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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Second-Year Breakouts - Fantasy Basketball Draft Values

Andrew Ericksen's second-year players due for fantasy basketball breakouts in 2019-20. These are draft values and sleepers to target after promising rookie years.

While sophomores like Trae Young and Luka Doncic have already boosted their draft value to about second-round status, most second-year players are still working on emerging as elite fantasy options, or even just roster-worthy fantasy options.

Year two is where a lot of NBA players make enormous leaps in their productivity after the first year jitters are out of the way.

Below is a list of players with a strong chance to well outperform their draft day value, so make sure to have them on your radar for your draft.

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!

 

Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C, Memphis Grizzlies

The old guard has officially left town and the new era in Memphis is upon us. Jaren Jackson Jr. only saw about 26 minutes per game last season, but that should change going into year two as he and JA Morant figure to be the new staples for the new-look Grizzlies.

Jackson showed a ton of promise in limited minutes last year, hinting that he could provide value in just about every statistic. His 1.4 blocks per game is the standout stat from his rookie year, but don’t sleep on his 0.9 threes, 0.9 steals and a very respectable 76.6% free throw percentage.

Jackson should easily top 30 minutes per game this year, which should allow him to flourish statistically. In a best-case scenario, he could end up averaging around 18 points, ten rebounds and two blocks per game while adding over a steal and over a three per game – plus solid percentages. If that best-case scenario pans out, we’ll be looking at Jackson as an early second-rounder or even late first-rounder come 2020 draft season.

 

Wendell Carter Jr., C, Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. had his rookie year cut short after undergoing surgery on his thumb, but he still gave Bulls fans a lot to like in his 44 games on the court. Carter played a shade over 25 minutes per game his rookie season and averaged 10.3 points, seven rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 48.5% from the field and 79.5% from the strike. Extend those numbers out to 30-35 minutes and you’ve got Carter averaging a double-double with over 1.5 blocks and those stellar percentages – a fantastic statline coming from the weakest position in fantasy, center.

Carter and Lauri Markkanen are the future of the Bulls’ frontcourt, and that marriage couldn’t be any better for Carter as Markkanen will make most of his living on the outside while Carter commands the center.

While Carter’s upside isn’t quite as high as Jackson since he hasn’t shown as much shooting range and just lacks the overall scoring ability and athletic ability of Jackson, but Carter still has a tantalizing amount of upside and should be a very reliable and steady contributor in his sophomore campaign.

 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder

Former Kentucky Wildcat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed some promising potential during his first year in the NBA with the Clippers last year. Now a member of the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander will have less competition for playing time and could be in line to flourish as a multi-stat producer.

SGA played about 26 minutes per game last year and didn’t really excel in any one category, but he contributed in a small dose almost everywhere. His 3.3 assists per game and 1.2 steals per game were his most valuable assets, but he also showed signs of contributing threes (0.6) and blocks (0.5) while shooting 47.6% from the field and 80% from the line.

Gilgeous-Alexander should slot in as the opening day starting shooting guard alongside Chris Paul for the Thunder. He should be able to easily see 30 minutes per game and that could allow him to be a significant asset in steals, around 1.5 per game, while adding about a block and a three per game as well as 13 points and five assists. Tack all that onto his efficient percentages and he’s an extremely valuable asset to have in your weekly lineup.

 

Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Charlotte Hornets

There’s a big scoring void that just opened up in Charlotte with the departure of Kemba Walker and the team’s new point guard Terry Rozier can only do so much. Miles Bridges might have a chance to be the second scoring option in a team greatly lacking in the department this year. When given 30+ minutes in games last year, Bridges showed he was able to score around 15 points per game. However, he averaged just 21 minutes per game on the year as the team was resilient to give him heavy minutes early in the year.

This year, Bridges should have more of a green light. Expect him to average around 15 points and seven rebounds per game while also providing a three, a steal and maybe even a block per game. Efficiency might be a concern because of the lackluster supporting cast around him and the fact that he’s never experienced high usage in the NBA before, but the counting stats should make you happy at the end of the day, especially with how low you’ll be drafting him.

 

Troy Brown Jr., SG/SF, Washington Wizards

There’s very little life still remaining in Washington, but that’s all going to greatly benefit Troy Brown Jr. this year. Brown only saw about 14 minutes per game last year and was rarely seeing double-digit minutes – if leaving the bench at all – during the first half of his rookie season. Still, he was able to show flashes of being able to produce in various stat categories during his limited run, especially in the second half of the year.

From March 18 until the end of the year last year, Brown was regularly seeing 25+ minutes per game and averaged around ten points, five rebounds and two assists while adding a steal per game and just under one three per game. The 6’7” Brown has excellent agility for his size and excellent vision. He sees the court like a point guard, the position he played for much of his high school and college career.

A recent calf strain will likely have Brown sidelined for the extent of the preseason, but it shouldn’t limit him much, if at all, after the first week or so of the regular season. Don’t let the injury affect your draft assessment of Brown as he could be a boost to your lineup over the long haul of the season. He’s a great target in the last round or second-to-last round of drafts in deep leagues. He could put up around 12 points per game this year while adding about seven rebounds and four assists with a steal and a three.

 

Landry Shamet, SG, Los Angeles Clippers

Landry Shamet carved a significant role for himself with the Clippers last year after coming over in a trade with the 76ers in February. Shamet averaged 10.9 points per game and 2.7 threes per game while shooting an astounding 45% from deep over 25 games with the Clippers.

Now, with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in town, the need for three-point shooting in L.A. is high and Shamet appears to be primed for a heavy dose of open looks. He might not help you out significantly in any categories other than threes, points and free throws, but he could be a week-winner in threes without hurting you in any category either – only 0.8 turnovers per game while playing over 27 minutes per game with the Clippers. He’s a fantastic late round pick as someone who could be amongst the top three-point producers in all of the league.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis


By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.



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

Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Jason Adam

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Quadriceps Tendon
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Scratched on Monday
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Edward Cabrera

Heading to Injured List With Elbow Sprain
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Harry Ford

Called Up for Major-League Debut
Victor Scott II

Activated From Injured List
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Dealing With Hamstring Tightness, Expects to Play Monday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Agrees to a One-Year Contract with Milwaukee
Kyrie Irving

"Healing Up Great"
Dante Exum

Mavs Agree on a One-Year Deal
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
De'Von Achane

Practicing Monday, on Track to Play in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Could Report to Browns This Week
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs, Trent McDuffie Not Expected to Finalize Extension
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Dameon Pierce

Ahead of Schedule, Ready for Season
Jordan Love

May Wear Thumb Brace During Season
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic to Miss the Rest of EuroBasket
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington
Dallas Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Prosper Waived by the Mavs
Lauri Markkanen

Dominant in Win Over Great Britain

RANKINGS

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