Fantasy Basketball 2020: Breakout Stars Ready to Be Among the NBA's Best

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took a step up in his development as an NBA scorer in his sophomore season.

With the Oklahoma City Thunder roster realigned again, the third-year guard has a chance to make an even larger impact in the scoring column.

Gilgeous-Alexander could be one of the few breakout stars in the NBA during the 2020-21 season, which would also increase his value in fantasy basketball leagues.

The Houston Rockets' Christian Wood and Memphis Grizzlies' Brandon Clarke could also take leaps in the right direction this campaign, which begins Tuesday.

Wood enters the new season with more pressure after signing a three-year deal with the Rockets, while Clarke has a chance to refine his role alongside Ja Morant and push the Grizzlies toward a playoff spot in the hotly contested Western Conference.

The stage is set for Gilgeous-Alexander to be the star of the Thunder roster for the 2020-21 season and beyond.

The third-year guard out of Kentucky led Oklahoma City with 19 points per game last season, and he is line for a larger total with a few key pieces no longer on the roster. This offseason, Oklahoma City lost Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams, who were the second- through-fifth-highest scorers on the team last term.

Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to have more of the ball and be the top scorer and facilitator for a squad that carries a mix of veterans and promising young players. George Hill, Trevor Ariza and Al Horford are nice, experienced pieces to have, but none of them will challenge Gilgeous-Alexander to be the team's top scorer.

If anything, the presence of those players should help to increase Gilgeous-Alexander's assist total. He averaged 3.3 assists per game in each of his first two seasons.

Gilgeous-Alexander may not be a first- or a second-round pick in fantasy basketball leagues, but he has the potential to play like one. If that occurs, he should easily outplay his draft value.

Wood emerged as a frontcourt threat during a February hot streak with the Detroit Pistons.

He parlayed his 16 straight double-digit point performances into a long-term deal with the Rockets, for whom he should be the starting center.

The primary reason to draft Wood in fantasy basketball leagues is his rebounding. With James Harden and John Wall taking a bulk of the shots, he should be in position to pick up a good chunk of offensive boards.

Since Houston likes to push down the floor, Wood could be the main outlet who turns defensive possessions into points with his rebounding ability down low.

There could be some hesitation to select Wood because of his small sample size as a starting center, but there appears to be nothing but upside with his role in Houston. If he chips in a decent amount of double-digit scoring outings as well, Wood will be one of the better fantasy big men in the league, making him worth the risk of drafting a round or two earlier than expected.

Clarke could be the perfect middle-round gem who solidifies the scoring output of your fantasy roster.

The second-year player out of Gonzaga averaged 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game off the bench in his rookie season.

With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas in front of him on the frontcourt depth chart, Clarke could be slotted into the same role to start the season.

Clarke is the perfect scoring option for Memphis to have coming off the bench, and he also proved last season that he can chip in at other statistical categories.

The power forward's draft position is hard to pinpoint because there will be some players buying high on his upside, while others may wait to land a projected sixth man. If you can select Clarke anywhere after the sixth or seventh round, that pick should match the overall value you get out of him throughout the season.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.