X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Seeing The Future: A Look At This Year's NBA Rookie Class, Part 3

We've already spent posts looking at intriguing rookies, and yet we've still got plenty of great first players to examine, all of whom have high-level fantasy upside in the future.

For our previous lists, check out Part 1 and Part 2.

This week we dive even deeper into this year's rookies, and examine their production this season and also their future prospects. We're taking a look at the lottery specials - guys who were stuck on lottery teams causing them to stray outside the national radar. Let's begin with one of the few intriguing players on one of the most dumpster fire teams of the season.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Will Priester (@ChiefJustice06) from RotoGrinders leads the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with his exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

Seeing The Future: A Look At This Year's NBA Rookie Class, Part 3

Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic

Isaac has had an injury plagued rookie season but he's flashed a very fantasy friendly skill-set in the time he has been on the court. Even with under 20 minutes a game this year, he has been very close to a triple one guy, averaging 1.2 steals, 1.1 blocks and 0.6 threes in 19.9 mpg. The minutes obviously will not stay that low if he manages to stay on the court next season, and that kind of production in the money stats is something legitimately worth salivating over.

Player Comparison: Nerlens Noel

It's easy to forget that Noel has a couple of top-50 seasons under his belt despite the disaster that has been the last 2 years of his young career. Isaac's fantasy game doesn't fit Noel's perfectly, but the one important thing that is a match is the insane per 36 defensive numbers that both guys bring. In those top-50 seasons, Noel average over 1.5 in both steals and blocks, and Isaac in 30 minutes looks to easily hit those kind of marks if he were to ramp up to 30 minutes per game.

The advantage that Isaac has over Noel is that he also can average 1+ 3 per game in those minutes, which makes his ceiling even higher since Noel is a literal zero in that category. Isaac also trades off Noel's decent FG% on low volume for a less damaging FT%, while having a horrendous FG% himself, albeit also on low volume.

Ceiling: Top 20 upside long term, top-70 short term

A lot of people will see this as aggressive, but if Isaac can play 30 minutes a game and improve his shooting to something like 42% (which would bump his PPG to double digits as well), he can absolutely be a top-20 guy with his fantasy profile, maybe even better. His offensive game clearly has holes, and how good he becomes in fantasy will largely depend on how good of a real life player he becomes and how many minutes he can earn but there is no doubt that this kind of kit is something special and he is someone to watch going forward.

 

Josh Jackson, Phoenix Suns

Josh Jackson has already hit his stride as a bonafide fantasy asset, posting top-70 type stats in punt FT% builds over the last 2 months. Unfortunately, with the high amount of free throw volume he gets, Jackson looks like his value will be limited to punt FT% teams, while being over-drafted by teams not punting that category. Jackson is already getting minutes in the mid-30s, and as his career progresses, there's no reason for that to change going forward.

Player Comparison: Philly-era Andre Iguodala

The physical comparison that's been made since he was drafted is a young Andre Iguodala. It's easy to forget the Philly version of Iggy back in 2006-2010 averaging nearly 20 points a game with a large amount of steals and some 3s, blocks, assists and rebounds. Jackson stuffs the stat sheet in a similar way, but the difference right now is Jackson's FT% is enough lower than Iggy's was at the time to force him into being a punt guy.

Ceiling: Top 30 punt FT%, top 50 standard if he can improve his FT a bit

Jackson will already be a top-50 guy in punt FT% next season and can move up to a top-30 guy once the Suns give him more playmaking responsibility. If Jackson is able to improve his FT% over the years to 72+, that's when he can become a top 50 guy in standard builds as well.

 

John Collins, Atlanta Hawks

Despite not falling into consistent minutes on a putrid Atlanta Hawks team until quite recently, the Baptist has still had a very successful rookie season for fantasy purposes. He was already a top-100 guy on the season even with the sporadic minutes, and given a larger role and a 30 min average, he can be a fairly strong contributor right away next year.

Player Comparison: Al Horford with less assists and more rebounds

Collins fits into the special category of bigs that don't hurt your FT% as badly as the position usually does, and he will fit teams in a way similar to Al Horford does. Collins isn't nearly as good of a passer as big Al, but he is also not nearly as bad of a rebounder, and while that does make his overall kit a bit less valuable, the rest of the game projects to develop into something similar to Horford and it isn't the worst thing to be compared to a slightly worse version of a perennial top-30 guy.

Ceiling: Top-40 short to long term

The Baptist will be a glue guy for teams in the future similar to what Horford is today. He won't be a sexy high upside pick, but he possesses the type of skill-set that will return consistent value for where you draft him and plug in certain holes on your team no matter what your build is. As his role increases, Collins' 3-pointers should increase along with his points as the usage ramps up and the defensive stats should increase a bit given more minutes.

 

Jarrett Allen, Brooklyn Nets

Jarrett Allen has tailed off following a very productive mid-season stretch that made him one of the hottest pickups in the game. Despite this, he's still been hovering around the top-100 mark over the last 2 months, combining solid percentages with excellent block and rebound rates. Allen is the rare player who gives you stereotypical big man stats without hurting your FT%, making him very easy to slot into any number of builds.

Player Comparison: Myles Turner without the 3s

The one thing missing from Allen's game is a healthy dose of 3-pointers. While he does attempt shots from downtown, he's by no means a perimeter threat yet and while the rest of the game can look very similar to Myles Turner's fantasy profile in a couple years, he will need to take a significant step up in the 3s department to match the Pacers big man there. While not shooting many 3s caps his ceiling a bit, Allen's skillset can still render him an extremely effective fantasy player.

Ceiling: Top-50 short to mid term

Myles Turner was projected in the top-20 to 30 this season, and while he didn't live up to those expectations, it's easy to see his projected skillset being valued in that range. Cut down Turner's projected 3s to 0.5, a reasonable projection for Allen in the short term, and you end up with a top-50 type guy who will slot very easily into many builds. Players like Allen gain a lot of value in their versatility, and become solid, underappreciated fantasy assets for years.

 

Check back next week for another back of rookies as we move on with our analysis -- this class is so deep, we've still got plenty to cover!

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis

that



POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jordan Clarkson7 hours ago

Out At Least A Week
Kyle Kuzma7 hours ago

Out Again On Saturday
Jamal Murray7 hours ago

Won't Return On Friday Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo7 hours ago

Anticipated To Play Versus Cleveland
Puka Nacua8 hours ago

Shot To Play Week 9
Jordan Love9 hours ago

Tracking To Play In Week 9
Stephen Curry11 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Yves Missi11 hours ago

Expected To Take The Court Friday
Karl-Anthony Towns11 hours ago

Available On Friday
Eric Comrie12 hours ago

Faces Blue Jackets Friday
Daniel Theis12 hours ago

Likely To Suit Up Friday
David Savard12 hours ago

Sits Out Practice For Maintenance Purposes
De'Anthony Melton12 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Jordan Hawkins12 hours ago

Expected To Play Friday
Alexander Romanov12 hours ago

Ready To Play Friday
Al Horford12 hours ago

Resting Against Charlotte
Evgeni Malkin12 hours ago

Takes Maintenance Day On Friday
Andrew Wiggins12 hours ago

Probable For Saturday's Matchup With Houston
Rose Namajunas12 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
D'Angelo Russell12 hours ago

Will Suit Up Versus Toronto
Devon Levi12 hours ago

Returns To Sabres Crease
Clayton Kershaw12 hours ago

To Undergo Two Surgeries
Anthony Davis12 hours ago

Available Against Toronto
Erin Blanchfield12 hours ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Lowe12 hours ago

Rays Pick Up Club Option On Brandon Lowe
Ryan Hartman12 hours ago

Rejoins Wild Lineup Friday
Zach LaVine12 hours ago

Will Play Against Brooklyn
12 hours ago

Nick Martinez Headed To Free Agency
Erik Cernak12 hours ago

Available On Friday
Marc-Andre Barriault12 hours ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Brent Suter12 hours ago

Inks Extension With Cincinnati
Immanuel Quickley12 hours ago

Out Again On Friday Night
CJ McCollum12 hours ago

Out At Least Two Weeks
13 hours ago

Yankees, Mets Among Teams In Battle For Juan Soto
Anthony Black13 hours ago

Starting Versus Cleveland
Franz Wagner13 hours ago

Cleared For Friday Night
Herbert Jones13 hours ago

To Miss A Significant Amount Of Time With Shoulder Injury
Marc-Andre Barriault13 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Blake Snell13 hours ago

Opts Out Of Deal With San Francisco
Desmond Bane13 hours ago

Won't Face The 76ers
Josh Jacobs13 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Drake Maye14 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
Tyler Boyd14 hours ago

Tony Pollard, Tyler Boyd Listed As Questionable
Tyjae Spears14 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Calvin Ridley14 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
Trevin Giles14 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Noah Fant14 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Brian Robinson Jr.14 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
Mike Malott14 hours ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Dallas Goedert14 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
DK Metcalf14 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Zach Benson15 hours ago

Could Play Next Week
Jani Hakanpaa15 hours ago

And Connor Dewar Sent On Conditioning Stint
Dmitri Voronkov15 hours ago

Ready For Season Debut Friday
Jordan Love15 hours ago

Questionable Vs. Lions
Mathew Barzal15 hours ago

Getting Tests Done For Upper-Body Injury
Vladimir Tarasenko15 hours ago

Ready To Go For Saturday
Mark Stone15 hours ago

Misses Practice Due To Birth Of Child
Puka Nacua16 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Week 9
Will Levis17 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
David Njoku17 hours ago

Good To Go For Week 9
Bucky Irving17 hours ago

Absent During Friday's Practice
David Njoku17 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
Adam Thielen17 hours ago

Doubtful For Week 9
Jonathon Brooks17 hours ago

Not Expected To Play In Week 9
Tee Higgins17 hours ago

Listed As Doubtful For Sunday
Tyreek Hill18 hours ago

Expected To Play In Week 9
Tomás Nosek20 hours ago

Tomas Nosek Ready For Panthers Debut On Friday
Leon Draisaitl21 hours ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Three-Point Effort
Martin Necas21 hours ago

Registers Four Points In Dominant Win
Alex Ovechkin21 hours ago

Bags Three Points In Thursday's Win
21 hours ago

Royals Decline Option On Adam Frazier
Sidney Crosby21 hours ago

Drags Penguins Back On Track
21 hours ago

Manuel Margot, Kyle Farmer Headed To Free Agency
William Nylander21 hours ago

Pots Two Goals Versus Seattle
21 hours ago

Milwaukee Declines Option On Wade Miley
NHL21 hours ago

Will Smith Scores First Career Goals
Lucas Giolito21 hours ago

Staying In Boston
Chris Stratton21 hours ago

Hunter Renfroe, Chris Stratton Returning To Kansas City
Jordan Montgomery22 hours ago

Staying In Arizona
1 day ago

Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn Headed For Free Agency
Roansy Contreras1 day ago

Claimed By Texas
1 day ago

Alex Kirilloff Announces Retirement
Jorge Soler1 day ago

Traded To Los Angeles
Curtis Lazar1 day ago

Out Indefinitely Following Knee Procedure
Brendson Ribeiro1 day ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado1 day ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz1 day ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton
Derrick Lewis1 day ago

Faces An Unranked Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Edmonton
2 days ago

Daniel Hudson Retires After World Series Victory
Freddie Freeman2 days ago

Drives In Two More Runs, Earns World Series MVP Honors
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Comes Up Short at Homestead
William Byron5 days ago

Rallies to Sixth at Homestead
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Tire Issue at Homestead Could Doom Kyle Larson's Championship Hopes
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Charges To A Thrilling Victory At Homestead
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Loses At Homestead On The Final Corner To Tyler Reddick
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Quietly Nabs A Top-5 Finish At Homestead
Khamzat Chimaev5 days ago

Remains Undefeated
Robert Whittaker5 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 308
Aleksandar Rakic5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 308
Armen Petrosyan5 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC 308
Shara Magomedov5 days ago

Gets Highlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC 308
Joey Logano5 days ago

Intentionally Sleepwalked Through Homestead to Focus on Phoenix
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Advances to Championship 4 as Owner but Not as Driver
Dan Ige5 days ago

Loses Second-Straight Fight At UFC 308
Lerone Murphy5 days ago

Remains Undefeated At UFC 308
Magomed Ankalaev5 days ago

Wins Lackluster Decision Win At UFC 308
Max Holloway5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out For First Time At UFC 308

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Puka Nacua - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football WR Injury Reports: Week 9 Updates For Puka Nacua, DK Metcalf, Brian Thomas Jr., Tee Higgins, Amari Cooper

We've already run the gauntlet of wide receiver injuries, but NFL action never stops, and player ailments never stop piling up throughout the season. It's odd how brutal they've been to the WR position especially. We've seen a number of star wideouts go on injured reserve, some for the rest of the season. Chris Godwin, […]


Bryce Young - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

High-Upside Bench Stashes: Weekend Waiver Wire Adds for Week 9 Includes Jaylen Wright, Troy Franklin, Erick All Jr., and more

Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship. As […]


Lamar Jackson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Updates for Week 9: Lamar Jackson, Puka Nacua, Tee Higgins, Jordan Love, Brian Thomas Jr.

The fantasy football gods don't care about your hopes and aspirations for your team. They dole out what they want when they please. It's common for players to get injuries in a sport that involves crashing into each other at high speeds and changing direction with extreme force. It's Week 9, which means some fantasy […]


Dallas Goedert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Reports for Tight Ends: Week 9 - Updates for T.J. Hockenson, Dallas Goedert, Noah Fant, Will Dissly

It’s time to check in on the injuries to some of the tight ends around the National Football League. The volatility at this position has been a nightmare for fantasy managers this season, and injuries across the board haven’t helped.   Being up-to-date on NFL injury news can give you an edge over your league […]


Jalen Hurts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Survivor Pool Picks: Week 9 Targets and Avoids (2024)

Welcome to our NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season! There are so many different pools, fantasy leagues, weekly bets, and futures bets that it's hard to decide what to do with these choices. But survivor pools are the oldest and simplest leagues out there. All you have to do […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 9 DraftKings NFL DFS Picks - Main Slate (2024): Jalen Hurts, Chase Brown, Evan Engram, and more

After raiding my daughter's trick-or-treat bag leftovers, I'm battling a Halloween hangover. It's probably a similar feeling to what lots of DFS players were experiencing after last week's Main Slate, as injuries and muted outputs from several popular players were hallmarks of Week 8. That said, we're on to a Week 9 slate that features […]


Puka Nacua - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For Week 9 (Friday Updates): Puka Nacua, DK Metcalf, Josh Jacobs, Jordan Love, more

We have now hit the halfway point of the NFL season, but over halfway for most fantasy football seasons. As has been the norm this season, there are plenty of injuries to top fantasy players at every position. Some remain out for the foreseeable future, some are potentially playing through injury, and some are returning […]


Jayden Daniels - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Pick'em Pool Picks (Week 9) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for Pick'em Contests (2024)

Just two teams will be on a bye during Week 9, leaving a busy slate across the NFL. Injuries will once again impact the slate, as well as some teams making changes at quarterback. Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play […]


RotoBaller NFL Betting Picks Stock

2024 NFL Week 9 Betting Picks (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools and Content can be accessed on the premium dashboard. To see ALL of Jamie's bets (and others from RotoBaller experts) then head over to the RotoBaller Discord. You'll find every bet and prop in the #NFL-BETTING-PROPS channel there!   Background My name is Jamie Calandro (@jac3600 on X) and I have […]


AJ Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL DFS: FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks for Week 9 - Top Lineup Plays Include Bijan Robinson, A.J. Brown, T.J. Hockenson

Like a backup quarterback patiently holding the clipboard with his hat on backward, I've been summoned into action to help give you some helpful NFL DFS advice for Week 9. My good friend Dennis Clausen, who usually pens this piece, asked me to help him out this week. Don't worry - Dennis is fine, other […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint Include Josh Jacobs, Zay Flowers, Tank Bigsby, Rachaad White, Nick Chubb, Bucky Irving

Welcome to Week 9, the midway point of the 2024 fantasy football season. It's arrived quickly for most, but there's still plenty of season left! Injuries to wide receivers have left a sour taste in the mouths of fantasy managers, therefore propping up running backs. However, some running backs may have a rough week while […]


Michael Pittman Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 9 (2024)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 9 of the 2024 fantasy football season. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive […]


Bijan Robinson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 9 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 9! With the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers on bye this week, fantasy managers will have to replace George Pickens, Najee Harris, Deebo Samuel Sr., and George Kittle in their lineups. This Week 9 matchups analysis and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em piece will help you make the right lineup decisions […]