Time to hand out some hardware with our Fantasy Basketball 2021-21 awards! Mike Omelan (MO) and Kyle Frank (KF) debate multiple categories such as, who should take down the MVP crown, the best waiver wire pickup, the biggest busts, values, and more! Let’s take a look at the winners!
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Fantasy Basketball Awards
MVP
KF: Nikola Jokic, PF/C – Denver Nuggets
The Joker was dominant from start to finish this year, averaging nearly a triple-double with wildly efficient shooting percentages. He’s my choice for MVP both in fantasy and the NBA this season.
MO: Stephen Curry, PG/SG – Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry drew a lot of skepticism prior to this season but boy did he prove the doubters wrong! Curry led the league in points, 3-pointers made, plus a top-20 finish in assists totals while adding in great FT% make him the fantasy MVP for me. Splash! I’ll draft some rebounds in round two next season and take Curry’s totals to the bank!
Biggest Bust
KF: Hassan Whiteside, PF/C – Sacramento Kings
We came into the season expecting a strong double-double with the potential to lead the league in blocks. Instead, we got a guy who only played in half his team’s games, averaged 15 minutes per contest when he did suit up, and was essentially a non-factor in fantasy.
MO: Deandre Ayton, C – Phoenix Suns
I had big expectations for the Suns big-man this year but not cracking the top-50 was a massive disappointment. 14/10 is nowhere near dominant numbers including finishing outside the top-10 in rebounds. Even though he didn’t miss a lot of games this season he has shown an injury history making him a risky pick next season.
Best Value
KF: Julius Randle, PF/C – New York Knicks
Julius Randle was projected to be a ho-hum frontcourt option in fantasy this year, mostly due to the lack of other scoring options on the Knicks. Instead, Randle shocked the league by carrying his team to the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference, looking like a legitimate MVP candidate in the process.
MO: Jerami Grant, SF/PF – Detroit Pistons
I’m not going to knock Jerami Grant for barely playing the last two weeks thanks to the tanking Pistons. Grant was garnering a lot of sleeper buzz in the offseason, but no one was expecting the top-30 value he produced for the majority of the season.
Best Waiver Wire Pick up
KF: Kelly Olynyk, PF/C – Houston Rockets
Going undrafted in the vast majority of leagues, Olynyk turned into a monster after the All-Star break, doing his best work down the stretch of the season when leagues are won.
MO: Enes Kanter, C – Portland Trail Blazers
Enes Kanter had a great season averaging a double-double for the Blazers. Kanter blew up following an injury to Jusuf Nurkic averaging 13.3 RPG in the month of March but continued to deliver when Nurkic returned.
Never will I ever draft this player again…
KF: Joel Embiid, PF/C – Philadelphia 76ers
I love Embiid as a player, but the man is made of paper and I don’t want my 1st or 2nd round pick essentially being a lock to miss at least a dozen games.
MO: Anthony Davis, PF/C – Los Angeles Lakers
Pretty much ditto what Kyle said about Embiid. There are too many talented players taken in the first round to take a chance on the injury-riddled Anthony Davis. You can kiss your season goodbye with these first-round injuries. Buyer-Beware!
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