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RotoBaller NBA Season Preview with Jake and Trevor

It's finally here! The NBA season tips off today. Before diving into regular season fantasy hoops coverage, it's time for one last set of predictions for the year.

RotoBaller experts Trevor Crippen and Jake Finnen are here today with their final picks for fantasy MVP, biggest bust, NBA Champion and more.

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RotoBaller's 2016-17 NBA Season Preview

Most Disappointing NBA Team for Fantasy

Jake's Pick: Dallas Mavericks

Jake: There are a lot of weird things on this roster. They have 4 guards which right off the bat seems a little low. Anyway, Dirk is getting older so fantasy wise he's a risk. Bogut could be a good option depending on the matchup but otherwise, the rest of the roster is inconsistent. Harrison Barnes can't keep it together in the playoffs so I'm not sold on him whatsoever. I'll wait for them to prove me wrong.

Trevor: I see a lot of signs for deep sleepers on this team -- I'm all aboard the Seth Curry bandwagon, for example (we'll get to him soon). Also, four guards is the number of point guards they have -- not just the number of "guards" right? They basically only have ball-handlers like Curry, Deron Williams, Devin Harris, and J.J. Berea or big wings like Wesley Matthews and Justin Anderson, right? I have to give it to Jake, though... this is one team that's very low on top-end fantasy talent, with Dirk Nowitzki still the first player coming off the board in fantasy drafts.

Trevor's Pick: Chicago Bulls

Trevor: This may already be baked into player values, since Jimmy Butler, Rajon Rondo, and Dwyane Wade are all ranked well below where they would normally be based on last year's stats.  However, I'm still pessimistic about this situation, the spacing, and the chance for a meltdown.  I'm still disappointed we didn't get to see what could've been an interesting younger Bulls team, too, if they'd chosen to hand the team over to Butler and feature more of their young talent like Denzel Valentine, Doug McDermott, and (assuming they'd kept him in this scenario) E'Twaun Moore.

Jake: This is hard to disagree with but I'm going to say that Rondo at the helms of the Bulls offense can only mean good things. In Sacramento he was the leader of an offense that finished third in team PPG and tied for third in assists per game. Rondo knows how to find open shooters and with Wade, Butler, Mirotic, and even Robin Lopez can score and have high quality jumpshots. I'm not saying the Bulls will make a playoff run but their offense is going to be on a different level, and their fantasy production will be fine.

 

Best NBA Team for Fantasy

Jake's Pick: Boston Celtics

Jake: Exploding with talent. They needed a good big man and they got one. I really think this team could make a Finals push is all falls together but the Celtics are full of athleticism, defenders, and shooters. Al Horford gives them an extremely versatile big men while sneaking in Gerald Green off the bench. I bought a Jae Crowder jersey and I'm a Knicks fan. That should say something about how excited I am to see how the Celtics fare this season.

Trevor: I love the Celtics this year, too.  My one disappointment is the injury just suffered by Marcus Smart that will keep him out for the first few games.  I was really thinking this could finally be his year to breakout, and I'd hate to see a bunch of minor injuries hold that back again.

Trevor's Pick: Houston Rockets

Trevor: This team is going to score, and score, and score.  Harden is going to be a one-man wrecking crew.  Trevor Ariza will bring great value in efficiency, treys, and defensive stats. Ryan Anderson will be a must-own C for FG% punting teams. Clint Capela could break out in a big way. I don't know how all the scoring is going to shake out with this team, but I'm trying to get a piece of it wherever I can in fantasy leagues.

Jake: All I think is how Harden is going to be everything in Houston. At the point he has full control and he is going to use it. Of course his stats are going to increase, last year was a seemingly dilapidated Rockets team in the playoffs. They took a downturn from the year before and Harden at point could be the answer. Ryan Anderson is a prolific scorer and Eric Gordon is streaky so the outcome is a little hazy. Clint Capela lacks a jump shot and Trevor Ariza seems to be aging daily. I see three Rockets being fantasy relevant. Just three.

 

Fantasy Breakout of the Year

Jake's Pick: Julius Randle, PF, Los Angeles Lakers

Jake: Near the end of last year he started becoming a ball hog and taking the ball up the court which clearly impressed some people. They started letting him do it and he struggled but improved throughout the game and actually managed to rack up some assists. I'm not sure if he will be used the same but versatility is versatility and Randle has the skills needed to be very good this year. I think he steals the show from D’Angelo Russell.

Trevor: We both like the fit of Luke Walton in Los Angeles, and without Kobe there to vacuum up all the shots, someone is going to break out.  Julius Randle is the more unconventional pick, but he still looks quite solid.  That said...

Trevor's Pick: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Los Angeles Lakers

Trevor: There's going to be inefficiency from Russell in the form of a poor FG% and lots of turnovers.  That might give you pause in roto setups, but those numbers are something it's easy to work around in H2H fantasy leagues.  Russell is the type of guy who could finish in the top 15 in each of scoring, assists, and threes.  He's going to be a monster fantasy producer.

Jake: D’Angelo is on everyone's radar this year but I think it's a year early. He is going to be a franchise player but I don't see him really hitting his stride till after the All-Star break. It's hard to go against him because he has splashes of greatness but I don't think he'll be a consistent player until later in the year...and I picked Julius Randle. Maybe he'll prove me wrong but until he is producing every night, I'm not sold on the sophomore guard.

Fantasy Bust of the Year

Jake's Pick: Matthew Dellavedova, PG/SG, Milwaukee Bucks

Jake: I'm sorry but he is not good. If anything positive comes from Dellavedova it's that he got to play with Lebron and win a championship. I think now that he is in Milwaukee and starting, he is going to be a cringe worthy addition to a team that does not deserve the pain.

Trevor: Boy, Jake just hates Delly.  I find it hard to call anyone I'd select with a late pick a bust, though.  It just doesn't matter that much if those picks don't work out.

Trevor's Pick: Derrick Favors, PF/C, Utah Jazz

Trevor: It's not that I'm scared about the production out of Favors.  I just don't like big men with balky knees.  Most busts end up being due to injuries in one way or another.  I'm not in the mood to spend a third round pick on a guy who's already limping around and at risk of sitting out games at a moment's notice -- especially when so many high upside guys are on the board.

Jake: I'm not scared of the knee.  With Gordon Hayward out for a some time, Favors is going to shine. He is a versatile PF with shooters around him that can create some space. He shot 51% from the field and was close to averaging a double double last season. (16 PPG / 8 RPG) He can handle the workload while Hayward is out and see him being a very quality PF for the time being.

 

Favorite Deep Sleeper

Jake's Picks: Maurice Harkless, SF, Portland Trailblazers and E'Twaun Moore, PG/SG, New Orleans Pelicans

Jake: Both these dudes ball out and have been overshadowed by other players. I think Harkless in the starting role is going to be perfect for him and he is going to be producing quality numbers early this season. He will probably fizzle out but I think he cements a starting spot.

As for Moore, he went crazy a few times in Chicago and New Orleans is going to be desperate for guard production. I think Galloway shoulders the defensive burden and Moore shines in the limelight in NOLA.

Trevor: Can't argue too much with these guys -- both starters barely being drafted.  Moore's ability as a ball-handler may allow him to outshine his much more hyped rookie teammate Buddy Hield, while Harkless is a solid across the stat-sheet contributor if he keeps his minutes.

Trevor's Pick: Seth Curry, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks

Jake: Where is he even playing? Dallas? He's behind Deron and JJ Barea but he's also one of 4 guards on the roster. Hard to argue with minutes.

Trevor: I'll keep hammering on this pick.  I love guys who make a high percentage of threes, because they allow you to get production there without hurting your FG%.  Curry also adds some assists to the equation, which sets him apart from typical three point specialists.  I love the situation for him to get playing time now and have upside for more.  This is a Dallas team under Rick Carlisle that used three guard lineups a ton last year, with Deron Williams, Raymond Felton, and Wesley Matthews able to simultaneously get close to starter's minutes.  Curry can slide into that Felton secondary ball-handler role.  Meanwhile, the guards ahead of him on the roster are all old and/or injury prone, making it basically a lock injuries increase his value.

 

Fantasy MVP

Jake's Pick: Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

Jake: So. Many. Triple. Doubles. I'm predicting at least 20 this season. Hoping his assists totals don't hit rock bottom...which is completely plausible with the team around him. It'll be between Russ and Harden all year.

Trevor: I kind of think Westbrook's not going to try to carry the team with his shooting as much as people expect him too.  He'll make an effort to get his teammates involved.  That could be a good thing, as it'll help his assists and not hurt his FG% quite as much.  I think he's always been a bit higher rated than he really is in fantasy, though, so even if he does take a leap in production, I think he's essentially just playing catch-up to the other top dogs in Harden, Durant, and Curry.

Trevor's Pick: James Harden, PG/SG/SF, Houston Rockets

Trevor: You read what I said about the Rockets.  Harden's going to have a monster year -- he's not out of shape and won't get off to a slow start like he did last year coming off his Kardashian offseason.  Plus, even if you have him and Westbrook neck-and-neck for production, Harden's positional flexibility -- where you can slot him into the SG or SF spots in a league stacked with point guards -- is worth the tiebreaker every time.  It makes it so much easier to punt FG% and TO going forward if you can still target as many point guards as you want.

Jake: I've predicted Harden is going to lead the league in scoring and that is basically MVP type production. I had Westbrook because you know, triple-double +3. Harden is going to drop 60 more than once this season. Calling it.

 

NBA Champions

Trevor's Pick: Golden State Warriors

Trevor: Easy.

Jake: Easy.

Jake's Pick: Golden State, if I had to make it more interesting... Boston Celtics

Jake: The Dubs are too good. BUT I really want to the Celtics to go to the Finals cause I think they are the only team capable of beating them. I think defensively they can match up, or try to match up with them just as well as anyone. I think Brad Stevens knows what he doing on the sideline.

Trevor: Oh, Coach Stevens knows what he's doing, but I still don't think anyone's beating a healthy Warriors team.  And if there's one team (and person) capable of beating them, it's not the Celtics and Brad Stevens... It's still the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James.  I think it's another rematch in the Finals.

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Parker Washington

Set to Play "Most Important Role" of His Career in Jaguars Offense
Elly De La Cruz

Exits with Hamstring Tightness
Tyler Reddick

Is One of the Top Favorites to Win at Nashville
Kyle Larson

May Continue his Top-10 Consistency at Nashville this week
Christopher Bell

Is One of the Top Competitors for the Win at Nashville
Chase Briscoe

Is A Must Start for Nashville DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

has Plenty of Upside for Nashville DFS Lineups
William Byron

Is William Byron A Playable DFS Option for Nashville Lineups?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Dynasty Value May Have Peaked in 2025
Carson Hocevar

Is Likely to have Another Solid Result at Nashville
Tyler Shough

Should Dynasty Managers Consider Selling High on Tyler Shough?
NASCAR

Should Fantasy Players Roster Bubba Wallace at Nashville?
Garrett Wilson

Dynasty Upside Remains High Despite Questionable Offensive Environment in New York
Chris Buescher

Is A Decent All-Around DFS Option for Nashville Lineups
Daniel Suarez

is Likely to Drop Positions during the Cracker Barrel 400
Kenneth Gainwell

Carries Dynasty Sell-High Appeal After Breakout 2025 Campaign
Emeka Egbuka

Undervalued in Dynasty Formats After Underwhelming Close to 2025?
Trey Benson

a Dynasty Hold Despite Unfavorable Situation
Omar Cooper Jr.

a Long-Term Investment in the First Round of Rookie Drafts
Colston Loveland

Just How High is Colston Loveland's Dynasty Ceiling?
Garrett Crochet

Suffers Setback, Likely to Undergo MRI for Lat Tightness
Zay Flowers

A New-Look Offense in Baltimore Could Impact Zay Flowers' Dynasty Value
LeQuint Allen Jr.

a Dynasty Dart Throw with a Potential Path to Upside
Denny Hamlin

Could Denny Hamlin Dominate at Nashville?
Ryan Blaney

Is a DFS Tournament Option at Nashville
Ty Gibbs

Don't Overlook Ty Gibbs at Nashville
Joey Logano

Could Show Life at Nashville
Ross Chastain

Needs a Good Run at Nashville
Shedeur Sanders

Falling Behind in Quarterback Competition?
Isaiah Davis

Is Isaiah Davis the More Valuable Jets Handcuff?
Trey McBride

a Coveted Dynasty Cornerstone
Chet Holmgren

Fails to Step Up in the Season Finale
Brock Purdy

Still Not Valued as a Dynasty QB1
Cason Wallace

Ends Postseason with Strong Showing
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Caps MVP Season with Game 7 Exit
Justin Jefferson

an Obvious Bounce-Back Candidate
Stephon Castle

Continues Postseason Run with 16 Points
Julian Champagnie

Shines in Series-Clinching Win
De'Aaron Fox

Provides Secondary Punch in Game 7 Triumph
Victor Wembanyama

Earns Conference Finals MVP in Spurs' Game 7 Win
J.J. McCarthy

Holding J.J. McCarthy in Dynasty Leagues Will Require Patience
Harold Fannin Jr.

Does Harold Fannin Jr. Have Top-Three Upside in Dynasty Leagues?
Jaylen Waddle

the Top Receiver to Roster in Denver?
Josh Downs

Climbing Up the Dynasty Rankings with Bigger Role Ahead?
Jalen McMillan

Has Been 'Slightly Better' Than Teammate During OTAs
NBA

Warriors Prioritize Depth Around Returning Steve Kerr
Donovan Mitchell

Remains Cleveland's Top Priority
Adou Thiero

Remains a Lakers Development Project
NBA

76ers Hire Mike Gansey as President of Basketball Operations
NBA

Chicago Bulls Explore Kevin Young as Coaching Candidate
Kyrie Irving

Reports He's Nearing Full Strength in ACL Recovery
Lane Hutson

Posts a Power-Play Assist in Game 5 Loss
Cole Caufield

Nets a Power-Play Goal in Season-Ending Loss
Seth Jarvis

Closes Out East Finals With Multi-Point Game
Logan Stankoven

Notches Three Points in Big Game 5 Win
Taylor Hall

Racks Up Three Points in Series-Clinching Win
Frederik Andersen

Remains Stellar as Hurricanes Clinch Finals Berth
Jacob Gonzalez

is Heading to the Big Leagues
Munetaka Murakami

Exits with Hamstring Tightness
Mitchell Robinson

Plans to Play in Game 1 After Finger Surgery
Ajay Mitchell

Ruled Out for Game 7
Jalen Williams

Unavailable in Decisive Game 7
NBA

Magic Finalizing Hire of Sean Sweeney as Head Coach
Eury Pérez

Eury Perez is Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Deiveson Figueiredo

Set For UFC Macau Main Event
MMA

Yadong Song Returns At UFC Macau
Alonzo Menifield

An Underdog At UFC Macau
Zhang Mingyang

Set For UFC Macau Co-Main Event
Tallison Teixeira

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Sergei Pavlovich

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Cameron Smotherman

Looks To Bounce Back
Kai Asakura

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
CFB

Faizon Brandon In Position to Start Week 1
CFB

Dane Weber Commits to Cal
CFB

Joey McGuire Attempts to Add Texas to Schedule
CFB

Mike Leach on 2027 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot
CFB

Maryland, Baylor Schedule Home-and-Home
CFB

Taron Dickens Decommits From North Carolina
Jalen Williams

Limited in Game 6 Return
Jared McCain

Provides Bench Spark in Game 6 Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Posts Lowest-Scoring Night of His MVP Season
De'Aaron Fox

Struggles From the Field Thursday
MLB

MLB Proposes Hard Salary Cap as Part of Next CBA
Kenley Jansen

Tigers Place Kenley Jansen on Injured List With Pelvic Inflammation
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Heading to Injured List With Hamstring Strain
MON

Lane Hutson Struggles in Game 4 Loss
CAR

Logan Stankoven Nets Eighth Postseason Goal
CAR

Sebastian Aho Pots Game-Winner on Power Play
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Tallies Two Helpers in Impressive Road Win
CAR

Shayne Gostisbehere Records Two Assists in Game 4 Win
CAR

Frederik Andersen Establishes Hurricanes New Postseason Shutout Record
Yordan Alvarez

Continues Homer Barrage With Two More Long Balls on Wednesday
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Makes History With Seven More Shutout Innings Against Padres
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Lifted From Wednesday's Game Early With Hamstring Strain
Kenley Jansen

Exits Relief Appearance on Wednesday With Groin Injury
Eury Pérez

Eury Perez Pulled Early on Wednesday With Hamstring Issue
CFB

Drew Mestemaker a Top Big 12 Quarterback Right Away?
PGA

Sungjae Im Remains Boom-or-Bust at Colonial
PGA

Michael Thorbjornsen Trending in Wrong Direction Entering Colonial
Russell Henley

a Top Option at Colonial
Harry Hall

Hoping Putter Carries Him at Colonial
Rickie Fowler

Looks to Regain Momentum at Colonial
Pierceson Coody

Looking to Stay Hot at Colonial
Martin Necas

Collects an Assist in Game 4 Loss to Golden Knights
Gabriel Landeskog

Scores Only Avalanche Goal in Season-Ending Loss
Carter Hart

Finishes Series-Clincher With 20 Saves
Dylan Coghlan

Continues Unlikely Success Story
Cole Smith

Scores Series-Clincher Tuesday Night
Mark Stone

Nets Another Goal as Golden Knights Finish Off Avalanche
Ludvig Aberg

Looking to Exchange Momentum for a Victory in Fort Worth
Stephan Jaeger

Trending Upward as PGA Heads to Fort Worth
Max Homa

Comes Off Awful Putting Performance at PGA Championship
Tony Finau

Faces Different Test at the Colonial
Robert MacIntyre

Seeks Better Beginning in Fort Worth
Tom Hoge

Ups and Downs Could Continue at Colonial
Brian Harman

Not Having the Best Golf Season in 2026
Austin Eckroat

Struggling Too Often Heading to Charles Schwab Challenge
Zach Bauchou

Tries to Keep Momentum Rolling at Colonial
Keegan Bradley

Looking to Rebound at Colonial
Claude Giroux

Planning to Return for 20th NHL Campaign
Carter Hart

Aiming for Sixth Consecutive Win Tuesday
Evgeni Malkin

Inks New One-Year Deal With Penguins
Ben Griffin

Looking to Repeat This Week at Colonial
Rasmus Hojgaard

a Player to Avoid at Charles Schwab Challenge
Hideki Matsuyama

Needs Solid Driving Week at Charles Schwab Challenge
Justin Thomas

Trending Well Ahead of Charles Schwab Challenge
Akshay Bhatia

Lacking Driving Prowess Needed at Colonial Country Club
CFB

DJ Lagway Looking to Rebound at Baylor
CFB

Josh Hoover Tasked With Leading Indiana Back to the Playoffs
CFB

Braylon Staley the Next 1,000-Yard Tennessee Receiver?
CFB

Ahmad Hardy's Return Timeline Remains Unclear
Gage Jump

Athletics to Promote Top Pitching Prospect Gage Jump to Major Leagues
Tatsuya Imai

Two Relievers Combine to No-Hit the Rangers on Monday
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