A unicorn is a magical, mythical creature. The thing is, there are some unicorns in the NBA. A player who not only produces elite fantasy basketball numbers but they are a freak of nature, too. Not only that, but they are players who do things they should not be capable of doing yet make it look easy. A ton of these unicorns have blossomed and are going in the first few rounds of drafts. Nonetheless, fantasy managers should be targeting these players and have no issues drafting them ahead of their ADP.
Fantasy Basketball: Unicorns to target
Victory Wembenyama, San Antonio Spurs, ADP 2.0
Listen, Wembenyama should be the first overall player in every fantasy basketball draft. It does not matter if it is a redraft or a dynasty league, he is the future of the NBA. There will be leagues out there that see Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander get taken before Wembenyama. There is a chance he might fall even later in the first round just because he is “young” or on a bad team.
None of that holds weight and is a thinner argument than the hair on my head. Wembenyama played in 71 games with averages of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3.5 blocks on a per-game basis. I think Wembenyama will be the best player in the NBA after this season and set fantasy basketball history in his sophomore season. If you do not get a top-three pick in your draft, I would have no issues trading my first and second-round picks for Wembenyama.
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors, ADP 20.0
Scottie Barnes is the face of the Toronto Raptors. The Florida State University product can do it all. He is someone who fills it up everywhere on the stat sheet. Barnes has been an elite since entering the NBA. His rookie season saw him finish tenth at his position, followed by an even stronger sophomore season where he scored 200 more fantasy points than year one. He officially arrived in his third season, finishing second overall in his position, according to the Sleeper app. Barnes had averages of 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game.
The Raptors are in rebuilding mode. They will be sell candidates come the trade deadline for the veterans remaining on the roster. This marks the first full season without Pascal Siakam, the Raptors best player for the past few seasons. I believe in a full season as the number one option, Barnes can see a season of averaging over 20 points to go along with ten rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. Barnes is a triple-double threat on a nightly basis the way he can do practically everything on the court.
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons, ADP 33.5
Cade Cunningham has been the product of bad coaching. When I say bad, I mean some of the worst ever. Cunningham has played very well when on the court but has dealt with serious injuries already in his young career. Last season, Cunningham finished as the sixth-ranked player at his position in 62 games with averages of 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. He also signed this off-season a five-year extension worth 226 million dollars. He is the face and the cornerstone piece for a team he just brought in J.B. Bickerstaff, who had a record of 170 wins and 159 losses in his last coaching gig for the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his three FULL seasons with the Cavaliers, Bickerstaff had a record of 143 wins and 103 losses.
After the disaster of Monty Williams coaching the Detroit Pistons, a fresh start is exactly what is needed. Playing for someone who has lost the locker room never ends up well. This year, you can draft Cade Cunningham an entire round ahead of his ADP and enjoy the filling of the stat sheet he does in his fourth season.
Deni Avdija, Portland Trailblazers, ADP 116.0
Deni Avdija was a fantastic international player and the reason he was a lottery pick in his draft. In his fourth year, he finally got a chance to showcase his talent. Avdija saw his best season out of his four-year NBA career. He had averages of 14.8 points from 9.2, 7.3 rebounds compared to 6.4, and 3.8 assists from 2.8 in his jump from year three to four. He also saw a massive increase in his efficiency from a 43% field goal percentage up to 50% last year.
Now, Avdija is a part of an extremely young Trailblazers team that, like the Wizards, will be sell candidates at the trade deadline. I expect Jerami Grant to end up on a contending team at some point this season. In turn, this will leave more chances for Advija to showcase that he is the best player on the team. Deni Avdija is a playmaker who, after a career year, finished 13th in his position. Draft him in the 11th round and enjoy the top-ten finish he has as a small forward in 2024.