Fantasy Basketball Rankings 2021: Sleepers, breakouts, busts from advanced computer model
Written by Luck on September 27, 2021
It may seem like Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks winning an NBA championship happened just yesterday, but the 2021-22 NBA season is less than a month away. The season will get back to its normal schedule on the calendar as Opening Night takes place on Oct. 19. Lots of notable players switched jerseys this offseason including Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan, Kemba Walker and Kyle Lowry. But predicting how old faces in new places perform on the court is one of the challenges when crafting your 2021 Fantasy basketball strategy.
Westbrook has never been on a team as stacked as his Lakers squad, so can Mr. Triple Double still produce enough value to be one of your top 2021 Fantasy basketball picks? And Walker is not only in a new city, but also has injury concerns going forward. So how do you evaluate him ahead of your 2021 Fantasy basketball drafts? Before making any 2021 Fantasy basketball picks, be sure to check out the 2021 Fantasy basketball cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine’s proven model simulates each season 10,0000 times. This model is powered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2021 Fantasy basketball cheat sheets.
These cheat sheets and rankings, available for leagues on many major sites, are updated multiple times every day. Any time an injury occurs or there’s a change on a roster, the team at SportsLine updates its cheat sheets.
They’ve called past Fantasy basketball sleepers like Lauri Markkanen and Aaron Gordon in 2018-19 and warned about Zach Randolph being a bust that same year.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NBA season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy basketball rankings 2021, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2021 Fantasy basketball sleepers
One of the 2021 Fantasy basketball sleepers the model is predicting: Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan. The four-time NBA All-Star turned 32 last month, but he’s still a capable scorer who can finish around the rim and get to the foul line. He’s also become a more willing 3-point shooter and he’s a much better passer at this stage of his career after averaging a career-high 6.9 assists per game a season ago.
DeRozan has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of his last eight seasons and he’s shot 48 percent or better from the floor in each of his last three seasons. Playing in a lineup that also includes Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, DeRozan should be allowed to focus his efforts on attacking the rim and scoring/creating. That’s a big reason why the model likes him as a top-10 forward despite the fact that he’s the 18th player coming off the board at that position on average.
Top 2021 Fantasy basketball breakouts
The model is also projecting Warriors center James Wiseman as one of its top 2021 Fantasy basketball breakouts. Many felt that Golden State didn’t find a great fit in the offense for him in 2020-21, and last season ended with him needing surgery for a meniscus injury. Wiseman only shot 51-percent from the field, but averaged nearly six rebounds and 11.5 points per game.
However inefficient he may have been last season, he was effective enough in the 39 games he played. The Warriors had a fair amount of roster turnover in the offseason, and he’ll have to provide minutes in the front court on a nightly basis. The model predicts that his opportunity this season will lead to more production than you can get from other options like Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams III or Dwight Howard, whose 2021 Fantasy basketball ADP are all higher than Wiseman’s.
Top 2021 Fantasy basketball busts
As for players to avoid, the model lists Celtics forward Jayson Tatum as one of its biggest busts. Through four seasons Tatum has done nothing but improve as his points, rebounds and assists have gone up each year. Last year he made his second All-Star team and produced averages of 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
But some of Tatum’s production came via necessity as Boston was shorthanded for most of the year. That won’t be the case this season as Boston has fortified both its starting unit and reserves, bringing in Dennis Schroder, Josh Richardson, Al Horford and Enes Kanter. All four averaged in double-figures last year, so there won’t be quite as many shots for Tatum in this season. That’s why the SportsLine model has Tatum as the No. 7 forward in its 2021 Fantasy basketball rankings, despite him being drafted third at the position, according to the latest 2021 Fantasy basketball ADP data.
How to find proven 2021 Fantasy basketball rankings
SportsLine is also extremely high on a forward to make a big leap and advises you target him in 2021 Fantasy basketball drafts. This youngster is listed as a shocking top-five option ahead of superstars like Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant. You can only see who it is, and the 2021 Fantasy basketball rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2021 Fantasy basketball sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade? And which forward shocks the NBA with a top-five performance at the position? Visit SportsLine now to get 2021 Fantasy basketball cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that’s nailed its Fantasy basketball picks, and find out.
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