long-term answer at point guard for New York. Given how bad Calderon was before the injury, it’s not a bad idea to stash Grant at the end of your bench.
Dwight Powell
For those of you in deeper formats, Powell will be a name to watch over the next couple of weeks. Powell spent a lot of time in the D-League last season, but the Dallas coaching staff has hinted pretty hard that he could be in the rotation as a stretch four. Powell has 3-point range and is very athletic for his size, and he showcased his talents at the summer league with averages of 18.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.2 3-pointers per game.
Dirk Nowitzki is 37 years old and is expected to see fewer minutes this season, and his role could decline even more if the Mavericks fall out of playoff contention (which they should). I’ll be watching Powell very closely during the preseason, and the good news is that his competition for minutes off the bench includes Charlie Villanueva and Jeremy Evans.
