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It is less than two weeks until the NBA season tips off in Chicago on October 27. Leading up to then, thousands of hardcore fans will be drafting their yearly fantasy basketball teams and doing the research to help them crush daily fantasy leagues in 2015. Rotoballer is excited too, as we continue our preseason fantasy basketball coverage for the 2015-16 NBA season.
Between now and the start of the NBA season, we will be ranking players, searching for sleepers, fading busts, and diving into draft day strategy, with new content online every day.
Players who are returning from injury, joining new teams, or entering new roles within their current team often have the best potential to be overlooked in fantasy basketball leagues. Check out these sleeper options who have a good chance of seeing their value increase from last season.
Fantasy Basketball Sleepers: Four Players in New Roles in 2015-16
Patrick Patterson (PF, TOR)
With the departure of starting PF Amir Johnson, it appears that Patrick Patterson will fill the hole at the 4-slot for the Raptors, at least initially. Patterson has only averaged 8.3 points and 4.8 rebounds over his career, but the 26 year old's ability to knock down the three at a respectable clip makes him valuable in today's league.
Patterson's positional versatility, combined with a potentially significant bump in minutes, should earn him a closer look in 9-cat leagues. With his added minutes, it wouldn't be a surprise if he was able to average 1 block, 1 steal, and 1 three over the course of the season. Although unlikely, back-ups Luis Scola, James Johnson, and Bismack Biyombo could manage to steal some playing time from Patterson, so keep an eye on Toronto's rotations.
Julius Randle (PF, LAL)
After sitting out his rookie season after a heartbreaking injury in his first game as an NBA pro, many have discounted the Kentucky star's ability to carve out a role in the NBA. The 6' 9” power forward has been branded as a “tweener” who excelled bullying smaller college players with his strength - a skill that might be difficult for Randle to carry over to the NBA, especially with his smaller wing-span. The de facto rookie has looked determined to prove his doubters wrong this preseason, as he has “bullied” his way 12.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in just 24.5 minutes.
The Lakers will likely give Randle as much playing time as he can handle this season with Brandon Bass backing him up at the PF position. Randle's skillset allows him to use his physicality against smaller players and his quickness against big-men. Similar to one of last season's break-out players, Nerlens Noel, Randle has spent an entire season with an NBA team, which should have him accustomed to the grueling schedule – not to mention the benefits of training with the staff of a professional basketball team. Expect him to contribute at an NBA level this season.
Roy Hibbert (C, LAL)
It seems like forever since the former All-Star has been an exciting fantasy player to own – but this preseason Hibbert has looked rejuvenated. He has been rebounding the ball at a tremendous rate for the Lakers – averaging 10.4 rebounds in just 25.3 minutes. Minutes should not be an issue as Hibbert, as the back-up trio of Robert Sacre, Tarik Black, and Robert Upshaw don't appear to be serious threats to Hibbert's role in the rotation.
While Hibbert's FG% may not be terrific for someone that's over 7 feet tall, his ability to block shots and pull down boards makes him an intriguing prospect for this upcoming season. He doesn't have the same issues at the charity stripe that plague many of the league's other leading shot-blockers, which should make him a great late-round pick up. Don't hesitate to draft him outside of the top 100.
Marco Belinelli (SG/SF, SAC)
The Kings are a somewhat of a mystery for fantasy basketball managers. They've undergone a change of ownership and several front-office staffing and coaching changes over the past couple of years. The organization has essentially been in turmoil over the past few seasons, but in the NBA's land of misfits, this could be the season it all comes together.
Sacramento free agent acquisition Marco Belinelli will be an interesting add for fantasy owners this season. So far this preseason, Belinelli is averaging 18.2 points, 2.2 threes, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steals in 28.0 minutes per game. While he likely won't keep this up throughout the regular season, George Karl's high-tempo offense should make him fantasy relevant for owners looking to add threes, steals, and points to their lineups.
