Fantasy basketball ADP battle: John Collins vs. LaMarcus Aldridge

With the 2020-21 NBA regular season surprisingly only two weeks away, it is a great time to discuss some fantasy basketball. Unlike fantasy football, where your first two picks, could make or break your team. In fantasy basketball, you do not need to fret as you can find value up and down the draft board.

The forward position is a spot where you can value throughout the draft, especially if you strike out on Bam Adebayo, Pascal Siakam, Deandre Ayton, and Christian Wood. The two players that we will discuss today and who you should keep an eye out for is John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks and LaMarcus Aldridge of the San Antonio Spurs.

Fantasy basketball ADP battle: John Collins vs. LaMarcus Aldridge

John Collins and LaMarcus Aldridge are two different types of forwards, who still find a way to bring consistent production to their respective teams. Collins’ overall ADP is 32.5, while Aldridge’s ADP is 59.

Collins is a high-flying forward, who has shown the ability to stretch the floor over the last two seasons. Last season, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged career-highs across the board with 21.6 points, 101. rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 33.2 minutes per game.

He also shot a ridiculous 58.3 percent from the field, with efficient two-point percentage of 64.2. Collins made progress behind the arc too, shooting 40.1 percent on 3.6 attempts per game.

But now the question at hand is can Collins duplicate this performance with an abundance of new faces in the front court? It is going to be tough with Danilo Gallinari, who shot 40.5 percent from three-point range last season, and a rookie forward in Onyeka Okongwu.

Between the two, Gallinari could eat into Collins’ production because he’s the better all-around offensive player. If that’s the case, then you might want to look at the old, reliable forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

The 35-year-old does not put up gaudy numbers, but still finds a way to produce double figures in the scoring department year after year. Last season, Aldridge averaged 18.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 33.1 minutes per game. He also shot 49.3 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three-point range on a career-high three attempts per game.

If Aldridge stays healthy, he should be able to duplicate these stats this season for the Spurs. Unlike Collins, Aldridge does not have anybody behind him that will cut into his production or minutes.