Fantasy Basketball Rookie Report: Edgecombe is Complete

There is more to basketball than just scoring. Yes, I do know what the object of the game is; score more points than the other team. However, there are multiple ways to reach that objective.

It’s easy to focus on points though, because that’s the part of the game that is the easiest to translate from college to the NBA. But there’s a lot more to basketball than putting the ball in the basket. A look at the rookie rebound leaders tells the story as to the level of difficulty. Only six rookies are averaging more than 3.5 rebounds per game, and the names aren’t exactly surprising.

Before we dig into two players, let’s take at the aforementioned rookie rebound leaders.

Fantasy Basketball Rookie Report

• Ryan Kalkbrenner – Charlotte Hornets – 6.7
• Cedric Coward – Memphis Grizzlies – 6.4
• Cooper Flagg – Dallas Mavericks – 6.3
• Derik Queen – New Orleans Pelicans – 6.3
• VJ Edgecombe – Philadelphia 76ers – 5.6
• Kon Knueppel – Charlotte Hornets – 5.4

VJ Edgecombe, G, Philadelphia 76ers

After just one year at Baylor, VJ Edgecombe entered the NBA Draft, and it was far from surprising. As far as situations go, few were better for Edgecombe to be drafted into than the Philadelphia 76ers.

You have established veteran stars such as Joel Embiid and Paul George. Then you have the youth, excitement, and upside of Tyrese Maxey. In short, the 76ers were not a team typical of having the fifth overall pick. However, at the same time, there’s still plenty of opportunity for Edgecombe to play a major role in Philadelphia. In fact, they are giving Edgecombe all of the work he can handle as the rookie is averaging 35 minutes per game. The best part about it, though, is that he gets to take the court with minimal pressure each night.

While Edgecombe has clear upside offensively, he’s averaging 14.4 points per game, it’s hard to ignore everything else that he does on a nightly basis. We know that he’s averaging 5.6 rebounds per game, but that also comes with four assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.9 three-pointers per game.

Edgecombe is shooting just 41.4% from the field, and that’s the one issue. As that improves, so does Edgecombe’s upside and fantasy value. It also helps that he’s shooting a solid 76.7% from the free-throw line. Things should only get better from here as Edgecombe gets more comfortable

Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Charlotte Hornets

Especially in today’s NBA, we shouldn’t take any drafted in the second round for granted. That’s even more so the case when we are talking about Ryan Kalkbrenner. The rookie spent five years at Creighton and, to this point, he’s proven to be more than ready to take the next step. Between Kon Knueppel and Kalkbrenner, there are some intriguing young pieces in Charlotte.

While it’s hard not to focus on what Knueppel is doing, Kalkbrenner deserves our attention. With 6.7 rebounds per game, the center is leading all rookies in that department. When you factor in that he’s averaging just 26 minutes per game, there’s the clear potential for more.

Kalkbrenner is adding a solid nine points per game while shooting an insane 79.8% from the field. Unlike other centers, Kalkbrenner is also shooting 75.6% from the free-throw line. There’s value in both that and the 1.9 shots per game that the rookie is blocking.

If the Hornets make anymore trades to clear out veterans, or as Kalkbrenner gets more comfortable, his playing time and role should increase. The same can be said for his fantasy production and upside.