With the March Madness tournament winding down, the focus will soon shift to the NBA Draft. The next stop for the top college players is the NBA. While we enjoyed the Madness, we also paid close attention to the top individual players with a focus on some potential fantasy basketball studs in the NBA. Here is a look at the college basketball prospects that have our attention for NBA fantasy.
Lonzo Ball, UCLA Bruins
Ball’s production in the NCAA tournament has helped boost his draft stock. It also put him on the radar as a potential fantasy stud in the NBA next season. Ball stuffed the stat sheet versus Cincinnati in the Round of 16 when he scored 18 points with nine assists and seven rebounds. While his father has received a lot of attention for his comments, Ball’s ability to put up substantial numbers across the board is the key to his intrigue as a fantasy basketball stud in the NBA.
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue Boilermakers
Swanigan is regarded as a special talent that is ready to contribute right away in the NBA. The Purdue big man has shot 53-percent from the field this season and 45-percent from three-point range. That obviously won’t translate in the NBA but the fact that he can stretch the floor with his shot makes him an intriguing prospect. Swanigan averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for the Boilermakers this season. He won’t produce at that level right away in the NBA. However, Swanigan has immense potential and he could put up decent numbers right away depending on where he lands.
Malik Monk, Kentucky Wildcats
Consistency has been the biggest issue for Monk at Kentucky. When he is taking and hitting his shots he can light it up. However, when he is off of his game he seems to make poor decisions and frustrate his coaches. Monk has averaged 19.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game at Kentucky this season. He won’t stuff the stat sheet the way that Ball and Swanigan will, but he should put up decent scoring totals right away in the right situation.
De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky Wildcats
Fox has averaged 16.7 points, 4.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds at Kentucky this season. Injuries have kept him out of the lineup at times, but there is no doubt he has the potential to produce at a high level in the NBA. The key for Fox will be ending up in the right situation, with a team that can maximize his potential right away. Fox has the tools to be a relevant fantasy basketball player in the NBA right now. The key to his success in his rookie season will hinge largely on where he ends up as a likely top-10 pick.
We’ve seen a number of Wildcats succeed in the NBA fantasy recently and that’s going to give Monk and Fox (see: below) a boost. Even guys like Skal Labissiere with the Sacramento Kings and Devin Booker with the Phoenix Suns are going significant factors these days. That suggests Monk and Fox will be two players that could have significant NBA fantasy impacts next season.
Markelle Fultz, Washington Huskies
Fultz was the consensus first-overall pick for most of the season but his injury status has raised questions. Fultz missed time due to a knee injury and nobody in the NBA really knows what is going on behind the scenes right now. Fultz is a more complete player than Ball and he has the potential to perform at a high level if he is healthy next season. The key to Fultz’s potential will be his health and whether or not he is at full strength for the start of the 2017-18 NBA season.
Interestingly enough, we saw Lonzo Ball come out and take a shot at Fultz this week. We’ll see if that fuels Fultz a little bit as these two are developing a bit of a rivalry. They’ve been compared to each in Pac-12 play. Their teams have been compared to each other. Looking forward, they’ll be two of the top rookies we’re measuring up against each other in NBA fantasy early on next season.
Bet on all of the big NBA games this week at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
