SportsLine found fantasy basketball sleepers, breakouts, and flops by simulating the 2023–24 NBA season 10,000 times.
The best sleepers in 2023 for fantasy basketball
Bucks centre Brook Lopez is among the model’s best 2023 fantasy basketball sleepers. After averaging 15.9 points per game on 53.1% shooting in 2016–17, the 35-year-old is coming off his finest scoring season since that one. At 30.4 minutes per game, he averaged 6.7 rebounds, which was his highest rebounding total since the 2015–16 campaign.
With Lillard in charge of the offence, the Bucks may play at an even faster pace than they did in the NBA last season, ranking 10th overall. Although Lopez gets a lot of his work off offensive rebounds, Lillard averaged five more shots (20.7 field goal attempts) per game than Holiday. These opportunities will still present themselves, if anything more so, given that Lillard will be shooting a slightly lower percentage due to the influx of 3-pointers. In 2023 fantasy basketball drafts, Lopez is being selected too low, despite having demonstrated last season that he still has plenty of games remaining before starting his 16th NBA season.
Top 2023 breakouts in fantasy basketball
Brandon Miller of the Hornets is one of the model’s 2023 fantasy basketball breakout picks. After Miller averaged 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game with Alabama the previous season, Charlotte took him with the second overall pick in the draft. In addition to winning the SEC Tournament MVP and Freshman and Player of the Year titles, he was nominated for a second-team All-American.
In five games at the California Classic and Summer League, Miller averaged 15.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals. It was a strong performance. Miller’s usage rate shouldn’t be an issue because the Hornets need him to contribute right away. SportsLine’s model has Miller ranked above forwards like Cameron Johnson and PJ Washington, despite the fact that Miller is typically selected behind them in drafts.
The top 2023 busts in fantasy basketball
Nicolas Claxton of the Nets is one of the model’s top 2023 fantasy basketball players; therefore, he’s a player to stay away from. In addition to leading the NBA in field goal percentage (.705), Claxton averaged a career-high 12.6 points per game. Claxton’s finest season before the current one saw him average 8.7 points per game on 67.4% shooting. From 5.6 rebounds per game the previous season, the 24-year-old big man increased his total to 9.2 rebounds per game.
Can he maintain this level of performance from the previous season? is the main query. Late second-round selections rarely lead to lengthy NBA starting careers, as was the case with Claxton, who was chosen with the 31st choice in the 2019 NBA Draft. Claxton’s role would be diminished if Ben Simmons were to produce more for the Nets this season. Mikal Bridges has shown promise as the NBA’s next big thing, and he will likely steal many of Claxton’s shots. While there is good reason to be optimistic about Claxton, it’s possible that the success of last year is being overstated in 2023 fantasy basketball drafts.
How to locate approved fantasy basketball rankings for 2023–2024
In addition, SportsLine has a startling projection for one of the greatest players in the league and suggests staying away from him at his current ADP in 2023 fantasy basketball drafts. This bust ranks beneath players like Brandon Ingram and Darius Garland who are available in the fourth round or later, failing to live up to his second-round ADP. Only at SportsLine can you view who it is and the ranks for each player in 2023 fantasy basketball.
Which big names should you avoid, as well as which 2023–24 Fantasy basketball sleepers, breakthroughs, and busts should you target and fade? Get 2023 fantasy basketball cheat sheets for each position from the model that has produced flawless fantasy basketball selections by visiting SportsLine right now.
The NBA summer is unlike any other in sports, with player movement and off-court narratives developing. Just before training camp, the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard, and the Celtics added Jrue Holiday, giving them both significant advantages. James Harden’s trade request from Philadelphia put the 76ers in the unfavourable midst of the summer turmoil, even if those two clubs looked to be improving. How high can you rank Harden in the 2023 fantasy basketball rankings given all of his uncertainties while he’s still with the 76ers?
For those starting 2023 fantasy basketball drafts, the unknowns may present the biggest challenge. With 14 years in the NBA, Harden is averaging 24.7 points and seven assists per game. In the previous season, he led the league with 10.7 assists per game. Due to his uncertainties, it may be difficult to pick him first in 2023 fantasy basketball drafts, even though he is deserving of one of the top slots in the rankings based on quality. Check out SportsLine’s 2023 fantasy basketball rankings and cheat sheets, which are based on a tested computer model, before making any 2023–24 predictions.
Every season is simulated 10,000 times using SportsLine’s tested model. The individuals responsible for powering the projections on all three major fantasy sites also power this model. These lists and guide sheets, which are accessible for leagues on numerous well-known websites, are updated several times a day. The SportsLine staff updates its cheat sheets whenever there’s a roster modification or injury.
When Russell Westbrook was projected to never live up to his seventh-round ADP last year, the model labelled him a bust. Ultimately, Westbrook signed as a free agent to join the Clippers to finish the season after being traded out of the Lakers. Averaging 15.9 points, 7.5 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game in just 29.7 minutes per game, it was his least productive season since his rookie year, but fantasy basketball managers who avoided the pain were better off.
Along with calling Paolo Banchero’s incredible rookie season last year before he went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year, the model also correctly predicted DeMar DeRozan as a sleeper in 2021–2022 before he averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game. A deep postseason run was guaranteed for everyone who took the model’s instructions on fantasy basketball.
The most recent Fantasy basketball rankings for 2023–24, along with a tonne of sleepers, breakouts, and busts, have been released by SportsLine, which has now 10,000 times simulated an NBA season. See these rankings for 2023–24 fantasy basketball by visiting SportsLine right now.