Making bold predictions is fun as a fantasy analyst because we throw out these outlandish speculations and hope some stick to the wall. The reality is that many of them won't, but the predictions should indicate how each fantasy analyst feels about an unpopular opinion. If a player is mentioned positively in a bold prediction, the analyst is higher on them than the norm, whether the boldness of that prediction comes true or not. The same goes for the other end of the spectrum. We're just hopeful these bold predictions will help lead you in the right direction. With that said, let's dive into a few for the upcoming season!
James Harden Finishes as a Top 5 Player
Harden was falling to the end of the second round when draft season started, but people are finally coming around. He's being taken at the beginning of the second round now, but that still might not be high enough. It looks likely that Harden will return to the Houston usage that made him the top player in fantasy because he's the only true playmaker on the Clippers. Paul George leaving for Philly really added to his value, but Kawhi Leonard dealing with his reoccurring knee injury is truly horrifying for the Clippers. It's wonderful for Harden's value, though, averaging 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks and 2.9 threes per 36 minutes when PG13 was off the floor. He averaged over 30 points per game when George and Leonard
Making bold predictions is fun as a fantasy analyst because we throw out these outlandish speculations and hope some stick to the wall. The reality is that many of them won't, but the predictions should indicate how each fantasy analyst feels about an unpopular opinion. If a player is mentioned positively in a bold prediction, the analyst is higher on them than the norm, whether the boldness of that prediction comes true or not. The same goes for the other end of the spectrum. We're just hopeful these bold predictions will help lead you in the right direction. With that said, let's dive into a few for the upcoming season!
James Harden Finishes as a Top 5 Player
Harden was falling to the end of the second round when draft season started, but people are finally coming around. He's being taken at the beginning of the second round now, but that still might not be high enough. It looks likely that Harden will return to the Houston usage that made him the top player in fantasy because he's the only true playmaker on the Clippers. Paul George leaving for Philly really added to his value, but Kawhi Leonard dealing with his reoccurring knee injury is truly horrifying for the Clippers. It's wonderful for Harden's value, though, averaging 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks and 2.9 threes per 36 minutes when PG13 was off the floor. He averaged over 30 points per game when George and Leonard were both out, and it's encouraging since Harden said he's in the best shape he's been in.
Ben Simmons Becomes a Must-Roster Player Once Again
Simmons has gone undrafted in most 12-team drafts I've done, and it's easy to understand why. The Aussie has barely played over the last four years, playing just 57 games since 2021. It's a sad development for the talented guard because he was one of the best stat-stuffers in the NBA before that. Simmons averaged 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks on 57 percent shooting through his first four seasons. He did that across 34 minutes a night, and we saw similar averages last season. The per-36 averages for Simmons last year came out to 9.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. That would be a Top 50 player, and it looks like Simmons will be starting and playing 30-35 minutes for the worst roster in the NBA. Even if he gives us just 75 percent of that, Simmons will be the biggest steal at the end of drafts, especially since he doesn't cost anything on draft day!
The Warriors and Suns Will Finish Top 5 in the Western Conference
This wouldn't have been an unpopular opinion last season, but both of these teams are projected to finish sixth (PHX) and eighth (GSW) in the West this year. Both clubs saw a dip in a disappointing 2023 season, but I'm really encouraged by some of the additions.
Let's start with the Warriors because they've rehauled the depth of their roster. They parted ways with Klay Thompson but replaced him with guys like Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson. That sounds like a net positive because Hield will fill the shooting void left behind, while Melton and Anderson will fill critical bench minutes. They also have some up-and-coming young players stepping into more prominent roles, with Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski looking brilliant at times last year. That depth is most important in an 82-game season, and we didn't even mention that Stephen Curry could be an MVP candidate as well!
The Suns are another team people are sleeping on because they frustrated fans last season. It's funny to say that in a 49-win season because the Suns are averaging 55 wins per game over the last four years! We didn't even see Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker play much together last season, and talent like that will surely develop together. My favorite aspect is that they added Tyus Jones. This team has desperately needed a true ball-handler over recent years, and they added one of the best assist-to-turnover ratio guys in the NBA! That's what they needed when they had one of the worst net ratings in the fourth quarter last season, and avoiding those collapses with players like that should help this team see some massive improvements.
The Detroit Pistons Double Their 2023 Win Total
I wish there were more data to back this up because it's difficult to get excited about Detroit after last season. They started the year with a 3-36 record last year and won just 14 games in total. That means they need to clear 28 wins to reach this prediction, which doesn't feel outlandish. The most crucial factor for this team is that Cade Cunningham needs to plays like a star, which we've seen in the preseason. They also have some blossoming youngsters like Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson, but the most important addition is Tobias Harris. He's been one of the most efficient players throughout his career, and people forget how amazing he's been because of some stupid publicity in Philadelphia. They also added shooters like Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr, which should help since they were 27th in scoring and 29th in three-pointers made last year.
Tyrese Haliburton Finishes Outside the Top 25
Hali has developed into one of the best passers in the NBA, but he scares me as a Top 6 pick in fantasy. That's typically where he's being selected right now, but many people aren't considering the outlook of this roster. Not only did they trade for Pascal Siakam last season, but they're also getting more from guys like Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Benedict Mathurin. When those guys were blossoming in the second half of last season, and Siakam was doing his thing, Hali wasn't the same guy. In the final 50 games of the season, Haliburton averaged 17.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Those are solid statistics, but you can find guys like that in the third or fourth-round of drafts.
