Three of the Best Fantasy Basketball Surprises of the Season

League winners don’t just pick the best superstars. They fill their roster in the later rounds and through free agency with guys that may or may not amount to too much. I’m talking about guys you’ve never heard of but ended up being solid additions to fantasy rosters.

Let’s take a look at three of the bigger surprises of the season and see if we can identify what made them a surprise, so we know what to look for next year.

Christian Braun, G, Denver Nuggets

Last season, Braun averaged barely 20 minutes a game and started just four of the 82 games he played in. He averaged just 7.3 points per game, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. As far as fantasy basketball was concerned, he was a non-factor.

But then the Nuggets let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in the offseason. Rather than sign someone new to make up for the loss in production, the Nuggets gave Braun a chance to step up and own the role, which he did.

He went from averaging 20 minutes per game, 7.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists to 34 minutes per game, 15.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. It’s not the kind of production that will win you your league.

However, anyone who drafted him late or picked him in free agency was sure glad that they did.

Dyson Daniels, PG/SG, Atlanta Hawks

The Pelicans undoubtedly had high hopes for Daniels when they took him with the No. 8 pick in the draft a couple of years ago. But after he played just over 22 minutes per game last season and averaged 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, the team made him part of the trade project that brought Dejounte Murray to New Orleans.

He is now the betting favorite to win the Most Improved Player award, averaging 14.2 ppg, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. However, his most significant contribution may be on the defensive end, where he’s recorded well over 200 steals (3.1 per game), and 50 blocks (.7 per game).

The increase in points, rebounds, and assists was enough to make him fantasy relevant. But his contributions on the defensive end will make him an early target in drafts next year.

Ivica Zubac, C, LA Clippers

A good center can be hard to find in fantasy basketball. Last season, Zubac was not on anyone’s fantasy radar, averaging 11.7 points per game, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Those numbers didn’t get him into the top-30 centers in fantasy scoring.

But this year, he’s averaging a career-high 32.7 minutes per game, 16.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He’s now gone from being fantasy irrelevant to having the fourth-most points among centers in ESPN leagues.

Oh—and you can tack on 53 double-doubles to his stat sheet (if your league does not give players credit for double-doubles, ignore this paragraph).

Final Thoughts

It’s really all about opportunity, as you can’t become fantasy-relevant if you aren’t playing. Braun and Daniels did not play much last year. However, when the chance to do so this season opened up, they jumped at the opportunity and thrived.