The New York Knicks have ranked among the biggest disappointments in the NBA this season as a franchise that seemed like a lock to at least make the postseason is now destined to finish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The Knicks haven’t offered much in the way of fantasy value either with Carmelo Anthony sidelined and the offense averaging just 91.8 points per game this season. So where is the fantasy value – if any – on this New York roster? Here is a breakdown of the Knicks top options in terms of fantasy value moving forward keeping in mind that they have plenty of cap space as well as one of the top picks in the 2015 NBA Draft.
SF: Carmelo Anthony
It hasn’t helped the Knicks that their best player has been sidelined with a knee injury that required surgery and while the consensus is that he will be back for the 2015-16 season stronger than he has been in some time, there are some that have doubts about whether he will ever be the same superstar caliber player again. After all, conditioning could be a problem; how out of shape will he be?
Anthony has averaged 25.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season and he will be asked to lead a reloaded Knicks team again next season. New York should be able to build around their MVP through free agency and the draft this summer but some will be cautious when it comes to picking Anthony too high in next year’s fantasy drafts because of everything that he has been through this season.
C: Andrea Bargnani
The Knicks would probably like to have the first-round pick they gave up to acquire Bargnani’s services right now and while he has been a tremendous bust as a former No. 1 pick, he has actually been the team’s leading scorer over the past couple of weeks. Bargnani has averaged 17.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 three-point shots per game over the past two weeks and he is probably the only player currently on the roster worth even considering fantasy wise right now. Bargnani’s role in New York will become clearer this summer when the team addresses its needs in free agency but as of right now, he is the only Knicks player worth even looking at from a fantasy perspective.
PG: Alexey Shved
Shved will miss the rest of the season with a fractured rib but he put up some quality fantasy numbers during his short time with New York and if they decide to lean on him again next year, his stats could be even better. Shved averaged 17.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists during his final few games with the Knicks but his fantasy value with the team will come down to where they think he will fit in. The former first-round pick isn’t an elite defender and he certainly has his flaws but if he returns as the starting point guard, his fantasy value will be even greater for next season.
PG: Langston Galloway
If there has been one bright spot to take from this New York team this season, it has been the play of Galloway, who may have solidified his spot on the roster moving forward to next season with his play. Galloway has averaged 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game this season and considering his current deal he will be even more valuable to the Knicks since they will want to spend money elsewhere in an attempt to land one or two big name free agents. It isn’t a stretch to think that Galloway could start or be the first guard off the bench for New York next year so the fantasy value is there.
Keep In Mind
The Knicks are going to be big players in free agency and with a lack of quality at almost every position, expect all of their incoming free agents and rookies to get the opportunity to play big minutes. Guys like DeAndre Jordan, Greg Monroe and Rajon Rondo have been closely tied to the Knicks and all of their values will increase should they sign with the Knicks and see the increase in playing time.
