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

Fantasy Basketball Dynasty Risers - Week 3

Andrew Ericksen analyzes NBA risers for fantasy basketball dynasty leagues. Read his Week 3 fantasy rundown on dynasty forwards, guards and centers.

We’ve made it two weeks into the season – Woohoo!

Hopefully dynasty managers aren’t pulling the plug on the 2020-21 season and looking ahead to next year quite yet!

But for those who are – and for everyone else thinking both short-term and long-term – here are four guys who have increased their long-term valuation over the past week. Two of whom could prove to be significant difference-makers for fantasy leagues as soon as this year.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with 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!

 

Jerami Grant (F, DET)

Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant signed one of the most eyebrow-raising contracts of the offseason. He joined the Pistons on a three-year, $60 million deal. While Grant had surely proven to be a fantastic supporting player thus far in his career, the amount of the contract and the fit on the Pistons just didn’t seem right. The Pistons are very much in the midst of a rebuild and Grant, at 26 years old, is right in the thick of his prime and had served as a key cog for a title contender for over three years before making this year’s shift. He seemed destined to continue in a similar role for a title-hopeful team before the Pistons jumped in.

Grant’s main draw for both NBA purposes and fantasy purposes over the years has been his defensive contributions. So it’s no surprise to see him averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steals per game through seven games this year. What is surprising, however, is how well he’s adapted to the substantially increased role he’s had offensively.

Entering this year, Grant had never attempted more than 10.3 field goals per game. That career-high clip came in 2018-19 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, when he averaged a career-best 13.6 points per game. This year, through seven games, Grant is averaging 23.0 points per game on 18.6 field goal attempts per game. He’s been relatively efficient, shooting 44.6% from the field, and he’s knocking down 2.7 threes per game and hitting 86.7% of his free throw attempts – remarkable considering he’s a 67.3% career free-throw shooter.

Given his defensive expertise, if Grant can keep up anything close to the scoring numbers he’s at right now throughout the season, he’s going to be a top-25 player and he’ll likely go into next year as a potential third-round pick in redraft leagues. Whether or not he remains on the Pistons through the length of his contract as the team continues its rebuild, he’s begun to show through the early going this year that he has much more to offer offensively than we thought going into the year. Just ask Daniel Theis how Grant’s offensive game is looking:

 

Donte Divincenzo (G, MIL)

Following up on Grant, here’s the other player on this week’s list who could give a big boost to fantasy managers as soon as this year.

Last year, Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo cemented his place in the team’s rotation as a solid shooter and budding playmaker who could also contribute adequately on the defensive end. This year so far, he’s taken all the skillsets he flashed last year up a notch.

Through seven games this year, DiVincenzo is averaging 12.3 points, 2.9 threes and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 51.6% from the field and 55.6% from three. Last year, he averaged 9.2 points, 1.3 threes and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 33.6% from three. He’s only seen his playing time increase by about one minute per game from 23.0 in 2019-20 to 24.1 this year, so it’s not just a matter of increased playing time, it’s a strong step forward in his development.

The Bucks were averaging 40 three-point attempts per game through their first seven games, the fourth most three-point attempts per game in the league. This is a team that has shown it wants to shoot threes at an extremely high rate over the years. DiVincenzo has been the team’s most efficient three-point shooter by a wide margin this year and his 5.1 three-point attempts per game have been second on the team behind Khris Middleton (5.3), who is shooting 48.6% from three.

DiVincenzo is in a great spot to be a solid contributor for the Bucks for several years to come. He’s signed through 2022-23 and should just be entering his prime as he turns 24 years old at the end of the month. The Bucks just locked up their star Giannis Antetokounmpo for the next six seasons, so DiVincenzo should expect to see plenty of open looks from three in the years to come as opposing teams center in on Giannis.

 

Josh Jackson (G/F, DET)

Yes, that’s not a typo. Somehow we ended up with two Detroit Pistons on this week’s dynasty risers list. But don’t get too excited Pistons fans. Unfortunately, the inclusion of Grant and guard/forward Josh Jackson is really just an indication of the ample opportunities on the floundering Pistons, rather than a sign of the budding of a long-struggling franchise.

While Grant’s contract with the Pistons was a major headliner due to the size of it, Jackson’s was the complete opposite. The 2017 fourth overall pick signed a quiet, two-year, $10 million deal with the Pistons this offseason after spending one disappointing season with the Memphis Grizzlies.

So far this year, Jackson has proven that he still has remnants of the tantalizing skillset he offered coming out of Kansas back in 2017. That should seem like a foolish statement for any 23-year-old who hasn’t had any major injuries, but still, in today’s fantasy basketball landscape, we’re often quick to write off players who don’t excel right from the get-go. So the fact that Jackson still has a chance to “save” his NBA career is worth a reminder.

Here he is flashing his ball skills and his ability to finish at the rim:

Through six games this year, Jackson is averaging 15.5 points per game to go along with 1.5 threes, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. He had a four-game streak where he recorded both a steal and a block that was snapped this past Sunday, when he played limited minutes against the Boston Celtics after injuring his ankle. Jackson’s been efficient from the floor this year, shooting 49.3%, which is a big increase on his career field goal percentage of 42%.

Jackson has the chance to offer a lot of low-end versatility over the next few years, providing a combination of threes, steals and blocks. Offensive efficiency and playing time are the two biggest keys to Jackson sustaining fantasy value. If he can remain a prominent rotation player, whether it be on Detroit or elsewhere, and knockdown over 45% of his shots from the field, he’s going to be worth rostering in all standard fantasy leagues.

 

Jalen Brunson (PG, DAL)

Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson had gotten off to a somewhat slow and quiet start to the year, but that all went away quickly when he filled in as the team’s starting point guard with Luka Doncic out this past Sunday against the Chicago Bulls. Brunson went on to score 31 points on 11-of-17 shooting with three threes, seven assists, five rebounds, four turnovers and a steal. He also shot 6-for-6 from the line.

Through seven games, Brunson has registered a PER of 20.15, which is second on the team to only Doncic (24.23), excluding players averaging fewer than 10 minutes per game. But you don’t really need to dig as deep as PER to make an argument that Brunson has been the second-best player on the Mavericks so far this year, despite only seeing a shade under 20 minutes per game.

Only two Mavericks – apart from Doncic – have averaged more points per game this year than Brunson: Tim Hardaway Jr. (17.0) and Josh Richardson (13.7). Hardaway has done little more than score the rock, averaging just 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists over nearly 30 minutes per game and Josh Richardson has struggled with fouls (3.7 per game) and has shot just 42.5% from the field.

Brunson, meanwhile, has averaged 11.7 points per game while shooting 50% from the field. He’s also averaged 3.6 assists per game and 2.6 rebounds per game. His numbers per 36 minutes equate to 22.0 points, 6.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 threes and 1.1 steals per game. Plus, he’s shooting 88.9% from the field.

It’s going to be hard for Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle to keep Brunson off the court if he keeps playing this well and the rest of the Mavericks keep faltering. Plenty of teams across the league have found ways to utilize two point guards at once in the same way that the Mavericks could attempt with Doncic and Brunson. Either way, the 24-year-old, highly-competitive Brunson looks like he’s taking a step forward this year and is someone who needs to be rostered or at least monitored in most dynasty leagues. He could be a great source of points, assists and steals if the proper minutes come to him.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis



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!




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

Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 12, Earns 12th Win on Tuesday
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley
Christian Watson

Agrees to One-Year Contract Extension
Patrick Fishburn

a True Wild Card at Procore Championship
Josh Giddey

Re-Signs With Bulls for Four Years
Eric Cole

Attempts to Start Fresh in Napa Valley
Shakir Mukhamadullin

Joins Informal Skate
William Eklund

Skates With Sharks
Owen Power

Back at 100 Percent
Tyler Seguin

Cleared for Action
Mathew Barzal

Good to Go for Season Opener
Will Smith

Returns to Dodgers Lineup on Tuesday
Dustin Wolf

Signs Seven-Year Extension
Kyle Stowers

Dealing With Strained Side
Kyle Tucker

Placed on Injured List With Calf Strain
Jauan Jennings

Considered Day-to-Day, has a Chance to Play in Week 2
Russell Henley

to Get Final Ryder Cup Prep in at Procore Championship
Sam Burns

Hoping to Keep Quality Form Going This Week in Napa Ahead of Ryder Cup
Jalen Carter

Receives One-Game Suspension, Will be Eligible for Week 2
Maverick McNealy

Will Show U.S. Team What They're Missing This Week at Procore
Scottie Scheffler

Making Unusual Start at Procore Championship for Ryder Cup Prep
Bo Bichette

Goes on Injured List With Knee Sprain
George Kittle

Placed on Injured Reserve
Max Homa

A Good Week at a Favored Silverado Resort is Desperately Needed for Max Homa
Tyreek Hill

Accused of Domestic Violence
Davis Riley

Has a Ton of Question Marks Ahead of Procore Championship
Jauan Jennings

Avoids Serious Shoulder Injury
Garrett Crochet

Shuts Out the Athletics
Royce Lewis

Launches Two Homers Monday Night
NBA

Mason Jones Takes His Talents to Australia
NBA

Talen Horton-Tucker Joins Reigning EuroLeague Champions
New York Knicks

Malcolm Brogdon on Knicks' Radar
Andrew Wiggins

Attracting Interest From Lakers
Miami Heat

Heat Interested in Reunion With Precious Achiuwa
Tyler Glasnow

Fans 11 in Seven No-Hit Innings Monday
Slade Cecconi

Takes No-Hitter Into Eighth Inning Monday
Max Muncy

Batting Cleanup in Return to Dodgers
New York Knicks

Ben Simmons Reportedly Declined Knicks' Contract Offer
Younghoe Koo

Falcons Auditioning Kickers, Could Replace Younghoe Koo
Denver Broncos

Sean Payton Says Broncos Need to be Better With Run-Pass Balance
Tank Bigsby

Eagles Acquiring Tank Bigsby From Jaguars on Monday
George Kittle

Likely Out 3-5 Weeks, Could Land on Injured Reserve
Chase Burns

to be Activated on Friday
Brock Purdy

Dealing With Multiple Injuries, Could Miss Week 2
Tyler Glasnow

Cleared to Start on Monday
Logan O'Hoppe

Placed on Concussion Injured List
Christian Yelich

Returning on Monday
Elias Pettersson

Feeling "Good" Ahead of Season
NHL

Alex Formenton Rejoins Swiss Team
NHL

Grigori Denisenko Heads Back Home
CAR

Kevin Labanc Joins Hurricanes for Tryout
Ross Colton

Healthy for Start of Season
Daniel Palencia

Cubs Place Daniel Palencia on Injured List With Shoulder Strain
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Returning on Monday
Sean Murphy

Done for the Year With Hip Labral Tear
Alec Bohm

Lands on Injured List With Cyst in his Shoulder
Trea Turner

Going on Injured List, Phillies Hope to Have him Back for Playoffs
Brock Bowers

Considered Day-to-Day With Knee Injury
Jonathan Taylor

is "Good" After Taking a Hit to his Neck in Week 1
Caio Borralho

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Kyle Stowers

Suffers Setback on Rehab Assignment?
Nassourdine Imavov

Extends Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy

Gets Submitted
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Taps Out Mauricio Ruffy
Michael King

Expected to Return on Tuesday
Russell Wilson

Remains the Giants Starter
Paul Craig

Retires After UFC Paris Loss
Denny Hamlin

Earns his First Cup Victory at Gateway
Kyle Larson

Damage Ruins Kyle Larson's Chance At a Top Finish at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Scores his Third Top-10 Finish at Gateway
Joey Logano

Maintains his Perfect Top-Five Streak at Gateway
Ryan Blaney

Struggles and Recovers for a Top-Five Finish at Gateway
Modestas Bukauskas

Scores First-Round Knockout
Bolaji Oki

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Xavier Worthy

Week-to-Week with Dislocated Shoulder
Mason Jones

Scores Comeback Win
Rhys McKee

Suffers Third-Round TKO Loss
Axel Sola

Successful In His UFC Debut
Robert Ruchała

Robert Ruchala Unsuccessful In His UFC Debut
William Gomis

Bounces Back In The Win Column
Derrick Henry

Scores Twice but has Costly Fumble on Sunday
Lamar Jackson

Shines With Three Total Touchdowns in Loss to Bills
Keon Coleman

Leads the Team With 11 Targets on Sunday
Josh Allen

Totals Four Touchdowns in Win Over Ravens
Chase Elliott

Gets Lucky but Still Has Best Run at Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Wins Stage 2, but Was Let Down by Strategy
Tyler Reddick

Despite Bad Luck, Tyler Reddick Does What he Needed to Do
Chase Briscoe

Recovers from Incident with Daniel Suarez to Finish Second
William Byron

Late Caution Foils William Byron's Shot at Gateway Victory
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Dominates Targets in Seattle, Records 124 Receiving Yards in Week 1
Puka Nacua

Leads Rams in Targets, Catches, and Receiving Yards in Week 1
Jayson Tatum

"Moving Around Way Better"
Ryan Blaney

Should Contend at Gateway
Denny Hamlin

Fastest in Qualifying, the Favorite to Win at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Looking for Redemption at Gateway
Joey Logano

Has Been Elite at Gateway
Austin Cindric

Should Be On Your Radar at Gateway
AJ Allmendinger

Could Be a Sleeper Again at Gateway
Tyler Reddick

Southern 500 Near-Miss Makes Tyler Reddick a Stronger Option for Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace a Likely Gateway Contender
Alex Bowman

a Long Shot to Advance in Playoffs
Austin Dillon

Richard Childress Racing Looks Slower at Gateway, Which Will Hurt Austin Dillon
Shane Van Gisbergen

Starts 18th in Gateway Debut
Jeremy Swayman

Ready to Get Back on Track
Connor McDavid

Aiming for More Goals
NJ

Luke Glendening Signs Tryout Deal With Devils
Dylan Harper

Hoping to be Ready for the Opener Versus Dallas
EDM

Derek Ryan Retires From Hockey
Connor Zary

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Flames
Carey Price

Canadiens Trade Carey Price to Sharks
Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury

RANKINGS

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