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The 2020-21 NBA season is set to begin this month and that means it’s time to start prepping for fantasy basketball. Studs are hard to come by at the shooting guard position but we have our eyes on a few who could exceed expectations this year. Let’s take a look at four sleepers who could outperform their ESPN ADP.
Note: Average Draft Position on ESPN can be found via FantasyPros.
Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors
ESPN ADP: 67
Wiggins is set to fill in at shooting guard now that Kelly Obure Jr. has joined Golden State following Klay Thompson’s season-ending Achilles injury. Wiggins was having a career year before being traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves and has now had time to gel with the Dubs. He’ll be significantly bigger than opposing shooting guards at 6’8” and could be a menace if he’s aggressive. I think 20-5-4 is the floor for Wiggins and he’ll likely be toward the top at his position because of how weak the NBA is as a whole at shooting guard.
Caris LeVert, Brooklyn Nets
ESPN ADP: 77
The general population is probably low on LeVert because Kyrie Irving and KD will be running the show in Brooklyn but he’ll be a valuable part of the Nets’ offense and shouldn’t be underestimated. Irving and Durant didn’t want LeVert included in a deal that would’ve brought in Jrue Holiday, and that speaks volumes about his perceived worth. He’ll be the Nets’ third option on offense but could also spend some time with Spencer Dinwiddie as a playmaker. Few shooting guards pass as well as LeVert and I think he could complete Brooklyn’s three-headed monster as a starter. While the Nets were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, only Malcolm Brogdon could top LeVert’s average of 9.5 assists per game in the postseason.
Malik Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves
ESPN ADP: 84
Malik Beasley is my early Sixth Man of the Year pick for the 2020-21 season, as he provided instant offense for the Timberwolves for 14 games last season and is only getting better. He averaged 20.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game with Minnesota after being traded by the Denver Nuggets and shot 42.6 percent from deep on 8.2 attempts per contest. The T-Wolves are a young team that will make a ton of mistakes and Beasley will waiting in the wings if Anthony Edwards struggles early on. Minnesota could easily have the worst bench in the NBA so I expect Beasley to do most of the heavy lifting.
Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies
ESPN ADP: 134
Brooks led the Grizzlies in shot attempts per game last season and used that volume to finish with a career-high 16.4 points per game. Brooks isn’t very efficient and shot just over 40 percent from the field but hoisted more than five threes per game in 2019-20. Jaren Jackson Jr. is set to miss the start of the season because of his torn meniscus so I expect Brooks to get a little trigger happy early in the year. I’m not saying he’ll be one of the best shooting guard options in the NBA but if he makes the most of his opportunity he could have some big nights. He scored more than 20 points in four of his eight games in the bubble before the Grizzlies were eliminated from playoff contention.