Joker. KAT. Luka. Tatum. Trae. Your premium dynasty league options are obvious. But who makes up that next wave? Who is primed to become an upper-echelon asset for those in the dynasty industry? Here are five names that you might want to acquaint yourself with if you haven’t already.
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The Next Wave of Dynasty League Studs
Ja Morant, PG – Memphis Grizzlies
The sell
Sitting narrowly behind the assist rates of the likes of CP3, Simmons, and Lebron, Ja Morant has already reached an elite level of facilitation in his sophomore year. Alongside the 21-year-old’s full pockets of dimes, his scoring average is also knocking on the door of the 20-point mark. The other, less-tangible weapon in Morant’s arsenal is his desire to be out on the court. Slated to miss up to two months with an ankle sprain suffered in the closing days of 2020, Morant re-appeared on court just two-and-a-half weeks later. You just love that stuff as a coach.
Just be mindful of…
The lack of 3-point production. It seems harsh to judge this so early on in his career, but, if there’s one knock on Ja’s fantasy value, it’s this. The explosive guard seems to somewhat lack the confidence to launch from beyond the arc, averaging just over three attempts per game. His success rate would justify said lack of confidence, converting just 27 percent of his long balls. This area of his game will more than likely improve in coming years, but, if it doesn’t, it may hinder him from ever reaching the conversation of top-tier talent.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, SG, SF – Oklahoma City Thunder
The sell
Shai was gifted the keys to a shiny, new car ahead of the 2020-21 season as the Thunder farewelled Chris Paul and, in doing so, declared SGA the man of the house. The car’s shine hasn’t necessarily reflected in the second-from-bottom side’s standing in the Western Conference but rather the franchise point guard’s fantasy production – which is just as important, right?! The 22-year-old is enjoying top-25 usage, filling stats, and fulfilling potential. Perhaps the most impressive, and valuable, element of Shai’s 21 outings so far has been his above-50-percent field goal. Of the 30 guards around the league who are averaging at least 15 attempts from the field, only four others are hitting on at least half – Kyrie, Kawhi, LaVine, and Jaylen Brown. It’s full steam ahead for this automobile.
Just be mindful of…
The fact he is in the most idyllic fantasy situation imaginable at the moment. None of Shai’s Thunder teammates are averaging over 15 points this season and Al Horford’s 3.4 assists is the next-highest in that area. The Canadian point guard is still young, so further improvement is inevitable, but it is worth noting he will have to share the spotlight again one day.
Lamelo Ball, PG – Charlotte Hornets
The sell
A Lamelo Ball sell hardly seems necessary given the amount of exposure the Hornets guard gets from every single basketball media outlet on the face of the earth… but I’ll give it to you anyway. Ball is amidst a scary tear at the moment – not to be confused with his teammate Scary Terry Rozier. He is filling out stat sheets like few others around the league. The last fortnight has seen him exceed 30 minutes of playing time in seven of Charlotte’s eight outings. Compare this to the opening two weeks, where the reigning Pick 3 reached the half-hour threshold just twice. With exponential minutes growth, comes exponential fantasy production, and there’s every chance, by season’s end, he is going at averages of seven-plus rebounds, seven-plus assists, close to a couple of steals, and 20 points. Put simply, it’s a wonderful time to own Lamelo.
Just be mindful of…
Not heaps, to be frank (Kaminsky). The youngest player on this list at just 19 years old, he is also the most likely to reach stud status.
Michael Porter Jr, SF, PF – Denver Nuggets
The sell
This guy is one of the more intriguing dynasty league prospects on offer. To borrow an Australian expression, Blind Freddie can see the talent this Nugget is packing. The 22-year-old is sitting third in line in Denver’s offense at the moment, yet he is still finding a way to have every prudent dynasty owner salivating. He is operating at just shy of 15 points a night, but what is really triggering the aforementioned salivation is the defensive numbers that are suddenly gracing his stat line. A pair of 0.5s in the steals and blocks columns last year has transformed into a pair of 1.1s this year. To put it in context, there are just nine blokes leaguewide who are currently averaging one of each D stat. If this work on the defensive end can continue at the least, alongside naturally improving offensive numbers, then Porter could be the favorite guy on your roster in the not-too-distant future.
Just be mindful of…
His body. Touted as a potential top pick in the 2018 draft, Porter eventually slipped to Pick 14 after back surgery perturbed franchises away from the Mizzou graduate. Now at the NBA level, he has shown those top pick calculations were justified but the injury concerns remain. Amidst his third campaign now, he has just 70 NBA games to his name. If MPJ isn’t a top-20 player in five years’ time, injuries would figure to be the most likely explanation.
Jarrett Allen, PF, C – Cleveland Cavaliers
The sell
You’ve just read the fifth and final player on this list of future dynasty league studs and I can imagine your eyebrows may have raised, but there’s just something about Jarrett Allen. Consider that the former Net currently finds himself in the Mariana Trench of depth charts, fighting for minutes against the likes of fellow bigs Andre Drummond, JaVale McGee, Larry Nance, and Kevin Love. The point where the Cavs detach themselves from one, two, or even three of these guys seems imminent – although we have heard this about Love since the beginning of time, I guess. Regardless, in the meantime, I love what the 22-year-old Allen gives. Averaging just 25 minutes per game this season, he ranks inside the top 10 for blocks with his 1.7 swats each night. While an ever-improving free throw rate means he won’t cripple that category for you anymore. It seems like the perfect time to catch your league napping and nab Jarrett.
Just be mindful of…
Whatever it is that Cleveland is playing at. Coach Bickerstaff opted to start Taurean Prince last Friday on the back of an Allen double-double the previous start. The Cavs aren’t known for their overly transparent functioning in previous years, which could spell trouble for Allen if they fail to execute favorable playing time or player movement for the big ‘fro.
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