October 19, 2016

Brad Leibfried looks at three players to target in the mid to late rounds when punting 3PM in fantasy basketball drafts. Follow RotoBaller for more fantasy basketball strategy, rankings, and more.

In today’s NBA everyone is shooting a ton of three pointers and thus the category has been one of the more difficult ones to punt on.  There are two ways to look at punting the category, if you are able to draft Stephen Curry in round one, you may be able to do a near punt the rest of the draft and he will still be able to carry you to top finish in the category.

The other punt may come if you go big early with players such as Hassan Whiteside or DeMarcus Cousins.  If you do decide to punt this category, here are some viable options to target later in the draft that will not be big contributors from downtown, but will perform well in other categories.

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How to Punt Treys and Still Win Drafts

Goran Dragic, PG, MIA

With no Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, or Luol Deng in Miami, a ton of the offensive usage will fall to Dragic this season.  His downside as a guard comes with his limited three point range that saw him average just 0.9 three’s per game last season, but he makes up for it with a spectacular all-around game.

Last year with a usage rate of 22.3, Dragic posted 14.1 points, 5.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.  He also is a good source of effeincency stats with a 47.7% shooting percentage, 72.7% rate from the free throw stripe and just 2.6 turnovers per contest.  Last season without Deng, Wade, and Bosh on the floor Dragic’s usage jumped up to 30.5, if you are not worried about your guards making three’s, Dragic would make a great option in the mid-rounds.

Others to consider: Andrew Wiggins, Dwyane Wade, Ricky Rubio

Jabari Parker, SF, MIL

When Khris Middleton when down with a torn hamstring, Parker’s already high ceiling went to another level.  The former Duke wing, Parker is one of the top young offensive players in the NBA, however his outside shot is not quite up to current NBA levels and he only had nine three pointers made last year on just 35 attempts.  Despite that, he was still able to score 14.1 points per game while also pulling down 5.2 rebounds per game.

Like other top forwards, Parker is a good shooter from inside with a field goal percentage of 49.3% and free throw rate of 76.8% last year.  Assuming his usage bumps up with the loss to Middleton, it is likely that Parker sees his numbers jump to around 18 points, 7 rebounds and 1 steal per game, if you are not looking for a three-point threat on the wing he will provide a great option.

Others to consider: Thaddeus Young, Julius Randle, Myles Turner

Jusuf Nurkic, C, DEN

In the past any center you would draft would be a blank in the three-point category, however in the current NBA stretch fives are become more and more popular.  Early-round centers such as Al Horford and DeMarcus Cousins both averaged over 1.1 three’s per game last year which is a big reason for their high-end value.  Nurkic however is a low post monster that will not venture out towards the three-point arc.

The Nuggets big man is getting far less hype than is teammate Nikola Jokic as his 109.2 ADP suggests, however it is Nurkic who is dominating this preseason having posted a couple double-doubles.  Although he is not expected to quite see 30+ minutes per game, Nurkic did have per 36 minutes numbers of 17.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 1.6 steals.  He provides a great low-post only option late in drafts.

Others to consider: Marcin Gortat, Tristan Thompson