5 players on the rise in NBA fantasy value in 2023
If Houston gives Alperen Sengun more minutes in 2023, the sky is the limit in terms of his fantasy production.
As we prepare to enter 2023, it’s time to start making some New Year’s resolutions. For a few players around the league, if more minutes are in their future, they could all see a significant increase in fantasy value.
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
Sengun showed a lot of promise during his rookie campaign, averaging 9.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks over just 21 minutes. The Rockets cleared a path for him to play more during the offseason with Christian Wood heading to the Mavericks, leaving Sengun’s primary threats for playing time being Bruno Fernando and Usman Garuba.
Sengun has played more this season, but he hasn’t exactly been unleashed, playing 26 minutes per game. Over six games in which he has played at least 30 minutes, Sengun provided 18.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks. He can get in foul trouble sometimes, but generally, he shouldn’t be playing fewer than 30 minutes per game. If the Rockets were to consistently give him more minutes down the stretch, the sky is the limit in terms of his fantasy production.
Collin Sexton, Utah Jazz
When the Jazz dealt away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, they looked to be headed for a full-blown rebuild. One intriguing young player they brought in was Sexton, who was limited to 11 games with the Cavaliers last season because of a knee injury. In the two seasons prior, he averaged 20.8 and 24.3 points per game, respectively.
Not only have the Jazz played well, but Sexton hasn’t filled nearly as big of a role as initially expected. He has spent most of his time as a member of the second unit, playing 24 minutes per game. Over six games in which he has logged at least 30 minutes, Sexton has averaged 18.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists.
Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets needed to add talent at center during the offseason. Mason Plumlee is a fine player, but he’s probably better suited to be in a backup role at this stage of his career. The Hornets hoped they found their future center when they selected Williams with the 15th pick in the 2022 Draft. However, he logged a total of 12 minutes over their first 33 games.
Williams has finally found his way back onto the floor, appearing in each of the Hornets’ last three games. He thrived against the Thunder on Thursday, producing 17 points and 13 rebounds over 21 minutes off the bench. Williams has the potential to land himself the starting center job, and adding him now could provide significant dividends down the road.
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
The next wave of players that the Warriors hoped would help make them successful for years to come have delivered some underwhelming initial returns. James Wiseman and Moses Moody are averaging 13 and 16 minutes, respectively. Wiseman has only appeared in 19 games. Kuminga hasn’t played much more than they have, logging just under 19 minutes over his 32 appearances.
When given an opportunity, Kuminga has generally been productive. Across 14 games in which he has played at least 20 minutes, he has averaged 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 three-pointers. It’s doubtful that he will play 30 minutes a night regularly at any point this season, but even if he could land at around 25 minutes per game, he could be a valuable fantasy option.
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
We’ll head back to the Rockets with Eason — the 17th pick in the 2022 Draft. The Rockets hope he can be a vital part of the rebuild. He sure made a good first impression in the Summer League, putting up 17.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks over five games. He has also shown an ability to hit three-pointers, giving him the potential to be a valuable all-around fantasy contributor.
It hasn’t been easy for Eason to find his way onto the floor, averaging only 19 minutes per game. Still, he has put up 8.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.8 three-pointers. Across 13 games in which Eason has played at least 20 minutes, he has averaged 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 three-pointers while shooting 50.5% from the field.
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Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
