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 Risers and Fallers after Summer League

The 2018 Summer League has come and gone. With every game being available to stream this year, exposure to Summer League was at all-time high. You couldn't get on Twitter without seeing a ton of highlights and analysis. That's great -- more people talking about basketball is a great thing, even if that basketball isn't really the best product. (It was also great to have all the highlights because I didn't watch the Summer League games that conflicted with watching competitive WNBA games, so being able to check out what I missed was extremely helpful.)

So, which players saw their fantasy value rise in Las Vegas (and in Sacramento and Salt Lake City)? Who drops down the rankings? Below are some risers and fallers after the 2018 Summer League.

(A quick stat explainer: There aren't a ton of advanced stats used in Summer League, but one that we have access to thanks to NBA analytics genius Jacob Goldstein and that will be used in this article is Box Plus/Minus (BPM), which is a box score-based statistic that works to put a player's offensive and defensive impact into a single number.)

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!

 

Post-Summer League Risers

Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF/C, Memphis Grizzlies)

Oh. My. JJJ was the talk of NBA Twitter during Summer League as each game he seemed to focus on doing very, very well at a particular aspect of his game. Whether it be his seven blocks against the Jazz in Vegas or his eight three pointers against the Hawks during the Utah Summer League, Jackson Jr. seemed to be everywhere at once. He finishes Summer League as the leading blocker (2.3 per game) of the Utah portion and the number two blocker (3.8 per game) in Vegas. His 3.11 defensive-BPM is one of the best of Summer League and the 19 year old should make an immediate impact at the four for the Grizzlies.

Wendell Carter Jr. (C, Chicago Bulls)

I loved watching Wendell Carter Jr. during Summer League. 14.6 points per game on 55 percent shooting, 9.4 rebounds per game, and 2.6 blocks per game. In addition to the counting stats (which are good, but also it's Summer League, so...), his ability to spread the floor offensively and play inside and outside defensively are big pluses for the team. Imagine having a guy who can do this on offense:

and also get offensive boards and put backs on offense:

and can also block a ton of shots like this:

Carter also had the highest BPM of any rookie in Summer League and the third highest overall. His 7.99 mark featured offensive and defensive-BPM's above 3.5. Carter passes the eye test and the analytics test.

De'Anthony Melton (G, Houston Rockets)

It wasn't the best offseason for the Rockets, who lost Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute and added James Ennis in free agency. Ennis is good and they'll probably end up with whatever's left of Carmelo Anthony, but Houston's best addition this summer might be Melton. The former USC Trojan had a year off from basketball after being caught up in a corruption scandal. That was partially to blame for his fall on draft night, as the player who many had pegged as a first round pick fell to Houston at pick number 46.

Melton's abilities on the defensive end don't need much introduction, as most of the pre-draft talk centered around that aspect of his game. He'll be able to play in Houston's switch heavy scheme and defend both guard spots and on the wing. Great, but this is a fantasy basketball website and being able to switch defensively doesn't really win you fantasy championships. Where Melton was impressive to me during Summer League was in his ability to score. Over five games, Melton averaged 16.4 points per game. The field goal percentage (38 percent) wasn't great, but he showed some development from three point range that will be huge in determining how much he sees the floor this year. Melton was a 28 percent shooter from three in college. That improved to a not-great 31.5 percent in Summer League, but Space City Scoop's Michael Knight pointed out that if Melton's 0-for-6 first game is removed, that number improves to 37.5 percent. There's obviously some small sample sizing there, but Melton's improvement as the Summer League progressed is a good sign for his usefulness as a rookie and an even better sign for his long term value in dynasty leagues.

Harry Giles (PF/C, Sacramento Kings)

Giles missed his entire rookie season and a lot of people seem to have forgotten that the former Duke Blue Devil existed. While the advanced stats weren't kind to him on the offensive end, watching him play and looking back over the Kings depth chart left me feeling good about his chances of making plays this year. He made plays at the basket, displayed some good passing ability, and even showed that he can step out and hit mid-range shots. He can rebound, can force turnovers, and should be able to block at least a shot per game this season if he gets enough playing time. I'm thinking about last year, when Willie Cauley-Stein was being drafted around the 100th spot in fantasy drafts. That didn't work out as well as it could have for fantasy players, but Giles should be available even later than Cauley-Stein was come draft time. He presents a ton of upside without too much risk.

Mitchell Robinson (C, New York Knicks) and Kevin Knox (F, New York Knicks)

Going two-for-one here with Knicks rookies. Robinson and Knox are both raw players, but their Summer League showings suggest a bright future in New York. Robinson led the league with four blocks per game and was eighth in Vegas in rebounds per game with 10.2. Factor in his 13 points per game and 67 percent shooting and you have a player who showed a ton of promise. Can he do the same thing against actual NBA bigs? Expect the Knicks to bring him along slowly, but Summer League has me pumped about his upside. Not sure what to think of him in re-draft leagues, but loving him in dynasty.

Meanwhile, Knox shot well from deep and averaged 21.3 points per game. There were some WOW moments from the first round pick, he rebounds well, and he should have more of an impact this season than Robinson. With the Knicks starting unit looking, uhh, not...great with Kristaps Porzingis (knee) out until February, Knox could play a big role sooner rather than later. He could be a steal in re-draft leagues and is rising up the rookie rankings in dynasty.

John Collins (PF/C, Atlanta Hawks)

Reading too much into a good Summer League performance by a non-rookie can be really easy to do and is often short-sighted, ignoring the important fact that a second-year player who has already spent time in the NBA should be very good against the kinds of players guarding them in Vegas. But John Collins needs a shout here. Oh my, does John Collins need a shout here.

Collins played in just two Vegas Summer League games, but he led the whole thing in scoring at 24.0 points per game, and he added in 8.5 rebounds per game as well. Collins was making threes as well, an important step in his game that would allow Atlanta's offense to operate more effectively next season. The advanced data, which includes his two games during the Utah portion of Summer League where he wasn't taking over the scoring load as much, isn't great (he actually sports a negative BPM), but I'm willing to go with the eye test a little here because John Collins, who played 38 percent of his minutes at the five last season, might be able to do this more this season after taking just 47 threes during his rookie season:


Yes, yes. I think John Collins is going to be a very valuable fantasy contributor this season.

 

Post-Summer League Fallers

It's Summer League, so I'm not going to put any rookies in these spots, but there are some non-rookies whose performances have me worried about their NBA future. (Also, keeping these pretty short because it's a little too early to be overly negative.)

Dragan Bender (PF/C, Phoenix Suns)

A defensive-BPM of 1.49 is pretty good! The fact that his total BPM was a -2.06 because of a -3.55 offensive-BPM is telling of just how bad Bender's offense was in Vegas. 6.6 points per game on 13-for-35 shooting over five games. What's Bender's role going to be this season for Phoenix? He has the feel of a guy that you maybe grab off the waiver wire if the rest of the Suns front court goes down with injuries.

Josh Jackson (F, Phoenix Suns)

I'm not, like, intentionally trying to dunk on the Suns, but Jackson shot 24 percent from the field and his BPM of -4.02 was among the worst of players who've spent time in the NBA.

TJ Leaf (PF, Indiana Pacers)

The idea of TJ Leaf is appealing -- a player who can stretch the floor at the power forward position with strong three point shooting. The reality of TJ Leaf so far, though, has been that he's a guy who can shoot the ball very well but isn't able to do much else in the NBA. His advanced defensive stats as a rookie looked bad and his advanced defensive stats in Summer League didn't look any better. That great shooting doesn't matter if he's unable to stay on the court.




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

Max Muncy

Exits With Apparent Knee Injury
Christian Moore

Exits Early with Thumb Irritation
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Josh Naylor

Returning to Diamondbacks Lineup
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Oronde Gadsden

an Active Pass-Catcher This Offseason
Brashard Smith

Speed Could be Put to Use
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Pat Bryant

Off to a Good Start
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs With Islanders for Two Years
Cody Barton

Quickly Becoming a Leader With his New Team
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal With Mammoth
Montaric Brown

has Worked With Starters
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Ryan McLeod

Inks Four-Year Extension with Sabres
NAS

Predators Bring in Nick Perbix on Two-Year Deal
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
LA

Cody Ceci Moves to Los Angeles
DET

James van Riemsdyk Joins Red Wings on One-Year Contract
Viktor Arvidsson

Traded to Boston
Charlotte Hornets

Spencer Dinwiddie Lands With Charlotte
Josh Jung

Sent to Triple-A
Jurickson Profar

Officially Reinstated and Hitting in Five-Hole on Wednesday
Spencer Schwellenbach

Going on Injured List With Fractured Elbow
Maxwell Hairston

Facing Sexual-Assault Lawsuit
Tai Felton

Rookie Season Likely to be Spent on Special Teams
LeQuint Allen Jr.

to Have Receiving Role for Jaguars?
Justin Walley

Turning Heads Going into Rookie Season
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
Jamari Thrash

Establishing Himself as Reliable Option
Grayson Murphy

Could Provide Rotational Pass-Rush Depth
Joe Andreessen

in a Good Position to Compete for Backup Job
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Bhayshul Tuten

Needs to Improve Pass Protection
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Brandon Woodruff

Likely to Pitch on Sunday in Miami
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
PHI

Dan Vladar Links Up With Flyers on Two-Year Deal
EDM

Andrew Mangiapane Signs Two-Year Pact With Oilers
SEA

Ryan Lindgren Joins Kraken on Four-Year Contract
PHI

Christian Dvorak Heads to Philadelphia
Logan Stankoven

Signs Long-Term Extension with Hurricanes
NYI

Jonathan Drouin Joins Islanders on Two-Year Contract
NJ

Devils Hand Connor Brown a Four-Year Contract
SJ

John Klingberg Lands in San Jose
William Eklund

Signs Three-Year Extension with Sharks
Will Cuylle

Agrees to Two-Year Contract with Rangers
Zac Gallen

Fans 10 in Tuesday's Win
Hunter Goodman

Hits Two More Homers Tuesday
Josh Hader

Stays Perfect In Save Conversion On Tuesday
Milwaukee Bucks

Taurean Prince Staying in Milwaukee
Shane Baz

Fans 11 Against Athletics
Grant Holmes

Strikes Out 10 in Scoreless Outing
Jeff Green

Signs One-Year Deal to Remain in Houston
T.J. Watt

Trying to Become Highest-Paid Non-QB?
Willson Contreras

Doubtful for Wednesday
George Springer

Clubs Two Homers in Seven-RBI Day
Joshua Palmer

Could be a Sleeper
Los Angeles Lakers

Jake LaRavia Lands with Lakers
Laviska Shenault Jr.

on the Bubble
Orlando Magic

Tyus Jones Signs One-Year Deal With Magic
Raheem Blackshear

to Work Mostly As Special-Teamer
Golden State Warriors

Kevon Looney Heads to New Orleans
Rico Dowdle

Trevor Etienne to Split Carries?
Chuba Hubbard

Should See Majority of Touches in 2025
Milwaukee Bucks

Jericho Sims Staying in Milwaukee
Denver Nuggets

Tim Hardaway Jr. Joins Nuggets
Willson Contreras

Avoids Structural Damage on Hand After HBP
Detroit Pistons

Duncan Robinson Lands With Detroit
Charlotte Hornets

Tre Mann Remaining in Charlotte
Josh Naylor

Scratched From Tuesday's Lineup Against Giants
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
San Francisco Giants

Giants Exercise Bob Melvin's 2026 Option
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Josh Naylor

Back in Action on Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Suffers Setback
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Nolan Arenado

Dealing with Finger Sprain
Jacob Wilson

Scratched With Hamstring Soreness
Milwaukee Bucks

Gary Harris Inks Deal With Bucks
Charlotte Hornets

Mason Plumlee Heading Back to Charlotte
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Jakob Poeltl

Agrees to a Contract Extension With Raptors
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Vasilije Micić

Vasilije Micic Dealt to Bucks on Tuesday
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Pat Connaughton

Traded to Hornets
Atlanta Hawks

Luke Kennard Lands in Atlanta
Breece Hall

Aiming to Prove He is "Still One of the Best in the League"
T.J. Watt

Steelers Not Planning to Trade T.J. Watt
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF