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The 2020-21 NBA season is set to begin this month and that means it’s time to start prepping for fantasy basketball. The league is loaded with talent at small forward but we’ve identified some under-the-radar targets worth keeping an eye on. Let’s take a look at four sleepers who could outperform their ESPN ADP.
Note: Average Draft Position on ESPN can be found via FantasyPros.
Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah Jazz
ESPN ADP: 117
Bogdanovic was only second in Donovan Mitchell in points per game last season. He averaged a career-high 20.2 points and converted 41.4 percent of his shots from deep. Bogdanovic might have been forgotten about because he missed Utah’s playoff run to undergo wrist surgery, but he’s still one of the best shooters in the NBA and ranked 10th in three-pointers made last season.
Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
ESPN ADP: 90
Gordon will likely play a lot more power forward with Jonathan Isaac out for the year with multiple knee injuries, but that means he’ll get a chance to boost his rebounding numbers paired alongside Nikola Vucevic in the frontcourt. Gordon won’t wow you with one stat but does enough of everything to be a decent double-double threat.
Will Barton, Denver Nuggets
Yahoo ADP: 133
ESPN didn’t list an ADP for Barton, who is set to return to action after missing all of the postseason with a knee injury. Most people are projecting Michael Porter Jr. to take a giant step forward this upcoming season but Barton won’t be phased out. Barton is a do-it-all forward who defends a much higher level than MPJ. Don’t be surprised if MPJ gets benched for his lack of defensive prowess for stretches throughout the season. Having a utility guy like Barton who averaged 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per contests last season.
Jerami Grant, Detroit Pistons
ESPN ADP: 133
The Pistons have one of the more interesting rosters in the NBA and made a big commitment to Grant by paying him $60 million over the next three years. He’s set to start at small forward for a rebuilding squad after playing tons of minutes at the 3 and 4 last season. He has a shot at being the second option on offense behind Blake Griffin and will likely play more than 30 minutes per game. I think will see career highs in multiple statistical categories.