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

Fantasy Basketball Breakouts, Busts, And Locks - Philadelphia 76ers 2022 Outlook

Welcome to a new series that we are debuting here at RotoBaller in order to start getting you ready for the 2022-2023 fantasy basketball season!

If you play fantasy football, you'll probably recognize the format here as we had a series of preseason NFL articles that followed the same outline. The idea here is to hone in several players from each team that we see as values for the upcoming season or that are possibly being drafted too high this preseason.

In this piece, you'll find a fantasy basketball breakout candidate, a fantasy basketball bust candidate, and a fantasy basketball lock (think steady production and being drafted correctly) for the Philadelphia 76ers based on early ADP for fantasy basketball drafts for the 2022-2023 season. For full transparency; I am a Sixers fan, but you have my word that this is all objective. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@Maxadelphia) for more fantasy basketball insight (amongst other things).

Editor's Note: Explore RotoBaller’s Dynasty Fantasy Football hub for year-round dynasty rankings, trade tips, rookie analysis, and long-term player outlooks. Dominate your league with our sleepers, stash targets, and dynasty draft advice. Click here for Dynasty rankings and strategy.

 

Fantasy Basketball Breakout: Tyrese Maxey

Maxey has shown to be one of the most exciting young players in the NBA after taking huge strides last season. A perfect compliment to James Harden (more on him soon), Maxey is one of the quickest players in the NBA and has developed his 3-point shot MASSIVELY from year 1 to year 2 (30.1% in 2021  to 42.7% in 2022) making him a multilevel offensive threat. He's currently going in the 6th round on average, but I think he provides major upside that puts him firmly in the top 50.

I do believe you should plan for a minor regression because shooting 42.7% from 3 is really hard, especially when you're not a spot-up shooter whose only offensive responsibility is to space the floor. However, Maxey has earned himself a reputation as a gym rat, so much so that he needs to be physically removed from the gym by team staff members, so maybe regression is less likely than we would think.

Maxey finished the season averaging 35 minutes per game, averaging 17.5 PPG on 48.5% from the field, the aforementioned 42.7% from 3 on 4.1 attempts per game, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, and he shot 86.8% from the FT line to round out his offensive outlook. Encouragingly, his productivity increased when the Sixers made the move for Harden. Maxey is a willing defender, but he isn't much of an impact player stats-wise defensively. Maxey should also likely provide huge spike games when one (or both) of Embiid/Harden misses time. I think Maxey is one of the most balanced fantasy options at guard should you miss out on one of the elite PGs early on.

 

Fantasy Basketball Bust: James Harden

So let's establish something right off the bat; James Harden is an exceptional player. He's going to contribute in big ways to this Sixers team that has legitimate title aspirations. *Stephen A. Smith voice* HOWEVER! He is, by definition, a second option to Joel Embiid (more on him shortly), and at his current top 10 - top 15 ADP, I'm not sure I want to be the guy taking Harden.

Harden saw nearly all of his offensive categories take some sort of minor hit, and his overall fantasy points-per-game average dropped a full 2 points after being traded to the Sixers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and some picks. These things are to be expected when your usage drops from 28.4% with the Nets to 24.7% for the Sixers. Combine that with the fact the Sixers are a deeper team than they were last year, and the Sixers will undoubtedly try and keep Harden as fresh as possible for the playoffs, and it feels like the stars are aligning for Harden to leave anyone taking him in the top 15 wanting just a little bit more.

I want to be clear in saying that I do still believe in Harden as a player, AND as a fantasy asset, it's just that your first two picks are especially crucial to your team's success. I think there are better options for the 10-15 range, but if Harden is still there towards the back-end of the second, or even the early 3rd somehow, he's absolutely worth it. Harden did say that "if my conditioning can be level with my skill set, my IQ, and the work I put in, it's MVP", on media day, and it certainly looks like he's in better shape than this time last year.

I think the Sixers players all have pretty fair ADPs, but I have to pick a bust, and I think the reduction in usage, and subsequently, production, raises enough red flags to qualify Harden.

 

Fantasy Basketball Lock: Joel Embiid

I know it's brave of me to take a consensus top 5 player as a fantasy lock, but someone's got to do it. Embiid has repeated as MVP runner-up to Nikola Jokic, each of the past two seasons, but this year could be very different.

Embiid and Giannis Antetokoumpo are the only two players in the league who are the focal point of both offense and defense for their respective teams, and anyone who watched the Sixers in the last few years has seen Embiid gassed at the end of games, and at the end of the season itself.  The Sixers made major off-season moves, acquiring De'Anthony Melton and PJ Tucker, to sure up the perimeter defense, which was a major issue for the Sixers last year. Allowing Embiid to focus more on protecting the paint should not only yield higher block numbers but should also increase offensive efficiency as well since he should be able to conserve more energy on defense.

If you follow basketball enough to play fantasy basketball and read fantasy basketball preview articles, then you don't need me to tell you Joel Embiid is one of the best players in the NBA currently. He finally has legit help in both his starting and bench units, and in the 35-40 games where he played with a real PG (Harden), he looked unstoppable in the pick-and-roll. So I'll leave you with this - Joel Embiid will win the NBA MVP this year, do you want to miss out?

 

Conclusion

The Sixers should be viewed as one of the favorites to come out of the East this year, along with Milwaukee and Miami. Embiid/Harden/Maxey has major potential as a Big 3, and if you add Tobias Harris in the mix, the Sixers may have the best top-4 in the NBA.

As for fantasy purposes, there aren't many secrets about this roster. It's easy to clearly envision every player on the team's role (except who will round out the starting unit), and no one really sticks out as a major value based on their current ADP. On paper, the Sixers look to have a healthy rotation of players, which dampers nearly everyone's projections for the year.

 

Thanks for reading and good luck in your leagues this year!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Kyren Williams

Rams Not Willing to Pay Kyren Williams Top-Market Money?
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Christian Kirk

the No. 2 WR in Houston?
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Jerome Ford

the Likely Starter for Cleveland to Begin 2025
Chig Okonkwo

"Poised" for Best Season of Career
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Jacob Wilson

Exits Early On Tuesday With Left Hand Contusion
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
Luis Garcia

Fans Four in Rehab Outing
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF