Saturday, May 18, 2024

Fantasy Basketball, Featured

Who Will Soar in Atlanta’s Fantasy Forecast?

Things are looking good for the Atlanta Hawks. A young core built around the stellar play of Trae Young is sure to be exciting for fans. Will this excitement translate to great things in the fantasy landscape? Will this roster make a big splash on the court and on your fantasy roster? Atlanta’s fantasy forecast looks good, but there are still steals to be had and players to avoid.

Dynamite Pick | Trae Young

Trae  Young (pictured here) figures to be an impact player for fantasy owners in the 2020-21 season.

Trae Young is clearly the Atlanta player that will make the greatest impact on your fantasy roster. The young guard averaged a stellar 29.6 PPG and 9.3 APG last year. He had an assist percentage of 45.1-percent. If Young wasn’t scoring, he was putting his teammates into a position to score. He is everything you could ask for on the offensive end of the floor.

My only concern about Trae Young is his high usage rating. Young had a Harden-like usage of 34.9-percent last year. There is a small possibility that this new roster leads to a decline in overall usage. There is a better possibility that Young continues to develop, has better teammates around him, and puts up similar numbers more efficiently. Either way, this pick is dynamite.

Fool’s Gold | Danilo Gallinari

Danilo  Gallinari (pictured here) is a cloudy spot in Atlanta's fantasy forecast.

Not all that glitters is gold. Danilo Gallinari has a stat line that grabs the eye and an injury history that worries his doctors and family. You don’t know what to expect from the forward when he takes the floor. Will he score a season-high or explode into a million pieces? We don’t know.

What we do know is that he gets injured a lot. Gallinari has played 90-percent or more of the season once in his 12 seasons. That’s right, he hasn’t suited up for an almost-complete season more than once in a decade. I don’t know what the opposite of the “perfect attendance award” is, but Gallinari has it.

Don’t get suckered in by the high hopes and good-looking stat line. He may have averaged 18.7 PPG and 5.2 RPG (which is sort of impressive, I guess) last year, but he can’t do that from the injured list. There are better options for scoring, rebounding, and three-pointers that will spend far more time on the floor.

Buried Treasure | Bogdan Bogdanovic

Bogdan  Bogdanovic (pictured here) made a healthy contribution to the Sacramento Kings last season. He figures to make a similar impact for a competitive Hawk's team.

Bogdan Bogdanovic is a sunny spot in Atlanta’s fantasy forecast. He always seems to be overlooked in the fantasy landscape, but that doesn’t diminish his value. Players with lower, even-keeled stats don’t draw the eye of the casual fan or mainstream media. Don’t let the lack of a storyline scare you off. Bogdanovic has the potential to bolster your fantasy roster. Snag him late in the draft. You won’t regret it.

Last year, Bogdanovic averaged a respectable 15.1 PPG, 2.7 3 PM, 3.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG with slightly-less-than-average 44.0-percent field goal shooting. He isn’t going to be the cornerstone of your team, but he chips in across the board even when he isn’t starting. Remember, he put up those numbers next to the more-dominant Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox.

He may have a bad night, but he still contributes something. I believe he’s a less-risky, late-round pick with potential to grow further on his new team.

What do you think of Atlanta’s fantasy forecast? Did we call it right or miss the big picture?

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