Fantasy Basketball 2020: Latest Rankings for Top NBA Players and Sleepers
Steph Curry is expected to be one of the cornerstone pieces of many fantasy basketball teams, but he will not be the only member of his family worth drafting.
Seth Curry could be one of the hot sleeper picks as he works into a new role under Doc Rivers with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers are in need of outside shooting, and if Curry replicates his 2019-20 season with the Dallas Mavericks, he could be a great piece off the bench.
One of the other top sleepers played with Curry in Dallas and is a familiar face to Sixers fans who is back in the Eastern Conference. Nerlens Noel finds himself in an intriguing role in the New York Knicks offense, where he has plenty of upside if he fits in nicely.
Fantasy Basketball Rankings
1. James Harden, PG/SG, Houston
2. Anthony Davis, PF/C, Los Angeles Lakers
3. Luka Doncic, PG, Dallas
4. Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Minnesota
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF/PF, Milwaukee
6. Stephen Curry, PG/SG, Golden State
7. Damian Lillard, PG, Portland
8. Nikola Jokic, C, Denver
9. LeBron James, PG/SG, Los Angeles Lakers
10. Jayson Tatum, SF/PF, Boston
11. Trae Young, PG, Atlanta
12. Joel Embiid, PF/C, Philadelphia
13. Kawhi Leonard, SF, Los Angeles Clippers
14. Devin Booker, PG, Phoenix
15. Kevin Durant, SF/PF, Brooklyn
16. Bradley Beal, SG, Washington
17. Jimmy Butler, SG/SF, Miami
18. Bam Adebayo, C, Miami
19. Deandre Ayton, C, Phoenix
20. Ben Simmons, PG, Philadelphia
Seth Curry, PG/SG, Philadelphia
Curry could be in the perfect situation to earn his third season with more than 10 points per game.
He is coming off a season in which he averaged 12.4 points per game and shot 45.2 percent from three-point range for Dallas.
Both of those totals could greatly help the Philadelphia offense in its attempt to become more well-rounded during Rivers' first season in charge.
In previous seasons, the Sixers have employed JJ Redick and Josh Richardson to be the marquee shooters in the backcourt alongside Ben Simmons, whose three-point struggles have been widely documented. If Simmons continues to have a rough time shooting from deep, Curry's fantasy value will go up even more.
With Simmons, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris in the starting five, Curry will not be one of the three most popular players selected from his own team, but he may end up as the most valuable.
Philadelphia's situation suits him perfectly, and if he provides high-quality shooting and spacing on the outside, he could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Sixers' offensive game play.
Nerlens Noel, C, New York
Noel converted a decent season off the bench for the Oklahoma City Thunder into a new role with the New York Knicks.
In his best-case scenario, Noel will earn starting minutes over Mitchell Robinson as Tom Thibodeau works to find the most consistent starting lineup combination.
Noel averaged 7.4 points per game last season, which was his highest single-season total since the 2016-17 campaign with Dallas and Philadelphia. He also chipped in with 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest. Those totals were recorded in a relief role. He did not average more than 20 minutes per game behind Steven Adams.
If Noel maintains his form under the basket with his fourth NBA team, his averages should receive a boost with an increase in playing time.
It may take a week or two to figure out how often Noel will be on the court, but he is worth the risk since Robinson is his main competition at center. Robinson has not averaged more than 10 points per game in his two seasons and was a bench contributor last term.
If Noel grabs hold of the starting center role, he could turn into a great middle-round fantasy find on a Knicks team that has plenty of questions about the direction it is headed in this season.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.
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