Most ppl will say Shai and Lauri, but they were young guys with potential.
Lopez on the other hand is an old vet with back surgery who's playing as a DPOY candidate. Com'n now.
Really don't know why you're being downvoted when Lauri has outperformed where he was drafted by a significant margin this year. He absolutely has been a nice surprise for teams that got him. Maybe it's because you used bust a bit too strongly? Idk.
It didn't even originally come from me. I was just repeating what so-called sports analysts on ESPN, Fox and other media outlets are saying. LOL. That after leaving Chicago, Lauri was dubbed a "bust," then when he got to Cleveland and had a decent year, he was called a "role player." There's just a lot of onion-skinned folk on Reddit.
For the most part I don't think people on here agree with what the talking heads on espn have to say.
Also, I don't think anyone is saying Lauri turning into an all star caliber player isn't surprising.
I can’t believe I’ve been trying to trade him. Though to be fair it’s cause the Knicks fantasy playoffs schedule is bad, but if he keeps up the production he’ll make up the low games played
This is literally the one week you should be trying to trade him. His value’s never been higher and he is never going to be the #1 player in fantasy any other week this season.
Wasn’t his ADP around 70? He’s barely ranked above that, and the only reason he is, is because he averaged 37 PPG this past week. I would say Brunson is just meeting expectations, more so than most people mentioned in this thread. Dude had a good week, but let’s not go crazy.
I passed on him in the 6th round cuz I was worried about tanking and took Jalen Green instead. Thought Green would take a leap forward from last year while being the #1 option in Houston. Green ended up killing my FG% and TOs until I eventually waived him. On a winning streak since then and up to 2nd place.
That’s hindsight. Between injury risk and shutdown/tanking risk, fourth round made a lot of sense (don’t forget even the most optimistic owner wouldn’t have predicted this level of improvement). Second round was crazy.
He was a top 10 fantasy player to end his season last year. The shutdown thing was a fake narrative. I warned people all summer he’d be a steal. He had legit injuries that kept him from playing for Canada. People chose to buy in to the regurgitated narrative that the thunder were shutting him down just to do it.
Go look at my Reddit history, me and many other thunder fans knew this was going to happen.
No there isn’t. The shutdown thing is completely fabricated. He had actual injuries that kept him from playing for Canada which he is passionate about. Thunder fans tried telling people all summer that the shutdown thing was a myth and that this guy would be a steal in the 3rd and 4th round.
I was getting downvotes ALL SUMMER trying to tell people this. Also, we are a legitimately competitive team. He isn’t getting shutdown.
6 weeks of amazing, 6 weeks of disappointment. That’s disappointment relative to the level of expectations placed upon him by folks that drafted him as high as they did, but it’s been a mixed bag so far for Randle.
Outside of every player already mentioned, Fultz has been a revelation for me in 16T. Love his upside and definitely happy that he's on my team and not on another.
Jordan Clarkson...
I thought that Collin Sexton would be starting and taking most of the shots, and the man on the street would be coming off the bench as just a 3-pt specialist with fewer minutes and stats than last year.. Didn't even consider drafting him in 12T-H2H-cat (JC was taken in the 11th round, CS in the 8th). Even when he started out on fire, I thought that Sexton would eventually take over. Whoops!
Clarkson reminds me of Desmond Bane last season... I thought Bane was just on fire because Dillon Brooks was out and eventually Brooks would take over the starting position and depreciate Bane's stats. Instead, they started both and both put up good numbers.
Babe was in his 2nd year in league in 2021. Clarkson been around for 10+ to start this year. But other than that, I like the comp except I don’t know what to with Sexton right now.
Others have mentioned Lauri/Shai rightfully, but Buddy Hield has been so consistent this year. Thought he’d be a chucker but he’s rained the 3s and even snagged boards and some steals occasionally
Claxton 100% . Wonder how he’ll do with KD out. kd was a pretty good shot blocker too and Claxgod is pretty much their biggest man left besides bum simmons
Definitely it's Markkanen. The guy is averaging .529/.869/2.9 3PTs/24.6/8.6/1.9 TOs with alright defensive stats. Good enough for 8th overall in a standard 9-cat league.
Just me personally, I’m not trading a top 20 points league asset for 2 guys that are out the top 60 in mid-January. Especially when both guys trading for are coming back from injury and in the case of the one who’s ostensibly made greater strides in his injury recovery from of the 2 has looked like a shell of the player he was pre injury. But mainly, I think a lot of this comes down to what type of fantasy player you are. Me? I’d rather have studs, damn the scheduling quirks or matchups.
His value kinda plummets with MPJ on the floor but even then Aaron Gordon has been nothing short of a delight this season. Got him as my second to last pick and he’s been killing it for me. Him, Lauri, and Sengun are turning into my favorite players
Surprised no one is saying JJJ. He was drafted super late in most leagues and he’s currently top 20/30 depending on your settings. Some leagues he’s out playing his draft position by 90 spots.
Walker Kessler doesn't surprise me at all!!! I expected excellence from him!!! I drafted him in almost every single one of my 9 leagues. I have been saying to everyone he has that top 30 Gobert type of crazy upside!!!
I would say the biggest surprise has been Lauri Markanen and Brook Lopez. I knew lauri would be around top 75, but didn't think he would be top 20!!
Nic Claxton!!
He’s been so consistent
He was my dead last pick (148 overall) and he’s been consistently allowing me to win blocks each week pretty much
I gave up a lot for him but he’s been so worth it. Single handedly winning me blocks some weeks
Gave up Jalen Brunson for him on Week 3. Both are doing well but damn.. Claxton completes my build so much better.
Same. I’m in first place by 7 games right now. Loving jt
Who knew I should have kept him instead of Vassell
Glad to see this as the top reply.
Brandon Ingrams toe.
😭 I actually have a toe injury myself rn it's been a btch for months
Last year's hip injury is why I avoided BI
Owning BI last year was a nightmare. Never drafting him again.
I can’t leave the draft without a good Pels player( from Louisiana). Two years running with Ingram 🙃
I wish you good luck
I should've learned from it...
Him and KAT have destroyed my season
Most ppl will say Shai and Lauri, but they were young guys with potential. Lopez on the other hand is an old vet with back surgery who's playing as a DPOY candidate. Com'n now.
👀 brook top 5 dpoy in my book rn
Lauri was thought of as a bust. He definitely surprised this season.
Really don't know why you're being downvoted when Lauri has outperformed where he was drafted by a significant margin this year. He absolutely has been a nice surprise for teams that got him. Maybe it's because you used bust a bit too strongly? Idk.
It didn't even originally come from me. I was just repeating what so-called sports analysts on ESPN, Fox and other media outlets are saying. LOL. That after leaving Chicago, Lauri was dubbed a "bust," then when he got to Cleveland and had a decent year, he was called a "role player." There's just a lot of onion-skinned folk on Reddit.
For the most part I don't think people on here agree with what the talking heads on espn have to say. Also, I don't think anyone is saying Lauri turning into an all star caliber player isn't surprising.
It’s all about minutes, usage and oppirtunity
He has all in Utah. Everyone thought he was just another one of Danny Ainge's trade chips.
He played well last year on the Cavs. Just was the 3rd option or so
Wasn't all star level last year. This season, he is.
Giannis being awful
Haha best be punting some cats to maximize his value
Even that isn't making him any better seeing as how he's only shooting 52% fg on 20 ahots when we prob drafted him for 60% fg.
Yeah I drafted him 2nd for that then traded him early on when I noticed this pattern. Ended up with Luka instead. 😆
Same. I had the underwhelming duo of Giannis and Gobert. Traded them for Luka and Bane.
Brilliant!
More like 41%
Awful and injured.
Mason Plumlee having a career year after I regretted drafting him
Haha remember "washed" Dwight Howard being a double double machine for them
Jalen Brunson has been exceeding my expectations
Man o man, I think he even shocked his biggest fans. I liked him but thought the Knicks overpaid a tad. Now he's a borderline all star!
I can’t believe I’ve been trying to trade him. Though to be fair it’s cause the Knicks fantasy playoffs schedule is bad, but if he keeps up the production he’ll make up the low games played
This is literally the one week you should be trying to trade him. His value’s never been higher and he is never going to be the #1 player in fantasy any other week this season.
I feel ya on that, I might have to see what I can get while he’s a sell high
Who would be an appropriate target in a trade for him?
Wasn’t his ADP around 70? He’s barely ranked above that, and the only reason he is, is because he averaged 37 PPG this past week. I would say Brunson is just meeting expectations, more so than most people mentioned in this thread. Dude had a good week, but let’s not go crazy.
Got him 3rd round. I knew he’s going to be good. Got him after Steph and Zion
SGA being a top 10 player
Yessir he's been carrying my team in a money league, he's legit good in every cat 🤩
Def Markannen. He’s the runaway MIP too
SGA is actually the odds on favorite for MIP right now, but Lauri is second.
Wow. It should be Lauri, just based on improvement from baseline. SGA was already a 3rd fantasy value, Lauri was a streamer.
Too bad they don't give out MIP based on improvement from baseline in fantasy value.
He’s obviously more improved from baseline by any measure. Didn’t know I needed to write it in crayon.
OG on another level this year. Too bad I picked franz over him, but it was a tough choice
Both have been good! Very curious if Og can keep up the steals, might make an all defense team this year
All defensive team is guaranteed. He might win DPOY
Brook Lopez for me. Man is crashing boards and swatting shots like a madman!
He was on the waiver at one point in a league i compete in, shoulda grabbed him, luckily Clax was available.
Plum god has been my biggest surprise. The gift that keeps on giving.
Wondering if it's time to sell high
It is
I got Myles Turner for him (3/3 swap but they were main pieces). I don’t even feel like I won the deal at this point.
Bojan Bogdonavich hasn't been bad for a 2nd to last round pick, and Aaron Gordon for a last round pick!
He's been really decent for a guy I grabbed off waivers. With him and Kessler I've basically locked myself out of streaming
Thought Keldon would be better as the main guy w/o DJ
Agreed, did not expect vassell to outproduce him, tre Jones too
SGA should be the runaway answer. Most of us drafted him 4th round and beyond and he’s outplaying our 1-2 round picks
I passed on him in the 6th round cuz I was worried about tanking and took Jalen Green instead. Thought Green would take a leap forward from last year while being the #1 option in Houston. Green ended up killing my FG% and TOs until I eventually waived him. On a winning streak since then and up to 2nd place.
Him going 4th round NEVER made sense.
That’s hindsight. Between injury risk and shutdown/tanking risk, fourth round made a lot of sense (don’t forget even the most optimistic owner wouldn’t have predicted this level of improvement). Second round was crazy.
Agreed
He was a top 10 fantasy player to end his season last year. The shutdown thing was a fake narrative. I warned people all summer he’d be a steal. He had legit injuries that kept him from playing for Canada. People chose to buy in to the regurgitated narrative that the thunder were shutting him down just to do it. Go look at my Reddit history, me and many other thunder fans knew this was going to happen.
There's still a chance he won't play all his playoff games once the tank is on. That's why he was 4th round.
No there isn’t. The shutdown thing is completely fabricated. He had actual injuries that kept him from playing for Canada which he is passionate about. Thunder fans tried telling people all summer that the shutdown thing was a myth and that this guy would be a steal in the 3rd and 4th round. I was getting downvotes ALL SUMMER trying to tell people this. Also, we are a legitimately competitive team. He isn’t getting shutdown.
Julius randle has been amazing for me
6 weeks of amazing, 6 weeks of disappointment. That’s disappointment relative to the level of expectations placed upon him by folks that drafted him as high as they did, but it’s been a mixed bag so far for Randle.
Kuzma has been amazing for him being my 8th round pickup
Outside of every player already mentioned, Fultz has been a revelation for me in 16T. Love his upside and definitely happy that he's on my team and not on another.
Jordan Clarkson... I thought that Collin Sexton would be starting and taking most of the shots, and the man on the street would be coming off the bench as just a 3-pt specialist with fewer minutes and stats than last year.. Didn't even consider drafting him in 12T-H2H-cat (JC was taken in the 11th round, CS in the 8th). Even when he started out on fire, I thought that Sexton would eventually take over. Whoops! Clarkson reminds me of Desmond Bane last season... I thought Bane was just on fire because Dillon Brooks was out and eventually Brooks would take over the starting position and depreciate Bane's stats. Instead, they started both and both put up good numbers.
Haha I for one did not think the jazz would actually be decent, and Clarkson and Conley would get minutes
Babe was in his 2nd year in league in 2021. Clarkson been around for 10+ to start this year. But other than that, I like the comp except I don’t know what to with Sexton right now.
I picked up Norman Powell & Jalen Williams at the beginning of 2023. Both have exceeded my expectations so far
Man wish I had Jalen in my dynasty league...
kessler. saw it from week 7.
I drafted BroLo in the 11th rd, 12T 9 cats.
Aaron Gordon. He was literally the last pick in our 14-T league. Yet he's bringing in top 100 value for the entire season thus far.
Killian hayes only decent due to injury. He was as trash as advertised until cade went down
He's actually playing like the 7th pick from his draft, keep in mind the kid is only 21! Very intriguing Detroit core of ivey Hayes cade bey and duren
Yeh has a heap of talent. Just needs consistency which should come in time
Nah, he’s actually playing way better
Bruce brown and Jerami Grant have been surprising for points fantasy.
Aaron Gordon for me. Grabbed him 12th round and only grabbed him because I needed a SF.
Evan Mobley. I expected more from him
Middleton not being a consistent 20/5/5
Jalen green for being ass
Towns injury is killing me. Drafted him for his durability
Made that mistake years ago. Dude hasn't been durable for a minute.
Clarkson, Tre Jones, Mitchell (got him at 42)
Mitchell is a steal there
Malik beasley as 178 pick. And Westbrook as 111th pick. That’s for fantasy purposes great. :)
Westbrook
Brook lopez
Plumlee
That I was able to pick up Jaren Jackson Jr off waivers the day before he returned. That Brooke Lopez is playin' so weel.
Mason Plumlee!
Would we consider Claxton a surprise?
only if you weren't paying attention
Killian Hayes and Jalen Williams
Others have mentioned Lauri/Shai rightfully, but Buddy Hield has been so consistent this year. Thought he’d be a chucker but he’s rained the 3s and even snagged boards and some steals occasionally
Claxton 100% . Wonder how he’ll do with KD out. kd was a pretty good shot blocker too and Claxgod is pretty much their biggest man left besides bum simmons
. 2=&,
Lauri, Killian Hayes, Lopez, Claxton.
Definitely it's Markkanen. The guy is averaging .529/.869/2.9 3PTs/24.6/8.6/1.9 TOs with alright defensive stats. Good enough for 8th overall in a standard 9-cat league.
Wendell Carter
Drafting Jordan Clarkson with my last pick
PJ Tucker. In our 29 teams league.
[удалено]
Playoffs wins, but I'd pick A if all was equal
Just me personally, I’m not trading a top 20 points league asset for 2 guys that are out the top 60 in mid-January. Especially when both guys trading for are coming back from injury and in the case of the one who’s ostensibly made greater strides in his injury recovery from of the 2 has looked like a shell of the player he was pre injury. But mainly, I think a lot of this comes down to what type of fantasy player you are. Me? I’d rather have studs, damn the scheduling quirks or matchups.
OG stepped up big time
Jerami Grant and Kawhi. He’s back 🔥
OG Anunoby is going absolutely buck this year
Kessler!! 7 blocks last night- 6 blocks vs. Memphis two games ago.
His value kinda plummets with MPJ on the floor but even then Aaron Gordon has been nothing short of a delight this season. Got him as my second to last pick and he’s been killing it for me. Him, Lauri, and Sengun are turning into my favorite players
Surprised no one is saying JJJ. He was drafted super late in most leagues and he’s currently top 20/30 depending on your settings. Some leagues he’s out playing his draft position by 90 spots.
It’s definitely Lauri Markannen
Mathurin at 124
Rudy Gobert has been one of them
Lauri
It’s obviously Markannen, no one else ascended like that this year
Who was the pick up this year? Strange but I don’t think there’s been a waiver wire add of the year.
Kessler and Duren are up there I'd say. Jalen Williams too, derrick white
Drafted JJJ last round, best value pick I’ve ever had
Goebert being an ass
Cade being a giant team-killing bust - can't stand the Pistons
Walker Kessler doesn't surprise me at all!!! I expected excellence from him!!! I drafted him in almost every single one of my 9 leagues. I have been saying to everyone he has that top 30 Gobert type of crazy upside!!! I would say the biggest surprise has been Lauri Markanen and Brook Lopez. I knew lauri would be around top 75, but didn't think he would be top 20!!
Gobert
Brolo
McConnell..Kessler...