Point guard may very well be the deepest position in all of fantasy basketball. However, especially when you’re going to pick at the tail end of the first round and front end of the second round, it’s easy to see the top targets slip away one by one.
Of course, you can counter that with adding potential point guard sleepers that may still be available in the mid to later rounds. Who might be this year’s cream of the point guard sleeper crop?
We will give you five.
Rajon Rondo
By putting “sleeper” in there, we might as well put “gamble” beside it. But then again, there is still hope Rajon Rondo can salvage his reputation by playing under a very well-known PG’s coach in George Karl.
However disastrous his 46-game stint (excluding playoffs) with the Dallas Mavericks is, a guard with such defensive chops, multiple assist titles, made a number of All-Star teams, and an NBA champion is worthy everybody’s consideration.
C.J. McCollum
A shooting guard with point guard eligibility, this year might be a breakout season for the 2013 10th overall pick. Wesley Matthews bolted out to Dallas, Nicolas Batum was traded to Charlotte, and LaMarcus Aldridge abandoned ship leaving Damian Lillard the lone legit scoring threat for the Blazers.
Minutes will be available left and right for McCollum, who showed flashes of brilliance in the playoffs by dropping 33 on the Memphis Grizzlies. Anywhere near his per-36 minute numbers (15.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals with 2 3PM) is a welcome addition to any fantasy roster and format.
Emmanuel Mudiay
Mudiay is handed the keys to the Denver Nuggets franchise the moment he was drafted 7th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. He is a big point guard with elite athleticism, knack for finding teammates, and a shaky jumper. Again, minutes won’t be an issue for Mudiay, who skipped college to go play pro in China.
The issue will be what he does with those minutes but realistically speaking, he’ll get better as most talented point guards do as the season progresses. Mudiay averaged 18 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 12 games with Guangdong Foshan which is impressive to say the least.
How many games would it take for Mudiay to reach those numbers in an NBA setting? That’s a good question. My guess is, not for so long.
Tony Wroten
It’s easy to forget how good a fantasy season Tony Wroten is having because he only played 30 games. But boy, what a 30-game stint that was! Tony was good for 17 points, 3 rebounds, over 5 assists and almost two steals a game while dropping 1.5 threes per game, albeit in a measly clip.
Wroten is very athletic but lacks a consistent jumper but he makes up for it by being active all over the basketball floor. Percentages may suffer with him in the lineup but if your team is built to absorb that kind of damage, then feel free to grab the Wrecking Ball in the later rounds.
Deron Williams
It’s funny that D-Will is on the short list of the best point guards in the NBA just a few years ago but has now found himself in the sleeper list.
The issue with Williams is health and when he’s healthy, there’s hardly anyone that can keep up with those nasty double cross-overs. But then again, he hardly has been healthy and even when he plays, it’s obvious that he’s laboring those gimpy ankles.
Assuming D-Will’s injury bag has indeed left, Dallas is the perfect place for him to return to elite status. Big D is his hometown and he’ll be surrounded by gunners everywhere, making it easy for him to rack up dimes or score points.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
