NBA Fantasy All-Stars: 10 standout players from first half of season
Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid (right) are 2 of the standouts in fantasy basketball this season.
Voting for the NBA All-Star game ends Saturday, January 21. With the final ballots about to be cast, let’s name the Fantasy All-Star Team of players who have stood out in the first half. Since there are usually two All-Star squads in the NBA, we’ll name four guards, four forwards and two centers to our fantasy All-Star Team.
Guards
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks: Even with all of the gaudy numbers that Doncic has already provided, he is in the midst of the best season of his career. His usage is all at 38.1%, which has enabled him to average 33.7 points and 2.8 3-pointers, to go along with 8.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He is even shooting a career-high 49.7% from the field. The only real downside to his game for fantasy is that he is shooting 73.3% from the charity stripe.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder actually have a shot at a playoff spot, and Gilgeous-Alexander is the main reason why. He has taken things to another level, putting up 30.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg 5.5 apg and 1.7 spg. He is also shooting 50.1% from the field and 90.8% from the free-throw line, which helps fantasy managers when he is attempting 20.0 shots and 10.3 free throws per game. After being limited to 56 games because of injuries last season, he has missed only four games this season.
Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers: Haliburton might be the leader in the next wave of elite fantasy point guards. Given the reigns for the Pacers, he has rewarded fantasy managers by averaging 20.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 10.2 apg and 1.8 spg as well as three 3-pointers per game while shooting 48% from the field. His average of 2.6 turnovers per game is also fantastic for those who play in nine-category leagues.
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers: The move from the Jazz to the Cavaliers certainly hasn’t harmed Mitchell. He is averaging career highs in points (28.4) and 3-pointers (3.7) while shooting 48.4% from the field. His assists have dropped slightly, but with 4.8 of them per game, he has more than made up for it with his increased scoring and efficiency.
Forwards
Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets: Before Durant went down with a knee injury, he was having an MVP-worthy season for the Nets. Over 39 games, he averaged 29.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 5.3 apg and 1.5 bpg while also making 1.8 3-pointers per game. As impressive as that is, he also shot 55.9% from the field and 93.4% from the free-throw line. There aren’t many holes in his game, if any.
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics: Noticing a trend here? If you want to be a fantasy All-Star, you can’t just have great counting stats. Tatum certainly has them, providing 31.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 4.3 apg as well as 3.3. 3-pointers per game. However, when you combine that with him shooting 46.8% overall and 87.1% on free throws, he emerges as one of the top forwards in fantasy and one of the best players overall.
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings: Sabonis is as steady as it gets. His first full season with the Kings has resulted in him averaging 18.9 ppg, 12.6 rpg and 7.1 apg while shooting an insane 61% from the field. There was a brief scare when he suffered a thumb injury to his non-shooting hand, but he has played through the injury and hasn’t shown any signs of it hindering him. With the Kings setting their sights on ending their playoff drought, Sabonis should continue to be leaned upon heavily over the second half.
Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis Grizzlies: Jackson has made significant strides this season. While he missed the first month of the season with a foot injury, he still makes this team because of his unique skill set, averaging 1.5 3-pointers, 1.1 steals and 3.3 blocks per game. The big man is also shooting 51.3% from the field and averaging a career-high 6.8 rebounds per game. Injuries have been an issue for him during his career, but if he can keep this up, he will likely be on many championship fantasy rosters.
Centers
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: Jokic might be on his way to winning another Kia MVP award. Simply put, he has been dominant yet again. His scoring is down a bit this season with a healthier roster around him, but he’s still averaging 25.1 ppg on a career-high 62.6% shooting from the field. He’s also threatening to average a triple-double with his 11.0 rpg and 9.9 apg. The top overall pick in many fantasy drafts has also missed just four games, putting him on pace to appear in at least 72 games, which he has done in every season of his career.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: Unlike Jokic, Embiid has had problems staying on the floor throughout his career. He has missed 11 games this season, but he is averaging a career-high 33.6 ppg while shooting 53.7% from the field and 85.6% from the free-throw line. His rebounding numbers are down, but he’s not exactly struggling with 9.8 of them per game. Combine that with his 4.2 apg, 1.1 3-pointers per game, 1.0 spg and 1.7 bpg and Embiid deserves to be on this squad.
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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.
