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The 2017-18 NBA season is fast approaching, and thus so is fantasy basketball season.
As part of our preseason fantasy coverage here at Off the Glass, I’ll be profiling my top five overall players for 2017-18 season.
Without any further ado, here is No. 4.
4. Anthony Davis
Yes, Anthony Davis is a walking injury concern and that’s probably not going away. But the dearth of quality big men from a fantasy perspective makes him stand out, and “The Brow” could finish as the top overall player in fantasy basketball this year.
Last year Davis set career-highs in points (28.0) and rebounds (11.8) per game as well as usage rate (32.6, sixth in the league), while also approaching a career-high in assists per game (2.1). Perhaps most importantly, he also played a career-high 75 games.
Any effect on Davis from the presence of DeMarcus Cousins did not come to pass after the 2017 trade deadline, as he averaged 28.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per game on nearly 51 percent from the floor over his final 22 games last year.
His percentage needs to improve, but Davis has added the three-point shot to his arsenal under head coach Alvin Gentry. After just 27 attempts from beyond the arc over his last three seasons, Davis has hoisted 242 threes (1.8 per game) over the last two seasons. His three-point percentage actually dropped last year (29.9 percent) compared to 2015-16 (32.4 percent), which points to his shot selection getting a little worse.
Davis should benefit from the addition of point guard Rajon Rondo, who is averaging 8.5 assists per game for his career. Rondo is no threat to take a lot of shot volume away too, so that’s an even greater benefit to Davis’ already primary role.
Davis and Cousins seem set to co-exist well over a full season, and there was no drop-off in Davis’ production late last year. If he manages to set another career-high in games played, or play all 82!, Davis will leave all other big guys in his wake for fantasy owners that are willing to embrace some risk with a first-round pick.