It's the best time of the year for fantasy basketball managers -- that time when the anticipation of the new NBA season is in the air and everyone has their hunches and predictions on players who will break out.
Our experts have given their measured and well-informed advice to get you prepped for fantasy drafts, but with the start of the season now right around the corner, we've decided to have a little fun.
We asked André Snellings, Eric Karabell, Eric Moody and Jim McCormick for their biggest, boldest predictions for the fantasy season that lies ahead. Their answers may surprise you.
Jayson Tatum will produce more fantasy points than Kevin Durant
Durant is considered by many to be the best player in the world right now, and the uncertainty about the availability of Kyrie Irving this season suggests that he may have to carry a heavier statistical load than expected. Tatum has been a talented young player, but was always considered a step below the MVP-level elites. This season, I think Tatum is ready to make the leap to that upper tier with his best fantasy season to date. And, while I think Durant's and Tatum's per-game averages may be competitive, I believe Tatum will outdistance him in totals because he's a 23-year-old that will have to bring it all-game every game for the Celtics to compete. Durant, on the other hand, is a 30-something vet that's still only a few years removed from a catastrophic injury whose team will need him to load manage to reach peak capacity in the postseason. -- Snellings
LaMelo Ball becomes a top-10 fantasy player
Ball was one of the rare rookies to live up to the hype in his first season as an NBA player, and his ascension in fantasy basketball will reach even greater heights in Year 2. While he only played in 51 games as a rookie due to a broken wrist, Ball averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.8 3-pointers -- numbers one might associate with a third or fourth-year pro, not a 19-year-old rookie. His 43.6 FG% and 75.8 FT% were also impressive. That all came with Ball beginning the season as a reserve; imagine the possibilities when he's playing 35.0 MPG as the face of the franchise. Charlotte has done a solid job of building their roster around Ball this offseason, but that shouldn't negatively impact the 27.3 usage rate he posted as a rookie. If he's healthy for a high percentage of the season and keeps his turnovers low, then Ball could easily be among the league leaders in assists and rise into one of fantasy's top-10 players. -- Moody
This is the season OG Anunoby enters the fantasy elite
Maybe I was a year early in endorsing Anunoby as a top-40 fantasy producer last season, but I still believe a sizable leap in offensive output is on the way. Consider that from 2019-20 to last season, Anunoby increased his 3-point volume by a whopping 45% while actually proving more efficient from deep than ever. With Kyle Lowry's busy role off the roster and Pascal Siakam ailing from offseason surgery and seemingly a constant in trade rumors, there's real room on this roster to accommodate more opportunities for Anunoby. The preseason can prove tricky for evaluating players given the small sample and exhibition nature of the contests, but I don't think it's an aberration that, through four preseason games, Anunoby paces the team in usage rate, consuming nearly a quarter of the team's offensive possessions while on the floor. Oh, he's also flashing much more confidence on pull-up jumpers, a hallmark of isolation creation in this era; Anunoby lofted just 1.6 pull-up jumpers per game last season and has averaged five such attempts per game in the preseason while sinking a stellar 46.6% of such shots. The defensive metrics are already special, now it's time for OG's offensive opus. -- McCormick
Tyrese Maxey is a top-25 point guard
There is clear opportunity for a "happy" person to play the point for the Philadelphia 76ers. (We will not name names of the unhappy.) Maxey is happy. Sure, he is more of a shooting guard, a penetrator and scorer rather than pure offense director, and certainly a work in progress defensively, but he can fake his way to 15.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 5.0 APG, with strong shooting and more than a steal and 3-pointer per game. After all, Maxey averaged 18.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 3.9 APG over eight starts his rookie season. Small sample size caveats apply, but Maxey is a talented player with obvious opportunity, he wants to be there and he can be a star. -- Karabell
Jaren Jackson Jr. will be a third-round fantasy pick (at least) in 2022
Even as Memphis drastically outperformed win total expectations last season, they did so mostly without one of their franchise cornerstones, as Jackson played just over 250 minutes in 11 appearances after a long recovery from knee surgery. His absence from floor has clearly influenced his fantasy value, as he's now being drafted 78th overall on average in ESPN drafts. Looking spry so far in the preseason, Jackson could deliver an awesome statistical campaign if his body allows it. There really aren't many questions about the skill set or production potential. After all, in 57 starts in the COVID-19-shortened 2019-20 season, Jackson became one of just three NBA players in the past five seasons -- joining Kevin Durant and Kristaps Porzingis -- to average at least 17.0 PPG and 1.6 blocks with 2.5 3-pointers made per contest. There are legitimate concerns about his rebounding volume, but there is also untapped unicorn potential. I'm all-in on Jackson this season, especially as the risk is already baked into the price. -- McCormick
Draymond Green will lead the NBA in assists per game
Either Russell Westbrook or LeBron James has led the NBA in assists per game in each of the last four seasons, but they're teammates now for the Lakers. Something has to give, and I can't imagine either leading the league this time around. The safest prediction to fill their shoes is probably Trae Young, who has finished second in assists per game in each of the last two seasons, but for my bold prediction I'm taking Green as the next assists king. Green was third in the NBA last season with 8.9 APG, just behind Young's 9.4 APG, and Green's role as the facilitator for the Warriors has grown more pronounced in recent seasons, to the point where he now operates more like Rajon Rondo used to as a facilitator exclusively that almost eschews scoring altogether. The Warriors are full of scorers and finishers at every position, giving Green plenty of targets that can knock down buckets off his looks. And, with Klay Thompson set to return and Jordan Poole wielding a flamethrower from downtown in the preseason, Green will have even more license to pass instead of shooting moving forward. -- Snellings
Three Rockets average 20 points per game
The rebuilding Houston Rockets may not make a playoff run in the tough West, but they sure will be exciting. Christian Wood showed his star potential a season ago and this new backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green is ready to rock right away, at least on the offensive end. Yep, 60.0 PPG between them is certainly possible! Wood can average 20 and 10. Porter can average 20.0 PPG and 6.0 APG. Green is only 19 years old, but he is already a mature scorer, and perhaps the top option for those in dynasty formats. Give it a few seasons and he is averaging 25.0 PPG with 6.0 RPG and a bushel of 3-pointers. For this year, be happy with 22.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and ample steals and 3-pointers. -- Karabell
Robert Williams III leads the league in blocks per game
Williams was impressive last season considering his limited playing time, getting the start in 13 of 52 games played. While Williams' 8.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, and 1.8 BPG and 18.9 MPG may not seem overly impressive, he's in a position to surpass those per game numbers this season. First of all, Williams tied for the second-most blocks per 36 minutes last season (3.3), trailing only Daniel Gafford and Nerlen Noel. Secondly, Tristan Thompson and Daniel Theis are no longer with the team. Even though Boston brought in veterans Enes Kanter and Al Hortford as frontcourt replacements, I don't see them putting a damper on Williams' breakout potential and bump in playing time. Kanter and Horford will have a great influence on him as will new head coach Ime Udoka, who can provide Williams an opportunity to embrace his role as the Celtics' best center. -- Moody