LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony have ranked among the elite fantasy small forwards over the past couple of years but if you haven’t landed at least one of them in annual fantasy basketball leagues, you’re still fine. There was a time when missing out meant doom for fantasy GMs but there has been some major movement at the position that could signal a much different outlook for the future. LeBron, Durant and Anthony can still be considered among the first tier but now there are four names that deserve to be added to the list of rising stars at the position.
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Green’s performance in Game 6 of the Warriors’ second round series against the Memphis Grizzlies provided another example of exactly how dominant of a fantasy player he can be for years to come. He stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and one three-point shot in just 33 minutes of action. His season averages of 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists have all been improved upon in the playoffs where he has averaged 13.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists and it’s clear that the 25 year old has the potential to absolutely thrive at the position moving forward.
Golden State might have to make changes to accommodate the salaries of so many talented players this offseason, but if they can find a way to hold on to their burgeoning star, he’s going to be a hot commodity in fantasy drafts next year. Remember, though, that this has been a contract year for him and he might not shine so well next season once the money has been guaranteed.
DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta Hawks
Arguably no other player in the NBA has been a bigger revelation for his team this postseason than Carroll, who has averaged 17.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.1 three-point shots for the Hawks in these playoffs. Atlanta is absolutely loaded with All-Star talent and while Jeff Teague, Al Horford, Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver have each taken their turns in the spotlight this season, it has been Carroll that has really thrived when it has counted the most in the playoffs, helping to carry the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals. At 6 ft. 8’ in., 212 pounds, Carroll is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams and he has emerged as one of the rising stars at the small forward position in these playoffs.
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
Middleton doesn’t deserve to be held in the same regard as Green and Carroll just yet but considering he was looked at as a “throw-in” in the Brandon Jennings-Brandon Knight trade, it’s amazing that he is now considered one of the small forwards on the rise in the NBA. Middleton averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the Bucks in 2014-15 and those are all improvements on his stats from the previous season. The 23-year-old forward is playing for a young team on the rise in Milwaukee he will truly have the chance to become one of the franchise’s core players over the next couple of seasons.
Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers
The only player on this list that didn’t get a chance to showcase his skill set during this year’s playoffs is Covington, who was good enough for Philadelphia throughout the regular season that he made this list. Covington is still just 24 years old but he played like a veteran on a terrible 76ers’ team this year when he averaged 13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.4 three-point shots per game. The 76ers have a barebones roster as is with almost nothing to speak of on the wings. Unless they specifically address the small forward position either in the draft or in free agency, you expect Covington to again get all the minutes he can handle next season and produce even better numbers again next season.
