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Only one member of the Portland Trail Blazers was among the top 50 picks in preseason drafts. Veteran PG Damian Lillard was a popular choice late in Round 2, and for good reason, but his teammates seemed a bit forgotten.
Did fantasy managers overlook how well PG/SG Anfernee Simons played late last season, or did they simply assume notable regression was coming with Lillard returning to health? SF/PF Jerami Grant went several rounds later than he should have, perhaps as fantasy managers expressed skepticism regarding his scoring potential. Then there's solid C Jusuf Nurkic and unique SG/SF Josh Hart.
The Blazers are clearly more than Lillard as each of their five starters average at least 29 fantasy points per game (no other team can make this claim), with Lillard at the top and Hart an underrated option at the bottom, and these players offer considerable value for points and roto formats.
For ESPN fantasy managers looking to redraft fantasy basketball teams as we approach Christmas, it's time for more Blazers than Lillard to become coveted, at least based on outdated preseason ADP. Four Blazers deserve top-50 treatment for sure, and Hart is close.
In retrospect, perhaps it is easy to see why fantasy managers didn't quite know how to evaluate Blazers other than Lillard. After all, Lillard has been among the top usage options in the sport for nearly a decade, and it became difficult for other Blazers to provide major fantasy numbers with him.
Oh, CJ McCollum had his moments as a valuable sidekick, Nurkic has been underrated for a while and way back when we enjoyed LaMarcus Aldridge working with Lillard, but in general, this has always been Lillard's show. Now, finally, he has considerable help, in fantasy and otherwise.
Simons, in particular, continues to make strides as a volume scorer and 3-point shooter, while getting to the free throw line twice as much as last season, and improving as a distributor. He's doing this whether or not Lillard is in the lineup, by the way. They play well together.
Simons, who leads the league in MPG, is nearly as valuable as Lillard, actually, as each is among the top 35 in ESPN fantasy scoring. Simons is 23 and still getting better. Do not assume these numbers are the byproduct of Lillard missing games. He's a wise fourth-round selection.
Meanwhile, Nurkic is averaging the most minutes of his career and supplying nightly double-doubles while slowly becoming a 3-point threat and perhaps returning to the days when he significantly aided roto managers in blocked shots.
Grant is also playing his most minutes, and he is scoring at a career-high 23 PPG clip, as he takes advantage of myriad open 3-point looks and hits at 46%.
Hart is the rare swingman -- there's nobody like him -- piling on the rebounds while also contributing 4.2 APG and a ton of steals, and while he doesn't score many traditional points, it hardly hurts points league managers. He's really good.
Anyway, as you embark on fun midseason drafts, remember that preseason ADP doesn't matter so much once the games start to count, and the Trail Blazers are a lot more than Lillard. A lot more.
Here are 10 other players fantasy managers should be drafting ahead of their preseason ADP.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder: A second-round preseason pick, SGA is one of the breakout performers of the early season, averaging more than 30 PPG and rising to top-5 status in points and roto formats. He should be among the top five picks in any December draft.
Jaylen Brown, SG/SF, Boston Celtics: A fourth-round choice in many leagues, Brown and his buddy Jayson Tatum have carried the Celtics to the league's best record. Brown has improved his scoring, rebounding, assisting and shooting, an across-the-board explosion in his seventh season. He's a second-round pick now.
De'Aaron Fox, PG, Sacramento Kings: I'm all in early for top point guards, often securing two or three of them in early rounds to create a strong foundation in points, assists, steals and 3-pointers. Fox is playing fewer minutes than usual but adding key efficiency in his sixth season, and his field goal and free throw shooting have greatly improved. I'd happily take him in Round 3.
James Harden, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers: This worthy top-10 selection fell to Round 4 due to suffering a right foot tendon strain two weeks into the season but he's back playing now, and big numbers are coming. I may utilize a late first-round pick on him, as 21.9 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 9.7 APG are worth that commitment. Don't wait too long to get Harden.
Lauri Markkanen, SF/PF, Utah Jazz: Not that he was forgotten as a fifth-round ADP pick, but Markkanen is among the top 10 scorers in points and roto formats as he's greatly improved his once-disappointing scoring and rebounding numbers and he's hitting 52% of his field goals. All he needed was to be the top option on a team, and now he is. You shouldn't need to take him in or before Round 3, but that's where he belongs now.
Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers: Maxey likely comes at a misleading draft-day discount this month because he's out with a small fracture in his foot, but he should return soon and let's remember he was averaging 22.9 PPG and 36.5 fantasy points, huge numbers worthy of a top-50 selection. He didn't go top-50 back in October. Don't make that mistake now.
O.G. Anunoby, SF, Toronto Raptors: Anunoby is scoring more than last season in part because his usage is way up as one of the few Raptors to avoid injury, but also check out the steals. Those in roto leagues sure have. As of this writing, nobody has more. Anunoby is the second-best Raptor for fantasy, but only fourth in terms of being rostered in ESPN leagues. This preseason eighth-round choice deserves top-40 treatment now.
Brook Lopez, C Milwaukee Bucks: A late-round pick on draft day at best, and still available in more than 20% of full-season leagues, Lopez easily leads the league in blocked shots, while also hitting 2.4 3PG and reaching his best scoring and rebounding numbers since 2017. Vastly underrated, utilizing your fifth- or sixth-round pick here is not a reach.
Ivica Zubac, C, LA Clippers: The No. 3 rebounder, No. 5 field goal shooter and No. 7 shot-blocker went in Round 10 of preseason drafts. Seems silly now, doesn't it? Zubac has emerged as a surprising fantasy star. Take him in Round 6 or 7.
Tre Jones, PG, San Antonio Spurs: Back to my obsession with point guards, I knew Jones was going way too late in my drafts and was more than pleased to secure him in Round 8 or 9. He's not a star, but 12.1 PPG, 6.9 APG and 1.5 SPG works for every fantasy roster. The Spurs are not good, and Jones may improve on these usable stats.
Others: LaMelo Ball, PG, Charlotte Hornets; Bam Adebayo, PF/C, Miami Heat; Josh Giddey, PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder; Khris Middleton, SF, Milwaukee Bucks; Franz Wagner, SG/SF/PF and Bol Bol, PF/C, Orlando Magic; Isaiah Stewart, PF/C, Detroit Pistons; Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Utah Jazz; Malik Monk, SG/SF, Sacramento Kings.