4. Fantasy Basketball Sleepers: Surely, Ben Simmons hasn’t slipped this far?
Criticisms against Ben Simmons following the Sixers’ dismantling by the Atlanta Hawks in 2021 were warranted, but we’ve gone too far as a consensus. He was a one-of-a-kind player and defensive star of the likes we’ve seen very sparingly in basketball history. Now that he’s got a fresh start in a system that can cater to his strength, we should expect a big bounce-back from Simmons as a Brooklyn Net.
No, he’s not going to be your team’s leading scorer, but he can contribute everywhere else while remaining efficient and playing several positions. Scoring is great, but having a player who’s able to accumulate stats across the board can push a fantasy basketball team to new heights. He was an All-Star for three consecutive years before his departure from Philly, led the league in steals in 2020 and averages roughly eight assists and eight rebounds for his career.
Simmons was a fantasy basketball sleeper in his second season and a beloved pickup in the years that followed. Now, there’s less pressure for him to perform, which in turn, should help him elevate his game back to a class that puts Brooklyn in the contender status. He could also do the same for your fantasy team this year.
Average draft position is 77.8 on Yahoo, 70.1 on ESPN.