Two of the top rookies in the upcoming NBA season -- which tips off on Tuesday evening -- skipped college basketball entirely. The Rockets' Jalen Green and the Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga both opted to play for the G League's Ignite, so many fans will be seeing them for the first time when they suit up to start the season. They're starting in opposite scenarios for 2021 Fantasy basketball rankings, with Kuminga on a Warriors team that hopes to contend for a title and Green on a Rockets squad that's in the midst of an obvious rebuild.
For 2021 Fantasy basketball drafts, Green and Kuminga are still some of the top rookies on any board. They were top recruits who became top draft picks for a reason. But where should they factor into your 2021 Fantasy basketball strategy? And who are the top 2021 Fantasy basketball sleepers, breakouts and busts you need to know about for last-minute drafts? Before making any 2021 Fantasy basketball picks, be sure to check out the 2021 Fantasy basketball rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine's proven model simulates each season 10,0000 times. This model is powered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2021 Fantasy basketball cheat sheets.
These cheat sheets and rankings, available for leagues on many major sites, are updated multiple times every day. Any time an injury occurs or there's a change on a roster, the team at SportsLine updates its cheat sheets.
They've called past Fantasy basketball sleepers like Lauri Markkanen and Aaron Gordon in 2018-19 and warned about Zach Randolph being a bust that same year.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NBA season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy basketball rankings 2021, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2021 Fantasy basketball sleepers
One of the 2021 Fantasy basketball sleepers the model is predicting: Spurs forward Thaddeus Young. The 15th-year veteran is now with the Spurs after an offseason trade, marking his sixth different NBA squad. San Antonio looks to be entering a rough patch as its title-winning teams are increasingly in the rear-view mirror, but Young offers intriguing value for Fantasy basketball owners.
Per 2021 Fantasy basketball rankings, Young is around other journeymen like Danilo Gallinari, Jae'Sean Tate and Bojan Bogdanovic. But Young's 2021 Fantasy basketball ADP indicates Fantasy owners are not viewing him that way. He's going about 30 picks later than those above players.
Top 2021 Fantasy basketball breakouts
One of the 2021 Fantasy basketball breakouts the model has identified: Cole Anthony. The second-year Magic guard averaged 13 points per game last season, and while the Magic won't trick anyone into thinking they are contenders to start the season, that could be good news for Fantasy owners who take Anthony.
On a team without much star power to speak of, Anthony should get his fair share of opportunities. Fantasy owners seem to be underrating that fact, because Anthony is going off the board around pick No. 84 in most Fantasy drafts. For a player SportsLine's model ranks higher than Collin Sexton, Terry Rozier and Jalen Suggs, all of whom are going 10 to 20 picks ahead of Anthony, that screams value.
Top 2021 Fantasy basketball busts
As for players to avoid, the model lists Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter as one of its top 2021 Fantasy basketball busts. The third-year pro has been effective for a rebuilding Houston team that was finding its way in the post James Harden era, but it looks like Porter's production last year may have inflated his image in the minds of some Fantasy basketball owners.
Porter averaged 16.6 points, 6.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game last season. However, Porter saw his 3-point percentage (31.1) and field-goal percentage (42.5) drop from his rookie campaign. Porter's 2021 Fantasy basketball ADP does not match up with his expected production according to SportsLine's model. In fact, the model ranks Porter (seventh-round ADP) behind Evan Fournier, Eric Bledsoe and Dillon Brooks, all of whom are being drafted at least four rounds later in 2021 Fantasy basketball drafts.
How to find proven 2021 Fantasy basketball rankings
SportsLine is also extremely high on a forward to make a big leap and advises you target him in 2021 Fantasy basketball drafts. This youngster is listed as a shocking top-five option ahead of superstars like Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant. You can only see who it is, and the 2021 Fantasy basketball rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2021 Fantasy basketball sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade? And which forward shocks the NBA with a top-five performance at the position? Visit SportsLine now to get 2021 Fantasy basketball cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that's nailed its Fantasy basketball picks, and find out.
