Only the New York Knicks have fewer wins than the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference this season. And after the Sixers traded away the reigning Rookie of the Year award winner Michael Carter-Williams, there had to be a number of fantasy owners that were wondering what they were possibly doing. The short-term answer is that they’ve actually been better without the second-year guard. The long term answer is that the 76ers are thinking long term as far as building a legitimate championship contender is concerned.
The 76ers may seem like a barren wasteland but to fantasy general managers, they know there’s value to be had here. Even though the players are lesser known, someone still has to score and collect the rebounds. That’s why we’re taking a look at the 76ers seeing where the value lies in terms of fantasy:
Nerlens Noel – Center
Noel has been an absolute monster in terms of fantasy as he has progressed rapidly. His recent fantasy production has been impressive, grabbing at least 10 rebounds in each of his last six games, including the game against the Los Angeles Clippers where he scored 30 points. Perhaps most impressive about Noel’s production is the way he has been able to fill a number of different categories averaging nearly two assists, blocks and steals per game this season.
Fantasy guys have to love the fact that he’s ramped things up in the second half of the season and is finishing strong. Before the All-Star break, he was doing 8.2 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.6 steals, 1.6 assists while hitting 1.3 free throws. Since the All-Star break, Noel is scoring 13.9, averaging 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 2.3 steals and getting to the line 4.9 times and hitting 3.3 free throws.
Considering that he is just 20 years old and is playing in his first NBA season after sitting out all of last year due to injury, it’s safe to say that Noel has the potential to become an elite NBA center in terms of his overall fantasy production.
Ish Smith – Point Guard
One player that has benefited dramatically from the MCW trade is Smith, who has seen his minutes rise significantly since coming over from the Oklahoma City Thunder. It says quite a bit when Noel says that Smith is the first true point guard he’s ever played with (possibly taking a shot at MCW).
Smith has fought for every minute he has played in the NBA but since the All-Star break, he’s averaging 26.3 minutes per contest. As a result, his fantasy production has risen along with his minutes. Since the All-Star break, Smith is scoring 12.5 points per game while averaging a healthy 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Maybe in the long run, he’s just a backup point guard but the 76ers believe in him right now. If they don’t bring in anyone else, Smith could be a sneaky, under-the-radar option in drafts next year.
Robert Covington – Forward
Covington is another player that has shown flashes of his ability to produce from a fantasy standpoint but we’ll have to see whether he factors into the 76ers long-term plans. The 76ers have a wealth of young talent and outside of Noel it’s hard to trust any of their big men to produce. However, Covington’s averages are slightly better than Thomas Robinson and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute over the past couple of weeks, and while he hasn’t clearly beat them out, he’ll likely face more competition for his job next year. He does have some added value as a big man that can stretch the floor with his three-point shooting.
As a starter this year, Covington is providing 14.5 points per game, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 steals while adding 2.7 three-pointers per game. He’s been a nice fantasy piece this year but he’s likely hurt your shooting percentages, hitting 39.2% from the field and 38.3% from three.
