With the NBA All-Star break running from February 16-21, now is a good time to look back at some of the best fantasy values of the season, both from the fantasy draft and the waiver pool.
Who exceeded expectations and proved invaluable to winning fantasy teams in 2023-24?
Here are fantasy experts André Snellings, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander with the players that caught their attention.
The best draft picks
Victor Wembanyama, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs: Discounting the six games lost (not bad) I couldn't be happier to pick Wemby in all of my top leagues, including #25 overall in my 30-team league and #14 overall in my top league. Monday's triple-double was icing on the cake and every team I looked for is in position to win a championship. He will be the number one pick in many leagues next season. — Alexander
Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers: My best early draft pick was probably Maxey, who I got with the 55th pick in my 30-team league, 30-Deep. Maxey had a great season last year, but at the time of the draft he was still dealing with questions about what the 76ers would do with James Harden. Of course, Harden was traded and Maxey exploded into pole position to win the NBA's Most Improved Player award in his first All-Star season. — Snellings
Jalen Johnson, SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks: The first name that came to mind was Johnson. Buried deep in drafts and often not selected at all in many leagues, Johnson has become the athletic two-way vertical threat that John Collins was once expected to become. Not only is he an efficient scorer with a true .601 shooting clip, but an incredible combination of rebounding and diverse defensive ratings combine to create a compelling fantasy profile. — McCormick
Best Free Agent/Waiver Transfer Pickups
Jalen Johnson, SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks and Coby White, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls: Neither the Hawks' Johnson nor the Bulls' White were drafted in one of my leagues, and I added each of them during the first week of the season. I'm sure I did! Johnson took advantage of the opportunity immediately after the John Collins trade gave him a chance for big minutes and production. White, who was so disappointing last season, was presumably in a preseason battle for a starting job, and emerged victorious. He leads the Bulls in starts. Fantasy managers should always pay attention to the early patterns of the regular season and be willing to jump into free agency. You never know! — Karabella
Malik Monk, SG/SF, Sacramento Kings: The free agent that comes to mind for the first half of the season is Monk, who I picked in my 14-team War Room league. According to Player Rater, Monk is currently getting a top-85 value, which is the starting value in such a deep league. He has really picked up the action as a distributor with over five APG which, combined with his shooting/scoring and almost a block per game from the backcourt, have been a solid value. — Snellings
Amen Thompson, SG, Houston Rockets: The free agent I anticipate will be a favorite after the All-Star break is Thompson, who I sidelined a couple of weeks ago after his health issues at the start of the season. Thompson has started five games this season, and in those five he has shown his potential as an all-around contributor with averages of 11.2 points per game, 12.0 points per game, 4.6 points per game, 1.6 points per game and 0.6 points per game. If the Rockets, currently in fifth place in the West, were to get out of the playoff race and start building toward the future, I could see them giving more strength to their young lottery pick and Thompson being a basketball league winner. fantasy in the final stretch. — Snellings
Coby White, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls: I have him ranked 126th in my 30-team league and he has been a monster in both categories and points leagues. And he was a total steal and is a key player for my 30-Deep team. White has been worth a seventh-round fantasy pick this season, but if you rule out steals, blocks and turnovers, he jumps to almost a third-round pick. In addition to scoring, rebounding, assisting and hitting three-pointers, his shooting percentages are great. Despite the steal problem, he has been a game-changer in fantasy leagues. — Alexander
Vince Williams Jr., SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies: and Jonathan Kuminga, PF, Golden State Warriors: I got lucky and picked them both up off waivers right before they came into fashion this season. They have both been fantastic for my squad and, despite some ups and downs, they are key players for several of my teams. Williams should continue like this all season, as the Grizzlies are already looking ahead to next year with half the team locked down, while Kuminga has emerged as one of the key pieces of the Warriors' late run that finally has them looking towards the last third of the season. the season. And as Klay Thompson continues to fade, Kuminga could continue to get even better. — Alexander
Collin Sexton, PG/SG, Utah Jazz: Sexton was also an afterthought in many formats last fall. Utah's combo guard was one of my favorite assets entering last season, but it looks like his recovery needed time. Having regained much of the deft scoring touch that made him an emerging talent with Cleveland earlier in his career, consider that Sexton has averaged 21.2 points on a brilliant .626 true shooting percentage in 31 starts. To put it in context, that scoring efficiency as a starter is just above that of Luka Doncic and Devin Booker this season. Add in his 5.5 dimes per game as a starter, and it's clear that Sexton's renaissance as a top creator is entirely sustainable. — McCormick
