The Phoenix Suns have struggled to forge an identity over the past couple of years as their desire to push for a playoff spot hasn’t matched up with the talent on their roster. It’s created a weird situation where the team seems to be constantly pushing forward despite that the best long-term situation might be to take a step back.
Phoenix has assembled a roster that projects as a fringe contender once again this season but the only thing that fantasy GM’s care about is the individual production of the team’s best players. Here is a breakdown of the value for the six most fantasy relevant players on the Suns roster looking forward to the 2015-16 NBA season.
1. Eric Bledsoe
Phoenix has had a revolving door at the point guard position over the last two years and while Goran Dragic finally had enough, they now have two capable players left to share the role in Bledsoe and Knight. Bledsoe appears to be the better option looking forward to next season with his experience. He’s the primary scorer on this team. Last year, he registered a team-high 17 points and 6.1 assists per game along with 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals. Bledsoe will be the starting shooting guard for the Suns and while his long-term value is still in question, there is no doubt he is the best fantasy option on this team looking forward to next season.
2. Tyson Chandler
Chandler was an underrated piece on the open market and he is somewhat underrated as a fantasy center as well. He can do a bit of everything and is in a much better situation with Phoenix than he was with the Dallas Mavericks last season. The 32-year-old Chandler averaged 10.3 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for Dallas and with a bigger role in a more up-tempo offense, he has the potential to improve those averages across the board.
3. Markieff Morris
Morris averaged 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists a year ago and those are some pretty good numbers for a power forward that doesn’t get much attention. Phoenix absolutely loves what Morris brings to the table and he will have every opportunity to match those averages for the Suns again this coming season.
[related_post_one]
4. Brandon Knight
Knight’s value would be much better if he was the starting point guard somewhere else but it will be interesting to see how he is used with Bledsoe in the Phoenix offense. It’s a bit bizarre what Phoenix has done with the point guard position over the last couple of seasons – including Knight’s massive contract. However, that shows a vote of confidence. He’s going to start and Bledsoe will be beside him. In this offense, that makes him pretty valuable.
5. P.J. Tucker
Tucker slots in as the team’s starting small forward right now and we can probably expect the same numbers we got from him last season when he started 63 games for Phoenix. Tucker averaged 9.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.37 steals per game, so while he is not an elite fantasy option, he is a decent choice as the expected starter on a team that likes to run.
6. T.J. Warren
You’ll want to keep an eye on Warren, who was named to the Las Vegas Summer League first team. You’re probably thinking that it doesn’t mean much but keep in mind that this is a player that came on strong to end the season. He did average 7.8 points per game with 2.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks after the All-Star Game. Yes, it doesn’t look like much but keep in mind that he only saw 19.5 minute of action. He started once last season and produced 10 points, six assists, three rebounds and a steal.
With Gerald Green and Marcus Morris out of the way, Warren could have some legitimate fantasy value. Get in on him before everyone else does.
