There’s a lot of star power at the small forward position in the NBA, headlined by LeBron James. However, James might not be the only bright spot at this position in the 2023-24 season. Plenty of other wing players are emerging as competent contributors and some will become even more than that. Here’s a look at some potential sleepers and busts at the small forward position in fantasy basketball this year.
Small forward sleepers
Jabari Smith, Houston Rockets
ESPN ADP: 114.7
DK Network ranking: 22nd small forward, 93rd overall
It’s important to note ESPN’s interface classifies Smith as a power forward or center, so be mindful of that when drafting him. For our purposes, he’s still a small forward even if he ends up spending a majority of his time at the four spot. Smith just came off a massive Summer League and is poised to take on a bigger role in this Rockets offense. The culture is about to change in Houston, and Smith taking a leap in Year 2 seems like a reasonable expectation.
Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
ESPN ADP: 34.3
DK Network ranking: 10th small forward, 35th overall
A lot of people are expecting big things from Banchero ahead of his sophomore season. He was easily the Rookie of the Year, and being a first-time All-Star might not be too far-fetched. He’s going to have insane usage, especially with the point guard situation in Orlando. If Banchero’s trajectory continues as expected, he’s going to easily beat this ADP.
Small forward busts
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
ESPN ADP: 51,7
DK Network ranking: 13th small forward, 50th overall
Barnes is going to see a lot of playing time in Toronto, and the Raptors desperately need him to take a leap. There’s some upside here, especially if the team decides to sell at the trade deadline and gives Barnes the keys to the franchise. The more likely outcome is a playoff push that gradually sees Barnes take on less of a role and settle into his usual statistical output.
Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
ESPN ADP: 24.1
DK Network ranking: 9th small forward, 32nd overall
It’s easy to see why Markkanen is loved. He’s the reigning Most Improved Player and has gotten better players around him in the offseason. The Jazz should be in the play-in mix for a good portion of the season, which means there’s reason to keep giving Markkanen heavy minutes. And yet, we haven’t seen the season Markkanen had in 2022-23 duplicated yet. Is it possible he’s actually not that player? We still believe Markkanen is a useful fantasy player, but a top-25 ADP might be too high.