Hoop heads! We’re back with more breakouts as we gear up for fantasy basketball draft season. We’ve got you covered anti-escape guards On Monday and today, we’ll be talking about the forwards who will be playing on fantasy teams this season. The list includes some players who have already made waves in fantasy but are on the verge of reaching All-Star or, perhaps, All-NBA status. Let’s break them down.
(Create or join a Yahoo Fantasy basketball league for the 2024-25 NBA season)
Jalen Willams, SG/SF/PF, Oklahoma City Thunder
Putting J-Dub on this list is a bit of a cheat. He finished 40th in per-game value last season in the leagues. His efficiency has been a game-changer for Williams, as he’s shooting a ridiculous 53/40/81 over his first two seasons.
Williams taking over for Josh Giddey as the secondary point guard also opens the door for increased usage, better ball handling and assist potential. If the playoffs are any indication of what to expect, Williams’ assist potential has increased from 7.6 per game in regular season at 9.6 in playoffsJ-Dub is also a defensive beast, as he can defend multiple positions while averaging over a steal per game.
Williams is on pace to set career highs in his third year and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him his ADP He slides into the latter part of the third round as we get closer to draft night. He’s a legitimate candidate to win Most Improved Player.
Jalen Johnson, power forward and point guard, Atlanta Hawks
This time last year, Johnson was dormant. Now, Johnson is on the verge of becoming a “too good to be a hit” player. Johnson played in just 56 games last year, but had career-best numbers in eight categories. Injuries aren’t a concern for me since he played in 70 games the year before. Johnson offers fantasy managers a little bit of everything, and his fourth-round ADP matches his top-50 ranking from last season. He was one of nine forwards/centers to average at least 100 points. 3.5 assists with a usage rate below 20% last season.
Assuming his minutes remain in the mid-to-low 30s and he’s the second option on offense, Johnson’s usage rate will likely increase, leading to more scoring and creating opportunities. Johnson covers all the bases, offensively and defensively, so fantasy managers will see another leap in production heading into his fourth season.
Franz Wagner, SF/PF, Orlando Magic
Everything seems to indicate that Orlando Magic winger Franz Wagner is going to make a breakthrough. The German forward is coming off a great performance at the Paris Olympics, where he won a Second All-Olympic Team nods after averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in Olympic play. He also received a substantial extension this offseason and for good reason.
Wagner increased his scoring, rebounding, assists, free throw attempts, steals and usage rate per game for the third straight year. His estimated plus-minus (EPM) of +3.5 was the best of any Magic starter last season and ranked in the 94th percentile among the league according to dunksandthrees.com.
Like Williams, he wasn’t named to an All-Star team, but this is the year that’s happening. While Wagner has struggled with his three-point shooting recently, he’s shot at least 35 percent from three in his first two seasons as a pro. He’ll find his groove, and in the meantime, he’ll continue to be extremely efficient around the basket (67% last season) and will likely draw more travel to the line, boosting his scoring stats heading into his fourth year. A 23-6-4 line with solid peripherals and at least one steal per game is a reasonable jump for Wagner — a durable, ascending player who hasn’t finished in the top 70 in his career.
Jonathan Kuminga, PF, Golden State Warriors
Now that the Warriors are done with the Jonathan Kuminga stunt, he’s ready to make a splash heading into his fourth NBA season. It’s crazy that Kuminga didn’t become a full-time starter until February, especially after he averaged 20/6/2 on 59/40/80 shooting splits in January. Kuminga’s talent is undeniable. That’s why the Warriors were hesitant to trade him.
He turns 22 in October and still has some raw quality, but he’s starting to emerge as a dominant force in the paint. He’s athletically gifted and did a great job of pressuring defenses within 10 feet of the basket last season. On those opportunities, Kuminga converted 62% of his shots. Extending his range is a work in progress, but he has attempted at least two three-pointers per game since entering the league, shooting a career-best 37 percent from the field during the 2022-23 season.
He spent the entire summer in the lab refining his handlegaining more confidence in his 3-ball And “mastery“Various offensive and defensive concepts – whatever you want to hear. To top it off, Kuminga hasn’t been offered a max extension yet, so there’s some financial incentive to show up this season. The uptick in scoring and rebounding is expected, given that he’ll play 30+ minutes a night with a usage rate of at least 23-25%. I also want to see a jump in stock, as that would unlock significant value for a player entering the early ninth round of fantasy drafts.
