The NBA regular season begins on October 27th, and I plan to throw as many team previews out to you guys as I possibly can. I’m not going to do the obvious teams like the Cavs or Warriors, instead I want to focus on some middle tier teams who have an awesome fantasy upside. I’m also not going to cover the obvious stars on these teams, instead we’ll look at the next best options. My goal is to help you guys get acquainted with some talented players who could impact your fantasy drafts.
The first preview I’m going to toss at you all is one of the new elite teams in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks. Here are three players who should be rostered in all fantasy basketball formats for 2015-16:
Jeff Teague, PG
In 2015, Teague had what everyone called his breakout season, but I think this year he’ll be even better. Last year, he averaged 15.9 points, 7.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game which are all solid numbers. A couple of other stats that Teague really excelled in were his shooting percentages, he shot a cool 86 percent from the free-throw line and 46 percent from the field. All of these stats are super valuable in category based year-long leagues and puts him as a must-own fantasy point guard this season.
Teague is still developing into an even better all around player. The team calls him the catalyst of the team, which is exactly what the point guard position should be for you. One thing that really helps him is having all-star center Al Horford in the front court to spread the floor for him. From dishing the ball to Horford, to taking it to the hole himself, Teague really makes plays for Atlanta.
Fantasy Prediction for 2015-16
17.0 points, 8.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game
Paul Millsap, PF
Millsap was always my favorite fantasy option in Utah, but he was just never utilized to his fullest potential in Salt Lake City. In Atlanta, I totally see him flourishing more each year with his team. Last season, Millsap averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He also always contributes a steady field goal percentage, 47 percent in 2014. Like Teague, Millsap is benefitting a lot from having Horford on the court. These two big men make a dynamic duo every single night on the floor.
In my opinion, Millsap will be a top 25 fantasy player this season. I would much rather roster him over the likes of Serge Ibaka or Dirk Nowitzki for my fantasy team. I’m not saying these guys aren’t great fantasy players, but Millsap is just that much more beneficial for me. Statistically, Millsap has become a lot more consistent since his time in Utah and I completely expect him to have a similar season this year. Draft him to be one of your starting power forwards in all NBA fantasy formats.
Fantasy Prediction for 2015-16
18.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game
Kyle Korver, SG
Korver is one of my favorite shooters in the game today, the guy is lights out from the three-point range. Over time, there have been some great long-range shooters from Reggie Miller to Steve Kerr, and Korver ranks right up there with these greats. He is always such an enticing fantasy option for me because of his fantastic shooting percentages. At 48 percent from the field and 49 percent from three-point range, Korver was one of the NBA’s best all-around shooters in 2014. Last season, Korver also averaged 12.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
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Coming off of his first NBA all-star appearance, Korver is poised to continue being a productive fantasy asset for our teams. This will be his 13th year in the association and I don’t see any decline coming in his game. Draft this pure shooter to pad some of your shooting guard related stats in your season-long leagues. Like the other two guys I have previously mentioned, he is a solid, consistent option at shooting guard.
Fantasy Prediction for 2015-16
14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game
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