Fantasy NBA: 5 Potential Draft Bargains

Early round picks have all the excitement, but nailing picks in the later rounds can be just as important to winning your fantasy league:

Dewayne Dedmon, C, Atlanta Hawks
Any one who has done a fantasy draft this year knows that rebounds and blocks are difficult to come by, and centers really dry up quickly. Enter Dewayne Dedmon, who has two things going for him: first, he is one of two true centers on the Atlanta Hawks roster and second, he isn't Miles Plumlee. Dedmon seems like a good candidate to soak up a lot of minutes, where the hope is he can give you rebounds and blocks. Dedmon's per 36 minute stats are excellent 10.5 points, 13.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, so the hope is that if he gets starters minutes in Atlanta, he will produce around that level. This is not a sexy pick, and Dedmon doesn't have much upside to speak of but he's a step above the rebound/block specialist that really just helps you in one area.

Skal Labissiere, PF/C Sacramento Kings
This one you might require some patience, or maybe if the league is shallow enough you just book mark him in your waiver-wire, but by seasons end there is a good chance that Skal Labissiere will be producing big time for your team. Skal is the most talented big man on the Kings roster, and though it might take some time, he should be playing starters minutes at one of the big man spots for the Kings. The reason he might not get the minutes load he should is that Kings head coach Dave Joerger has been reunited with Zach Randolph and, like any head coach, he wants to win games, which means he will likely lean on his vets more than a rebuilding team probably should (for the same reason, De'Aaron Fox isn't a higher pick) but once it is clear that the Kings are going to lose no matter how they play (and that Randolph should be a starter at this point) Skal will be the one to benefit. Look for him to produce points, rebounds, good percentages, and some blocks as well.

Jeremy Lin, PG/SG Brooklyn Nets
Lin always seems to be pushed out of real life basketball teams for one reason or another, which leads him to be undervalued in fantasy as well. The Nets acquired D'Angelo Russell in the offseason, intending to build around him, which immediately led to a perceived downgrade in Lin's value. Not so fast my friend! True, Lin as lead perimeter dog is a thing of the past, but the Nets play at an absurd pace, tops in the NBA last season, which means plenty of opportunities for both Lin and Russell, not to mention the fact that Brook Lopez and his 29.2% usage rate are now gone or the fact that those two are the only proven guards on the roster, or the fact that Russell is the better shooter, which means it will make more sense for Lin to have the ball more often. Per 36 last season, Lin averaged 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.7 steals. If Lin proves he is healthy and can handle a 30 minute load, you could get a starting point guard (minus threes, but seriously everyone shoots 3s now) for a backup price.

Eric Gordon, SG Houston Rockets
Gordon was a top 10 shooting guard option last year, finishing fourth in the NBA with 246 three pointers (the three players ahead of him are all first three round picks), and yet ESPN has him ranked as their 20th overall shooting guard, behind an injured Zach LaVine among others (this does include players that also play other positions, but still). Gordon's injury history certainly plays a part in that but now that he is away from the New Orleans Saints Pelicans questionable training staff, that isn't as big of a concern. It is also easy to see how Gordon could be better this year than last: it's his second year in the system, Lou Williams isn't around to steal second unit shots any more and, he'll pretty much always be sharing the floor with either James Harden or Chris Paul, two of the best passer in the league who will also draw a ton of attention. Gordon is the Rockets third best player and will be on the floor in crunch time as well. If you find yourself low on threes, don't be afraid to pull the trigger on this gunner.

 Kent Bazemore, SG/SF Atlanta Hawks
After receiving a big contract, Kent Bazemore Bazed-Less and was considered a disappointment, though it was really only his field goal percentage (.409%) that let fantasy teams down in the aggregate; anyone expecting super-star production was going to be let down no matte what Bazemore did. Just as the real life Bazemore is a glue guy, that is his role for your team, giving you a little bit of everything: least season he averaged 11 points, 1.3 threes, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks. Nothing that stands out, but nothing that hurt you either while the 0.7 blocks is great from a shooting guard. Now take into account that Bazemore did that in just 26.9 minutes a game. That Hawks teams was a playoff team with multiple offensive weapons. Now, Bazemore might be the best player on the whole team! Expect his minutes to go up and his all around production to be close to his per 36 numbers. Tyler Johnson all falls into the catagory, a guard that provides you with rebounds and blocks at a higher number than you'd expect without killing you in other areas. Every little bit counts.

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Ready to Take Off: Anthony Davis

In the Pelicans Saturday night win over the Charlotte Bobcats, Anthony Davis scored 25 points (9/13 FG, 7/8 FT), with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 steals and 6 blocks. This remarkable performance is becoming par-for-the-course for Davis who is averaging 23.7 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2.7 steals on the young season. It's not just that the 2012 number 1 overall pick is putting up big numbers, he looks like his game has grown considerably since last season. We all know about the terrific hands, length, and athleticism that give Davis the ability to block shots and throw down outrageous alley-oops, but now the skill is starting to catch up to the elite physical ability. Part of his big improvement offensively has been his jumper, he hit 4-of-5 outside the paint from against Charlotte, and is shooting 50% from there this season. His stroke in general is improved, as demonstrated by his terrific 95% shooting from the free throw line so far this season. If his jumper continues to fall, it will open up his offense even more, allowing him to use his explosive first step to take slower bigs off the dribble from the high post. This quickness, along with more aggressiveness, strength, and seeking of contact this year, also allows Davis to draw more fouls, nearly doubling his total from 3.5 last year to 6.7 this. There is no reason that he shouldn't average 8+ free throws a game in time. Add to that his improved shooting, plus buckets of put-backs and of course alley-oops and you have a recipe for a very efficient and reliable offensive game. Defensively, we know Davis can block shots and has very active hands, but his ability to guard on the perimeter and switch, as well as guard in ISO situations are also becoming elite skills. That is why I think Davis fits better at power forward than center, because he causes so much havoc all over the floor when he plays there, but is limited when he plays center, not to mention the wear and tear having to check bigger players. What is even more amazing is that Davis is only 20 years old and has a ton of room for growth in both physically and in his abilities, despite being playing at an All-NBA caliber right now. If this level of growth continues, Davis could be a top 5-10 player in this league. The Pelicans have playoff asspirations and the talent to get there, but they need to be careful that ball-dominant players like Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, and Eric Gordon don't neglect Davis, because he is their best player.

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