Staff Fantasy Basketball Draft Recap: Analysis of Our 12-Team Head-to-Head League
Round 11
| Pick | Overall | Player | Position | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 121 | Lou Williams | PG/SG | Sam Hauss |
| 2 | 122 | Myles Turner | C | Derek Lynch |
| 3 | 123 | Steven Adams | C | Jacob Kent |
| 4 | 124 | Roy Hibbert | C | Jay Kim |
| 5 | 125 | Aaron Gordon | PF | Mike Comerford |
| 6 | 126 | Jerian Grant | PG | Shae Cronin |
| 7 | 127 | Tyler Zeller | PF/C | Brett Weisband |
| 8 | 128 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | Brandon Gdula |
| 9 | 129 | David Lee | PF/C | Russell Peddle |
| 10 | 130 | Avery Bradley | PG/SG | Dale Redman |
| 11 | 131 | Darren Collison | PG | Brett Oswalt |
| 12 | 132 | Wesley Matthews | SG/SF | Bryan Mears |
Lou Williams is one of our top sleepers this year, so Sam strikes again. There's bounce-back potential for Roy Hibbert in LA, so Jay's hoping for a return to the mid-round form he displayed in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Aaron Gordon certainly had himself a summer and is a popular sleeper pick late in drafts. After finishing 44th in nine-category leagues last year on a per-game basis, we don't think Darren Collison will be slowed down by bust candidate and new teammate Rajon Rondo, as we're projecting him as the 93rd-ranked fantasy player this year (over 100 spots higher than Rondo).
Wesley Matthews is an interesting pick in this range by Bryan. Wes finished between the 39th- and 56th-ranked player in nine-category leagues over his five years in Portland, but he tore his Achilles late last season -- a notoriously difficult injury to come back from. Dallas showed that they have faith in his chances of recovery by giving him $70 million over the next four years, and he's rewarding them (and perhaps Bryan) by making his return for the Mavericks this weekend for some preseason action. If he can get anywhere close to his old form, he could win some leagues with how late he's dropping.
My pick: David Lee, PF/C - Lee was an early- to mid-round value in nine-category leagues for eight straight seasons before getting glued to Golden State's bench last year. In limited time, he still showed that he was basically the same player, so a fresh start with the Celtics could mean a return to form. Boston's frontcourt is a little jammed right now, but Lee seems to be the favorite to start at the four and coach Brad Stevens has said the team will play through him quite a bit, so the opportunities for a good return on this late-round investment will certainly be there.
