Fantasy Basketball Regular Season Awards
With the regular season of fantasy basketball ending in standard league formats, it is time to look back at the season and give out awards for players in terms of their fantasy impact.
Most Valuable Player: Nikola Jokić, C, Denver Nuggets
Jokić has become the ideal player for fantasy basketball.
His ability to score, assist and rebound gives his multiple sources of scoring, and his high efficiency makes it even more incredible.
He is always reliable to produce fantasy points in some way or another, and he plays consistently, not making many games off.
He led all players in total points and points per game in standard ESPN scoring formats, making him the MVP this season of fantasy basketball.
Steal of the Draft: Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C, Memphis Grizzlies
Jackson was drafted toward the final round of most drafts because of his injury at the beginning of the season, which was a major concern to most drafters.
However, he returned quicker than expected and looked better than ever.
His 3.1 blocks per game lead the league by a significant margin, giving him elite value as a power forward and center.
Lauri Markkanen was the other candidate for this award, but considering how far Jackson fell in drafts, he’s the biggest steal.
Biggest Disappointment: Colin Sexton, G, Utah Jazz
There were numerous options for this award, but taking injuries out of the equation, Sexton was the biggest letdown this season.
He had a solid year, but many thought he would have a bigger opportunity for Utah offensively at the start of the season.
The Jazz appeared to be a tanking team before the season, but they have overachieved all season, relying on team basketball and All-Star Lauri Markkanen.
Rather than being a guy putting up good stats on a bad team, Sexton was just a solid bench option for a solid team.
His play was good for his role, but this drastically impacted his fantasy value.
Sexton is still worth drafting in the future, but considering where he was taken in most drafts this season, he was the biggest disappointment.
Best Waiver Wire Acquisition: Jalen Williams, SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
Williams got off to a slow start this season but has since been on a tear, especially for a rookie.
Before the all-star break, he was averaging 12.2 points, 2.9 assists and 4.1 rebounds. Since the all-star break, he’s increased his numbers to 21 points, 4.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds.
He is producing stats across the board and doing so at the best time as the fantasy basketball playoffs have just started.
His first half of the season showed signs of his production, but his fantasy value over the last few months has made him elite and it is highly unlikely that Williams will go undrafted in future seasons.
Fellow rookie Walker Kessler was a close second place for this reward, but right now Williams’ upside puts him in an elevated tier that makes him the best waiver wire pickup this season.
Christopher Reynolds is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at clr5971@psu.edu.
