2017 - 2018 NBA Season
Top 10 NBA Rookies for Fantasy Basketball
Aside from a few players, last year’s crop of Top NBA Rookies was an overall bust!
This year’s list of Top 10 NBA Rookies should be a great list for both season long fantasy basketball players and DFS players that are looking for that early season edge.
Some of the rookies below will be overpriced in the beginning of the NBA season at DraftKings because they are hyped but there will be some value out there too especially for guys that will become starters almost right away.
If you aren’t a huge fan of salary cap lineups, try out DraftKings Pick’em Games! Pick the top guy in each list of players and then count your winnings at the end of the night. Play at DraftKings here and take advantage of our FREE fantasy contest ticket offer when you join up.
2017/2018 Top NBA Rookies for DraftKings
1. Dennis Smith Jr. (PG - Dallas Mavericks)
He’s already being talked about as the favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2017/2018 season because of the talent he has and given that the Mavericks are in a rebuilding mode, Smith will be given all the chances to be a fantasy stud in any format you use him.
2. Lonzo Ball (PG - Los Angeles Lakers)
So I already don’t like Ball (mostly because of his dad) because the kid knows that his dad’s an embarrassment and he doesn’t tell him to cool it! (Not a leader IMHO). Ball has tons of playmaking ability and will be great on the floor most nights so he is worth a fantasy pick every night at DraftKings!
3. Ben Simmons (PF - Philadelphia 76ers)
The forgotten NBA Rookie of the Year candidate returns. Simmons missed all of last year and now presumably is healthy enough to be playing all year. He will be on a minutes restriction for sure and will have to share the ball with the other top rookie in Philadelphia…
4. Markelle Fultz (PG - Philadelphia 76ers)
Fultz was the Number 1 draft pick and has all the talent to be a fantasy basketball stud! Because of Simmons, Fultz may be overshadowed much of this NBA season while the young nucleus of the 76ers learn to play together for the first time.
5. De’Aaron Fox (PG - Sacramento Kings)
Fox will start on the bench behind George Hill so he will be a guy to use in spot starts or back to back games. There isn’t a lot of talent in Sacramento so Fox won’t be a popular pick this season.
6. Donovan Mitchell (SG - Utah Jazz)
Mitchell should be a part of the regular rotation for the Jazz this year although he will be behind Rodney Hood on the depth chart. He has the potential to go off on any given night so watch out for nights that he may get a start due to injury and take advantage of the pricing on him at Draftkings.
7. Josh Jackson (SF - Phoenix Suns)
There’s some solid talent in Phoenix this year and Jackson will be sitting behind TJ Warren on the depth chart to start the year but he should get plenty of floor time to be worthy of a rookie fantasy pick.
8. Jayson tatum (SG - Boston Celtics)
Unless Tatum really plays well he isn’t going to get a ton of minutes on a Celtics team that thinks they can take a run at the NBA Finals. Tatum has the talent but with Gordon Hayward ahead of him…use him at DraftKings only on nights when Hayward is going to get a rest.
9. John Collins (PF - Atlanta Hawks)
The Hawks are a bad team and normally I would say take Collins and let him score…but I just don’t see it happening on a consistent basis for the 2017-2018 NBA season.
10. Malik Monk (SG - Charlotte Hornets)
For DFS players I don’t see a lot playing time for Monk this year. He can score and shoot the 3 but having missed the Summer League in Vegas it may be a while before Monk can be considered a strong fantasy option.
Deep NBA Rookie Sleeper Pick
Milos Teodosic (PG - Los Angeles Clippers)
Not your typical NBA rookie at the age of 30 but he impressed many at the Olympics and will have a talented bunch of players in front of him to get the ball to. He will be a bench player behind Patrick Beverley but will be a great spot starter for DFS players on back to backs and when Beverley gets a night off.
