This article is part of our NBA Team Previews series.
2022-23 Denver Nuggets 
Team Preview
Denver had a busy but relatively low-key offseason besides inking Nikola Jokic to the richest deal in NBA history. The front office also dealt Will Barton and Monte Morris to Washington for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith. DeAndre Jordan and Bruce Brown were also signed, and Christian Braun was drafted No. 21 overall out of Kansas.
Dominate your league with RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Rankings.
2021-22 Record: 48-34; lost in X round
2022-23 NBA Win Total Odds: 49.5 wins (DraftKings)
2022-23 NBA Title Odds: +1800 (DraftKings)
Live in Colorado and want to bet on the Denver Nuggets? Check out Colorado Sports Betting Sites.
Check out our 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Projections, customizable for your league settings.
Denver Nuggets Fantasy Basketball Preview
Nikola Jokic
The Nuggets entered the 2021-22 season needing to rely even more heavily on Jokic with Jamal Murray still recovering from a torn ACL. Murray would ultimately end up sitting out the entire season, and things got even worse for the Nuggets with Michael Porter Jr. (back) being limited to just nine games. Not only did Jokic average a career-high 27.1 points per game, but he also hauled in a whopping 13.8 rebounds, which shattered his previous career best of 10.8 per game. Add in his averages of 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers, to go along with 58.3 percent shooting from the field and 81.0 percent from the free-throw line, and Jokic was the top player in fantasy. He added another MVP award to his resume in the process. Murray and Porter should be back this season, so it might be difficult for Jokic to duplicate his 31.9 percent usage rate. Still, Jokic is still firmly in the discussion for the first overall pick and is one of the safest fantasy options, regardless of position. He's been incredibly healthy, playing at least 72 games every season of his career.
Jamal Murray
Murray missed all of last season due to an ACL tear suffered at the end of the 2020-21 campaign. That season was his best, as Murray finished 31st in eight-category roto leagues on a per-game basis. He saw 35.5 minutes per game and averaged 21.2 points on 48/41/87 shooting, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Though he's a point guard, Murray's assist ceiling will always be relatively low while playing alongside two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who runs the offense. Still, that's opened Murray up to launch plenty of high-percentage catch-and-shoot threes (2.7 makes two years ago). Plus, he's able to make cuts to the basket and finish at an elite level (72 percent at the rim, in the 97th percentile for combo guards). Fantasy managers should exercise a bit of caution drafting Murray since he'll need to shake off some rust, but his upside is clear, and he could end up returning third-round value if he can bounce back quickly.
Michael Porter
Porter is talented, but health issues have plagued him throughout his career. It's the reason why he fell to the 14th pick in the 2018 Draft. When he was mostly healthy, he stood out by averaging 19.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 three-pointers during the 2020-21 season. He even shot 54.2 percent from the field and 79.1 percent from the free-throw line, making him a valuable option in fantasy. However, Porter's back issues cropped up against last season, and ultimately resulted in him needing surgery after appearing in just nine games. With a full offseason to recover, the expectation is that Porter will be ready at the start of the season. If there is a list of high risk, high reward players, he should be near, or at, the top of it. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Nuggets take a cautious approach with him as the season moves along, including resting him for one half of back-to-back sets. If he can stay healthy, he should slot right back in as the third-best scoring option behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Denver Nuggets Depth Chart for 2022-23
Click ahead for a detailed Denver Nuggets Depth Chart.
- PG: Jamal Murray, Ish Smith
- SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bones Hyland
- SF: Michael Porter, Bruce Brown
- PF: Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green
- C: Nikola Jokic, DeAndre Jordan
Denver Nuggets Predictions for 2022-23
Getting both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter back is huge, and both players are crucial if the Nuggets aim to win an NBA title. Porter's injury issues are a legitimate problem, however. Can he be trusted to play when it counts? The role player shake-ups are also intriguing and give Denver interesting options, especially Bruce Brown and his unique skillset. KCP is an obvious fit around Jokic as a three-and-D option.
Record Prediction
- 52-30
- 4-seed
- Loses in Western Conference Semi-Finals
Bold Call
Bones Hyland wins Sixth Man of the Year
NBA Award Contenders
- Nikola Jokic, NBA MVP Odds (+900)
- Michael Porter, NBA Most Improved Player Odds (+3500, BetMGM)
- Bones Hyland, Sixth Man of the Year Odds (+1400)
- Bruce Hyland, Sixth Man of the Year odds (+8500, FanDuel)
