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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2014-15 Fantasy Basketball Preview: Sleeper Guards

Preparing for you NBA Fantasy Draft? Searching for some late-round value at the guard position? Look no further, as RotoBaller Brad Leibfried has highlighted his Top-5 Sleepers at the position.

With the 2014-2015 NBA season coming up, we take a look at a few late-round guards who could help your team go straight to the top of the standings.

 

Do Not Forget The Following Guards During Draft Day

Jimmy Butler

Last season, Butler got on the fantasy radar due to his all-around game. That should only continue this year, as he is the only shooting guard on Chicago's roster that is likely to see big minutes. Most assume that his production will diminish Derrick Rose's return and the presence of newly-acquired Pau Gasol, and although these guys may negatively impact Butler's scoring, they should boost all of his other stats. Last year, the 6’7” guard posted a stat line of 13.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. That said, the most important stat may be 38.7, which is the minutes Butler played per game last season.

Coach Tom Thibodeau is widely known for having a short rotation that benefits players like Butler. With more weapons on the floor, Butler should see more open shots, and consequently a spike is his shooting percentages (39.7% overall and 28.3% from deep). If he can bump those to 45% and 37% his scoring numbers could stay the same while managing elite numbers in both steals and blocks from the guard position.

 

Patrick Beverley

Beverley KanterAll signs in Houston are pointing in the right direction for Beverley. The team traded away his main competition for playing time in Jeremy Lin; they finished second in the league in scoring last year at 107.7 points per game, and they lost playmaker Chandler Parsons. All of those add up to a huge boost in minutes and usage this year for the scrappy point guard. Last year, in 31 minutes a game, Beverley put up 10 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.6 threes per game. Though not the best shooter at just 41% from the floor and 36% from deep, he does boast a solid 81% rate from the free-throw line.

With no competition on the roster for playing time, Beverly should certainly see an increase in minutes per game over last year, which should mean a boost in all stat categories. A season of 15 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2 three pointers a game is not out of the question.

 

Darren Collison

Collison capitalized on his productive season as the Clippers backup point guard by landing a big deal to run the show in Sacramento. He will take over for Isaiah Thomas in running a Kings team that averaged an impressive 100.5 points per game in 2013-14. Collison is not as explosive as Thomas, but he is a better overall shooter, which should serve to boost his value. A year ago, in limited time, Collison averaged 11.4 points, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting a ridiculous 85.7% from the free throw line. He was also capable of the big game, as he put up 19-game streak of double-figure scoring last season.

In five seasons, Collison has never failed to top 10.0 points, 3.7 assists and 0.8 steals while also playing in at least 76 games. That combination results in one of the highest floors for a late-round flyer.

 

Jose Calderon

Another new face in a new place, Calderon joins the Knicks this season after a trade from Dallas. The veteran will look to stabilize a position that was a mess between Ray Felton and Pablo Prigioni last year. Calderon is always a contender to lead the league in assists, as the Spanish wizard has averaged over 6.6 dimes per game six different times. He is also an elite shooter from deep, averaging 1.1 three-pointers per game on 41.1% shooting from downtown during his 10-year career.

Expect rookie head coach Derek Fisher, himself a point guard, to lean on the veteran to get the team into their new triangle offense. Surrounded by Carmelo Anthony, as well as shooters like Andrea Bargnani and J.R. Smith, Calderon should be a solid playmaker who remains available fairly late in your drafts.

 

Tony Wroten

With the potential to be a top-20 guard if he is given the opportunity, Wroten is the biggest boom-or-bust candidate on this list . The Sixers do have Michael Carter-Williams to run their team, but the rest of the cupboard is bare, which means Wroten could see a bump in minutes. His 2013-14 averages do not look overly impressive at 13.0 points, 3.0 assists and 3.2 rebounds per night, but his game log shows some huge nights. In 11 February games last year, he finished with over 12 points on nine separate times while averaging 3.5 rebounds a game in those outings. He also had one triple-double and was close on a few other occasions, which shows his immense fantasy potential.

One downside to Wroten is that he turns the ball over at an alarming rate while also shooting under 22% from deep. There will certainly be games in which he does not see the floor much, but in a daily roster league, Wroten is certainly worth a late-round flyer.

 

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF