🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Three-Man Weave: Fantasy Basketball's Midseason Awards

FanDuel DraftKings daily fantasy basketball

Wei Sallas hands out midseason awards for the 2017-18 NBA season in fantasy basketball's Week 14.

While the All-Star game is still a few weeks away, every team in the NBA has reached the midway point of its season at 41 games. We're officially in the home stretch of the 2017-18 season.

With that in mind, we dive into the numbers to announce the Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player, and Rookie of the Year in Fantasy Basketball.

Enjoy!

Black Friday Special! Save 50% on any Big-4 Sports Premium Pass using discount code THANKS. Win more with our DFS, Betting and Season-Long Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice for NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL from from proven winners! Dan Palyo leads the team with exclusive picks for DFS picks, Props, betting. Enhance your game with industry-leading tools like our Lineup Optimizers, Team Sync Platform, DFS Cheat Sheets and more. GAIN ACCESS

 

Most Valuable Player - Lebron James

LeBron James isn't ranked as the best fantasy basketball player this season. His consistency and his inability to take games off however, is make him the Most Valuable. James has yet to miss a game this season, he leads the league in field goals made, third in PER, eighth in True Shooting Percentage, third in points per game, fourth in assists per game, 24th in rebounds and blocks per game, thirteenth in steals per game. Basically, he lights up the entire stat sheet every time he plays--which is every game.

I mean...

Given that James' average draft position and projected value was towards the bottom of the first round, his +/- of current value compared to preseason projected value is the best for anyone in the top-10.

 

Most Improved Player - Victor Oladipo

When Oladipo was traded to Indiana in the off-season there wasn't one person on all of planet Earth who viewed him as the top commodity in that trade. After all, Oladipo had barely worked his way into the top-100 last year in 9-cat leagues, finishing 97. While last year he fell victim to Russell Westbrook's insane usage rate, obviously bringing down his own value, there were no signs of  him being able to be the statistical leader of a team, even when that's exactly what was expected of him during his time in Orlando.

Yet, through the first half of the 2017-18 season, no one is having a more improved season. As mentioned, Oladipo finished 97 last season, and is currently ranked 11. Even coming into this season, asked to carry the burden with breakout candidate Myles Turner, Oladipo was projected as a fifth round value pick. So far this season, he is averaging career highs in every statistical category except assists (0.2 assists per game off his career-best). He has had single game career highs in points (47), rebounds (15), steals (7) and three-pointers made (6).

Also...

Rookie of The Year Midseason - Donovan Mitchell

Despite being the thirteenth pick in the draft, there was not one person who expected Mitchell to have this kind of start to his career. Mitchell was not even on most draft boards, ranked out of the top-200s and not even considered a sleeper. Players like Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson were expected to take up the bulk of the minutes at the shooting guard position, but it has been Mitchell who leads the Jazz in points per game and shot attempts through the midway point.

He leads all rookies in points per game (18.8) and free throw percentage (.854), third in steals per game (1.48), while also averaging 3.4 assists and rebounds per game. His 41 points on November 30 is the most by a rookie this season and has gone over 30 points four times this season.

Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum are also having fantastic starts, but only one rookie is in the top-50 in 9-cat leagues. Mitchell.

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Davante Adams

Catches Two Touchdowns in Sunday Night Win
Baker Mayfield

has Sprained Shoulder, Will Undergo MRI Monday
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Fire Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly
Ryan Helsley

Tigers Eyeing Ryan Helsley as a Starter
Quinshon Judkins

Salvages his Day With Two Trips to the End Zone
Alvin Kamara

Dealing With MCL Sprain, Timetable Unclear
Michael Wilson

has Double-Digit Catches, Over 100 Yards for Second Straight Week
Baker Mayfield

Doubtful to Return on Sunday Night With Shoulder Injury
A.J. Brown

Delivers Vintage Performance in Week 12
George Pickens

at the Center of Cowboys Offense Once Again
Dan Hooker

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Marcus Semien

Shipped to the Mets on Sunday
Alvin Kamara

Getting an MRI on His Knee
Arman Tsarukyan

Gets Submission Win
Brandon Nimmo

Traded to Texas
Belal Muhammad

Loses Back-to-Back Fights
Aaron Gordon

Sidelined 4-6 Weeks with Hamstring Strain
Belal Muhammad

Ian Machado Garry Outpoints Belal Muhammad
Chris Godwin

Officially Active for Sunday Night Football in Week 12
Alonzo Menifield

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Kareem Hunt

Totals 33 Touches in Productive Outing Sunday
Volkan Oezdemir

Gets Back In The Win Column
Chimere Dike

Scores Long Special Teams Touchdown in Week 12
Jack Hermansson

Gets Knocked Out
Jack Hermansson

Myktybek Orolbai Knocks Out Jack Hermansson
Shamil Gaziev

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
DJ Moore

Scores Twice in Narrow Win at Home
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Shines At UFC Qatar
Dereck Lively II

Out with Foot Issue Again
Tagir Ulanbekov

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Anthony Davis

Doubtful With Calf Strain Against Miami
Derrick Henry

Rushes for Two Scores in Week 12 Victory
Kyoji Horiguchi

Makes Triumphant UFC Return
MON

Alexandre Texier Joins Canadiens
Goga Bitadze

a Very Late Scratch on Sunday Night
Rashee Rice

Goes for Nearly 150 Yards in Win Over Colts
Ryan Dunn

Ruled Out with Wrist Sprain
Jason Dickinson

Returns to Action Sunday
Alvin Kamara

Ruled Out With Knee Injury
Elias Lindholm

Activated From Injured Reserve
Mikko Rantanen

Suspended for One Game
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Totals Season-High in Yardage in Week 12
Neal Pionk

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Sunday
Donovan Clingan

Upgraded to Available vs. Thunder
Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Out Week-to-Week
Hunter Henry

Feasts in Win Over Cincinnati
Robert Williams III

Sidelined Against Thunder
Anthony Black

Entering the Starting Lineup Versus Boston
Alexander Romanov

Out 5-6 Months Due to Shoulder Surgery
Emanuel Wilson

Punches in Two Touchdowns Against Minnesota
Goga Bitadze

Getting the Start on Sunday Night
Alvin Kamara

Injures Knee Sunday, Questionable to Return
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic Remains Out Sunday
Ryan Kalkbrenner

Sidelined on Sunday Evening
Tre Mann

Returns to Action Sunday
Wendell Carter Jr.

Ruled Out on Sunday Night
Luke Kennard

Misses Sunday's Contest
Onyeka Okongwu

Good to Go Sunday
Collin Murray-Boyles

Available Against Nets
Egor Demin

Cleared for Sunday
Nicolas Claxton

Available Sunday
Kevin Durant

Will Miss the Next Two Games
Kristaps Porzingis

Taking the Night off on Sunday
Kawhi Leonard

Off the Injury Report, Cleared to Suit Up on Sunday
Sidney Crosby

Records 500th Multi-Point Game
Mackenzie Blackwood

Posts 35-Save Shutout
Aaron Ekblad

Battling an Illness
Jake McCabe

Suffers Upper-Body Injury
Brayden Point

Makes Early Exit Versus Capitals
Nikita Kucherov

Hurt on Saturday
Nic Dowd

Out Against Lightning
Jake Evans

Good to Go Saturday
Gavin Brindley

to Sit Out at Least Two Games
Thomas Chabot

Available Against Sharks
Roman Josi

Returns From 12-Game Absence
Jake Walman

Out Saturday
J.T. Miller

Won't Play Against Mammoth
Gabriel Vilardi

Has Two Goals in Losing Effort
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Continue Fall Run at RSM Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Looking to Bounce Back at RSM Classic
Tom Hoge

Looking to Regain Form at RSM Classic
Joe Highsmith

Searching for Turnaround at RSM Classic
Adam Hadwin

Looking to Build on T11 Finish in Bermuda
Austin Eckroat

Searching for Momentum at RSM Classic
Joel Dahmen

Trying to Find Form at the RSM Classic
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful to Play Against Western Kentucky
Michael Thorbjornsen

Hopes to End 2025 Campaign With Another Solid Finish
Andrew Novak

Looks to End 2025 Season on High Note at RSM Classic
Harry Higgs

Teetering for PGA Tour Card in 2026
PGA

Nico Echavarria has the Potential to Contend at the RSM Classic
Sam Stevens

Finishing Out Year in Georgia
Seamus Power

Playing Better at the Right Time
Beau Hossler

Roller Coaster Comes to Saint Simons Island
Quade Cummins

The Time is Now for Quade Cummins in Georgia
Austin Cook

Needs a Win at the RSM Classic
Cameron Champ

on the PGA Tour Card Bubble
Grayson Rodriguez

Shipped to Angels
Taylor Ward

Orioles Acquire Taylor Ward From Angels
Shota Imanaga

Accepts Cubs Qualifying Offer
Brandon Woodruff

Returning to Milwaukee in 2026
Denny McCarthy

Looking For Another Solid Finish at RSM Classic
Si Woo Kim

Looking To Use Current Momentum to Flip Script at RSM Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Good Bounce-Back Candidate at RSM Classic
Harris English

Making 14th Start at This Week's RSM Classic
Konnor Griffin

Could Compete for Starting Shortstop Job in 2026
Gleyber Torres

Accepts Tigers Qualifying Offer
CFB

Sam Leavitt Set to Enter Transfer Portal?

RANKINGS

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