How Sustainable Is This Version Of Bradley Beal?

This biggest trend in the NBA recently has been Bradley Beal and his emergence as a clear-cut All-Star, doing everything he can to get his team in the playoffs. In the fantasy realm, Beal has nearly doubled his value and it's increasing every game. The offensive burden will always be on his shoulders and he seems to indulge in this type of usage. For the time-being and immediate-future, there are few players that will be posting the same amount of raw production that Beal is. He will contribute in every category and he is going to continue to produce stats on the defensive end as he becomes more comfortable with this John Wall-less team. If you own Beal, you should be thinking one of two things. It's "Wow, Bradley Beal is the new cornerstone for my team," or, "Wow, If I traded Bradley Beal, I could get a Jrue Holiday and Klay Thompson." That's a tad dramatic, but you get the idea. Sell high.

Another note that has to be made with this team is the use of Thomas Bryant. On the court, he barely passes the eye-test. He looks almost out of place and overwhelmed, but his size gives him such an advantage over other players that it's nearly impossible for him NOT to produce. His ownership in most leagues is right above 50%, so while you might be hesitant to actually roster Bryant, make sure that you aren't leaving production on the wire because you worry about Bryant's season-long sustainability. The availability of bigs on the waiver wire is not wide enough to be picky and fade someone who has been posting the numbers Bryant has.

Make sure to stay updated on injuries and return times, but as far as I'm concerned, these next three players will see the biggest benefit. As a reminder, for standard (10-12 team) league adds, we use a general rule of thumb of an ownership rate of under 50% on Yahoo. All position eligibility based on Yahoo leagues.

Standard League Adds for Week 14

Kevin Huerter, G  – Atlanta Hawks

Ownership: 31%

9.0 PPG / 2.5 APG / .419 FG% / 1.7 3PG

There are have been no rookies making as big of a splash as Luka Doncic this season, but the Atlanta Hawks managed to find two gems of their own. Both Trae Young and Kevin Huerter have both made massive improvements over the first half of the season and while Young has been relevant all season, Huerter is just at the start of what could be a very solid rookie campaign.

Already, he is nearly scoring double-digit points and filling the stat sheet in any way he can, making the right plays and probably the basis for why Kent Bazemore is up for being traded. Both De'Andre Bembry and Huerter have plays excellent this season and most importantly, their recent production has made them more than relevant in 10-12 team leagues.

Kevon Looney, F – Golden State Warriors

Ownership 8%

6.6 PPG / 5.9 RPG / 1.9 APG / .8 BPG / .626 FG%

Kevon Looney has established himself as the primary rebounder for the Warriors, and luckily he finds a way to turn that into useable value in most leagues. The Warriors have been up and down as far as wanting them to play at their best, giving Looney more than enough chances every game to get his share of production. Even with the Warriors at their very best, Looney still battles in the paint and is creating as many chances as he can with his minutes.

He could do more on the defensive end and while he does manage to get a few blocks every not and again, his value comes directly from rebounding and points. He will fill the stat sheet and he does a little bit of everything which just gives his value a boost, but the more minutes he plays the higher his upside will be. Looney is strictly a streaming play, but he does offer plenty of production for anyone needing rebounds and points.

Ivica Zubac, PF/C – Los Angeles Lakers

Ownership 13%

7.2 PPG / 4.4 RPG / .605 FG% / .8 BPG

After scoring 26 points against the Thunder last night, Ivica Zubac is officially on a very productive incline that most player will want to take advantage of. Even if it just lasts throughout the week, I have plenty of confidence that Zubac continues a hot streak like this. He did this in an overtime game against one of the better defenses in the league. Steven Adams played great defense, but Zubac kept finding ways to slip under screens and get the easiest of easy buckets around the rim.

That part of the game comes naturally to him, so production shouldn't be a problem. Where he lacks upside is the rebounding and defensive departments. Both areas will improve over time, but he's a nightly double-double as it is. His size makes it fairly easy for him to grab rebounds even if his positioning needs work. Zubac should be picked up and played for the time being, but do worry that those 26 points might be his season-high.

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