TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Rookie Guards to Target in Fantasy Basketball

The annual NBA Draft is one of the most exciting times for  hoops enthusiasts. It's a great time to get fired up about our team's future and to try to peg the next big star in the league. For fantasy purposes, guys aren't necessarily must-owns based on talent, but a lot of times the situations those players are in lend themselves to more opportunities for production.

Let's take a look at a trio of rookie guards who are worth drafting based on the combination of fantasy-friendly talent and opportunity.

Editor's Note: RotoBaller has the best Premium NBA Subscription, only $29.99 for the full season. We have all the preseason tools to help win your drafts, and in-season tools to win your seasonal and daily leagues: Draft Kit, Premium Rankings, Sleepers List, Late-Round Fliers, Early-Round Avoids, DFS Cheat Sheets, Lineup Picks, Expert Lineups, Stacks and Avoids.

Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and 6 free months of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW

 

Rookie Guards to Target in Fantasy Basketball

Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets

Jamal Murray was extremely impressive in his lone season at Kentucky. The Canadian was the seventh overall pick in the 2016 Draft, and he’ll have every opportunity to be a key contributor for the Denver Nuggets. The 6’4” guard can do a bit of everything and he has a chance to become a dynamic player at the NBA level. His skill set will play well in the league, and he should be a good one.

With Gary Harris expected to miss three to four weeks with a groin injury, Murray will have every opportunity to impress Mike Malone and gain more of a foothold in the Denver rotation. Already expected to be a key member of that rotation before the Harris injury, Murray will be able to get plenty of minutes in order to make an impact. Harris will be back early in the season, but Murray is good enough to get consistent backcourt minutes even with a healthy Harris. He'll also be able to steal minutes at the point from Emmanuel Mudiay.

 

Buddy Hield, New Orleans Pelicans

2016-17 is already shaping up to be a long season for the Pelicans. With Jrue Holiday tending to his ill wife and Tyreke Evans expected to miss the first month or two of the season, Buddy Hield will be able to make in impact sooner than originally hoped on his decimated team.

Hield was an underrated playmaker at Oklahoma, and he’s quite capable of creating; but his role at the professional level will likely be to simply to shoot and score the basketball. Hield will do plenty of that. It's not out of the realm of possibilities for Hield to be the Pelicans’ number two scorer behind Anthony Davis--regardless of if he comes off the bench or finds himself in the starting rotation. Hield is already off to a spectacular start in the preseason, and the sharpshooter will likely carry it over to the regular season.

 

Wade Baldwin, Memphis Grizzlies

Wade Baldwin will be a very intriguing player in his rookie season. He came into the draft with little fanfare, and was selected by the Grizzlies with the 17th pick in the first round. Baldwin is a good athlete, and his 6’3” frame comes with a ridiculous 6’11” wing span. Baldwin converted on over 40% of his threes at Vanderbilt, so he’s not just an athlete on the floor.

Baldwin will serve as Mike Conley’s primary backup, but he also has the ability to play the two (which in fact might be his better position). Memphis does not have a lot of depth at the guard spots behind starters Conley and Tony Allen (39-year-old Vince Carter is still expected to play a major role), so Baldwin will have plenty of chances to become a big part of the Grizzlies’ offense. The rookie has already been impressing in the preseason and he could become the top producing guard from this year’s class.

 


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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Joel Dahmen

Carrying Momentum Into WM Phoenix Open
Corey Conners

Likely to Not Contend at Scottsdale
Mathew Barzal

Plays Key Role in Comeback Victory
Sepp Straka

Seeks a Rebound After The American Express
Sebastian Aho

Bags Three Points in Tuesday's Win
Jordan Spieth

Healthy Heading to WM Phoenix Open
Darren Raddysh

Extends Goal Streak to Five Games
Keith Mitchell

Building Momentum for Event in Scottsdale
Nikita Kucherov

Posts Second Straight Four-Point Game
Travis Konecny

Extends Multi-Point Streak Tuesday
Ramón Urías

Red Sox Have "Lukewarm" Interest in Ramon Urias
Tom Hoge

Roller Coaster Heads to Scottsdale for WM Phoenix Open
Elvis Merzlikins

Earns First Shutout of the Season
Josiah Gray

Could Earn Opening Day Start
Filip Chytil

Dealing With Migranes
Luis García Jr.

Luis Garcia Jr. a Candidate to Play First Base?
Rickie Fowler

Worth a Look at WM Phoenix Open
Jakob Marsee

Marlins Have Approached Jakob Marsee for Contract Extension
Jeremy Sochan

Out Wednesday
Jordan Leasure

was Almost Traded to Red Sox
Mike Conley

Not Expected to Remain in Chicago
Freddy Peralta

Carson Benge was Not Considered in Freddy Peralta Trade
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis Available for Cavaliers Wednesday
De'Andre Hunter

Available for Kings Debut Wednesday
Josh Hart

Hurt in Blowout Win
Seattle Mariners

Ryan Sloan a Budding Arm in Seattle System
LeBron James

Expects to Stay With Lakers Until End of Season
Mick Abel

Can Mick Abel Take the Next Step in the Major Leagues?
Didier Fuentes

Primed for Rebound in Second MLB Stint?
George Klassen

a Name to Monitor in Los Angeles System
Cam Schlittler

Set for Productive Year 2 in Major Leagues?
Jacob Misiorowski

Primed for Breakout Season?
Jeff Hoffman

Remains in a High-Value Role for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Dylan Cease

Brings Consistent Availability to Blue Jays' Rotation
Rafael Devers

Remains a Superstar Hitter Despite Change of Scenery
Taylor Walls

Appears Set to Start at Shortstop
Framber Valdez

Blue Jays Remain Interested in Framber Valdez
Yainer Diaz

Wins Arbitration Case Against Astros
Derrick Jones Jr.

Off the Injury Report
Nick Lodolo

Showing Steady Improvement Going into 2026
Scotty Pippen Jr.

Tagged as Doubtful for Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Uncertain to Suit Up Wednesday
Riley Greene

Will Riley Greene Continue to Sacrifice Contact for Power?
Domantas Sabonis

Questionable for Wednesday
Russell Westbrook

Available Wednesday Night
Trea Turner

Durability a Concern, but Trea Turner's Skills Remain Intact
Darius Garland

Traded to Clippers
James Harden

Traded to Cavaliers
Payton Pritchard

Drops to Second Unit Tuesday
Amir Coffey

Starting Tuesday
Alex Caruso

Available Tuesday
Isaiah Hartenstein

Good to Go Tuesday
Jaylin Williams

is Cleared for Tuesday
Chet Holmgren

Cleared to Play Tuesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

is Upgraded to Available
Myron Gardner

Makes Second Career Start
Nick Foligno

Set to Return Wednesday
Dante Fabbro

Returns From Six-Game Absence
Kirill Marchenko

Out Tuesday
Bryan Rust

Returns to Penguins Lineup
Jack Hughes

Misses Second Straight Game
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Out for Olympics
Anthony Cirelli

to Miss Olympics
Xander Schauffele

Making Second Appearance at Phoenix Open
Collin Morikawa

Needs a Bounce-Back at Waste Management Phoenix Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Has a Shot to Challenge at the Waste Management Phoenix Open
Max Homa

Playing Well Heading to Waste Management Phoenix Open
Ben Griffin

Will Need to Find Approach Game to Compete in Phoenix
Harris English

in Solid Form Heading to Waste Management Phoenix Open
Wyndham Clark

Looking for Bounce-Back at Waste Management Phoenix Open
Akshay Bhatia

Still Searching for Improvement Heading to Phoenix
Michael Penix Jr.

Matt Ryan Not Committing to Michael Penix Jr. as the Starting QB
Scottie Scheffler

Is it Scottie Scheffler or The Field at WM Phoenix Open?
Maverick McNealy

Riding Solid Finish to TPC Scottsdale
Brooks Koepka

Returns to Site of First Career Victory
NASCAR

Billy Horschel Unlikely to Right the Ship in Phoenix
Harry Hall

Looks to Continue Strong Season-Opening Form in Phoenix
PGA

Chris Gotterup Hoping to Turn The Tides of Phoenix Open History
Tony Finau

Is Tony Finau Ready to Ride Momentum into TPC Scottsdale?
Nick Schmaltz

Leads Mammoth to Victory Monday
Roman Josi

Has Four Assists in Huge Comeback Win
Quinn Hughes

Records Hat Trick of Assists
Filip Chytil

Misses Third Period Monday
Daemon Hunt

Injured In Monday's Win
Zach Benson

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Monday
Sam Bennett

Exits Early Monday
Matthew Stafford

Doesn't Need Offseason Back Surgery
CFB

Joey Aguilar Files New Lawsuit Against NCAA Seeking Sixth Year of Eligibility
Davante Adams

Expected to Return to Rams in 2026
Los Angeles Rams

Rams Sign Sean McVay, Les Snead to Contract Extensions
Diego Lopes

Outclassed At UFC 325
Alexander Volkanovski

Dominates Diego Lopes
Dan Hooker

Stopped In The Second Round
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Extends His Win Streak
Rafael Fiziev

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
MMA

Maurício Ruffy Gets Back In The Win Column
San Francisco 49ers

49ers Set to Name Raheem Morris Their Defensive Coordinator
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Close to Naming Klint Kubiak the Next Head Coach
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Finalizing Deal to Make Mike LaFleur the Next Head Coach
CFB

Gus Malzahn Retiring from Coaching
Breece Hall

Jets Want to Re-Sign Breece Hall, Could Use Franchise Tag
Diego Lopes

An Underdog At UFC 325
Alexander Volkanovski

Set For UFC 325 Main Event
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Dan Hooker

Set For UFC 325 Co-Main Event
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev

Returns At UFC 325
CFB

Texas Lands Wake Forest Transfer Sterling Berkhalter
Kirk Cousins

Falcons Expected to Release Kirk Cousins
Chase Brown

Working on Extension With Bengals
Michael Penix Jr.

Hopes to be Ready for Week 1
Dalton Kincaid

Doesn't Need Offseason Surgery
Josh Allen

Undergoes Foot Surgery
Josh Allen

on Crutches, Wearing Walking Boot
CFB

Michigan RB Bryson Kuzdzal Withdrawing from Transfer Portal
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF