We posed the question to our panel of fantasy basketball experts: Which player was ready to make the leap and become a Top 5 fantasy player this season?
Every answer was one of two names.
Here are André Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander with more on the popular pair of rising stars.
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Snellings: My answer should be obvious from my preseason rankings. I'm expecting Edwards to have a monster year this year. Watching him play over the last year, he has just been flirting with taking it to that next level and getting more consistent with doing so on a nightly basis. And it's obvious that his peers see it too, and are responding as such. Bruce Brown said he was the hardest player to cover in the NBA right now, and the only reason the Nuggets didn't sweep the Timberwolves last season. On Team USA, Steve Kerr said that Edwards was unquestionably "the man" on the team and that everything went through him first. He just feels like a guy who will not only be in the fantasy top 10, but will soon be a household name in the NBA.
Moody: Money talks in the NBA and the Timberwolves signed Edwards to a five-year, $260 million deal this offseason. Through three seasons, he's played in 72, 72 and 79 games, and during the last two seasons he has combined statistical production with availability. In fact, he's one of five players in the league who averaged 20 PPG and played in 70 games during that span. Edwards has also averaged 5.3 RPG, 4.1 APG and 1.5 SPG during the past two seasons. This year, he has the opportunity to truly shine in Minnesota.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
Karabell: Jackson just needs to score and rebound a bit more to get universal recognition as a top-10 fantasy asset, because the rest of the stats are already there, notably the blocks in combination with 3-pointers and solid shooting. The Grizzlies will need 20 PPG from Jackson while PG Ja Morant is suspended, and Jackson is certainly capable of scoring to that level all season. I have never understood why he isn't grabbing more rebounds. Steven Adams missed half of last season. Let's see Jackson take that next step and average 20 and 10.
McCormick: So, like, I guess I really like investing in this Memphis roster? The reigning DPOY isn't flying under the radar in any leagues after being heavily discounted in drafts in 2022 due to a significant offseason surgery. Even though his ADP is currently around the second-to-third-round turn, I still project serious upside and ROI given what is the rarest thing in all of fantasy; an elite rim protector who is also exponentially growing on offense. The Grizzlies' once-renowned depth and deep rotation has now become one of the more concentrated groups in the league, even truer with Morant's suspension. Which is to say, I'd be surprised if he's not a first-round value this season.
Alexander: JJJ will have 25 games to handle the offensive load with Desmond Bane while Ja Morant serves a suspension to start the season. But even when Morant can play Jackson is still a fantasy monster. JJJ finished last season right on the bubble for first-round fantasy value at No. 12 on a per-game basis but my guess is he'll be more like a Top 6 guy this season. He'll score, rebound, hit 3-pointers, steal the ball and possibly lead the league in blocks. He's a complete fantasy player who shoots free throws well for a big man and the sky is the limit when it comes to JJJ's fantasy potential.