Fantasy Basketball 2022: Ranking Sleepers for NBA Week 7
Just like in the actual NBA, superstars have the biggest say in fantasy basketball success.
However, as is also the case with real hoops, fantasy managers can't win big without reliable role players.
While those are sometimes tricky to find, the following three players—ranked by their potential Week 7 production—loom as encouraging sources of exceeded expectations.
3. Marvin Bagley III, Detroit Pistons
While Bagley's season debut was delayed by a knee injury, he is quickly proving worth the wait.
With Cade Cunningham perhaps facing surgery, and both Jaden Ivey and Bojan Bogdanović both missing time of late, there have been ample opportunities within the Pistons' offense, and Bagley is making the most of these chances.
Since joining the starting lineup in his second game back, Bagley has surged through the past eight games with efficient scoring, a bunch of boards and a pinch of defense. Statistically speaking, he's providing nightly contributions of 13.9 points (on 58.4 percent shooting), 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 combined steals and blocks.
The Pistons only have a three-game week, which dims his outlook just a tad, but his numbers are getting impossible to ignore. The most important stat, in fact, hasn't been mentioned yet: After averaging 22.3 minutes in his first seven contests, he's jumped up to 29.5 his last two times out.
2. Bruce Brown, Denver Nuggets
The more the Nuggets get to know Brown, the more they're discovering they can't get enough of him.
Thirty-plus minute stretches are becoming the norm, not the exception, and his across-the-board statistical outbursts are following in suit.
Over his last eight games (four of them starts), he has logged 32.1 minutes a night and is using that floor time to touch every spot on the stat sheet. He has scored in double figures in seven of those contests, averaging a healthy 13.3 points on 48.9/37.0/100 shooting. In addition, he's putting up 7.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks.
His production should keep picking up, as the Nuggets are about to embark on a four-game week that includes two tilts against the rebuilding (and fantasy-friendly) Houston Rockets.
1. Shake Milton, Philadelphia 76ers
Milton didn't have a regular rotation spot to start the season, and once Philadelphia returns to full strength, his role could be in flux.
For now, though, the injury-riddled 76ers have no choice but to lean on him heavily, and good things keep happening whenever his number is called.
With Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and James Harden all sidelined by injuries, Milton suddenly finds himself leading this attack. Incredibly, he's leading it about as well as any of those hobbled stars ever do. Since joining the starting group five games back, he's sitting on nightly averages of 38.6 minutes, 23.6 points (on 60.6/52.0/95.0 shooting), 6.6 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 0.8 steals.
Milton can go on bucket binges like this when given a large enough role, so even if these numbers aren't at all sustainable over an entire season, he could absolutely keep this heater going for another week or two. That's why he gets top billing among sleepers this week even though Philly has just three tricky matchups on the docket.