Fantasy Basketball Risers: 5 young stars dominating through Week 2
By Dylan Carter
Fantasy Basketball Risers 3. Paolo Banchero dominates to begin his NBA career.
It’s hard to tell what you’re going to get from rookies when drafting them to your fantasy team, but it was always a safe bet that Paolo Banchero was at least going to be productive. No matter what your early expectations were, the No. 1 pick is probably beating them right now. In the first six games of his career, Banchero is posting 23.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.7 steals in 33.3 minutes per contest.
What’s more impressive is the way that the Orlando Magic have prioritized running their offense through him. This team is 10 players deep with talented, young individuals who are capable of being involved in the game plan, and yet immediately, they have begun deferring to this rookie who’s weeks away from his 20th birthday. That’s the sign of a true alpha talent, and it’s showing on the box score.
In turn, Banchero has been one of the best players in all of fantasy basketball and is returning a value of players you’d be reaching for in the earliest rounds. His game is conducive to filling the stat sheet since he’s capable of scoring at three levels, passing out and dominating the glass. Although he’s always been involved on defense, becoming such a unique event creator is making him even greater than expected.
Bask in the glory of where you drafted Paolo Banchero because you’ll never get him in that range again.