I included three designations to help explain why these players should be considered sleepers. First, Average draft position (ADP) can help you plan who to target in each round of your draft, and that is the first number listed after each player's name. Everyone in this article has an ADP of 130 or higher. Second, I included a personal projected ranking of surety (from 1-to-10) gauging my prospective inclination of belief in their chances of being a productive fantasy contributor this season. The surety ranking is purely an educated guess. Third, I've provided a short blurb explaining their role on the team and how that will open the door for them to provide great value on your fantasy team.
ZOMBIES
The Zombies are veterans who have been given new life this year because of a new coach, new system, return from injury, or move to a new team.
PLAYER : ADP : SURETY
Channing Frye: 196.43 : 7
Frye was named the de facto starting center at the beginning of training camp. His ability to play on the perimeter stretches the floor and gives Amare Stoudamire the room he needs to be effective in the paint. Frye should be the starting center on opening night, and playing in the Suns' high-octane offense should help him record career stats this year.
Louis Williams: 137.57 : 10
Williams has taken over the starting point guard spot that was left vacant when Andre Miller signed with the Blazers in free agency. His scoring, assists, and shooting percentages should all improve in coach Eddie Jordan's Princeton offense. Sweet Lou is supposed to receive about 38 minutes per night, giving him every opportunity to be a quality fantasy contributor and a steal at an ADP of 137.
Hakim Warrick: 175.63 : 5
Warrick will have the chance to earn the starting job at power forward or small forward for the Bucks this preseason. If he can convince coach Scott Skiles to play him 30-35 minutes a game, he'll be a cheap source of points and rebounds late in drafts.
Joakim Noah: 137.15 : 10
Noah played his way into the starting center job last season, and his performance in the playoffs solidified his importance in the Bulls' future plans. He gives you all the stats a big man is supposed to give you in fantasy: blocks, rebounds, and high field goal percentage.
DOOGIE HOWSERS
The Doogie Howsers are rookie (and sophomore) prodigies that have landed in the right situation and should seize the opportunity.
Terrence Williams|STAR|: 179.28 : 7
Evaluating Williams precise contributions is difficult because he's more of a basketball player than he is a point guard, shooting guard, or small forward. He rebounds, passes, and defends with great intensity, but his willingness to defer limited his offensive game in college and may prove to limit his ceiling in the pros. Williams is currently stuck in a timeshare with veteran bums, Jarvis Hayes and Bobby Simmons, at the small forward position. Coach Lawrence Frank is loyal to a fault when it comes to his veterans which will likely mute Williams' chances in the early part of the season. Frank will want Williams to "earn it" before he gives him minutes. However, Frank gave Josh Boone the starting center job out of camp last year and Boone quickly lost his spot to Brook Lopez. I'm hoping Williams can follow the same path, because fantasy is supposed to be fun and Hayes and Simmons are about as boring as it gets in fantasy.
|STAR|T-Will Warning: I love this guy's game and have been giving him props all summer. I'm bigger on him than I should be, but I like to own players that I like. I will probably never own Maun Ginobili, Tony Parker, or Allen Iverson, because I don't like the dudes. That isn't to say I wouldn't draft them if they fell to me two rounds after they should have been drafted, but I would never reach for them or take them at their ADPs, because I wouldn't enjoy owning them.
Jonny Flynn: 160.13 : 10
Wolves' general manager David Kahn has said all summer that he expects Flynn to start at point guard all year. The decision ultimately falls to coach Kurt Rambis, but it's unlikely Rambis would go against Kahn's wishes. Flynn was one of the most impressive rookies at the Las Vegas Summer League and quickly made a name for himself. He's undersized, but Flynn has great court vision and can get to the rack with ease.
Danilo Gallinari: 180.28 : 7
Even if Gallinari doesn't win the starting small forward job out of camp, he'll get most of the minutes there. He's deadly from outside the arc and should excel, like all players, in coach Mike D'Antoni's SSOL (seven seconds or less) system. As long as he stays healthy through camp, and there aren't any problems with his back, don't let Gallinari go undrafted in your league.
Brandon Rush: 191.23 : 6
Rush may not start at shooting guard, but he'll earn most of the minutes there as long as Mike Dunleavy Jr. continues to have injury issues with his knee. At the end of last season, with the Pacers' lineup depleted by injuries, Rush excelled in the starting lineup. He's a lot like Wilson Chandler and Rudy Gay in that he contributes positive numbers in nearly every category. He'll block shots, get steals, and make nearly two treys per game when given enough minutes. He's in the same conversation as Gallinari when considering sleepers that shouldn't go undrafted in your league.
Courtney Lee: 130.10 : 10
Lee's status as a sleeper is becoming tentative as the season nears, because everyone knows who he is now. Moved to the Nets in the early part of summer as the come back piece of the Vince Carter trade, Lee's legend has heated up over the last two months. Someone has to claim the 16 shots per game that Carter left behind. That's the big sell on Lee. He exceeded expectations as a rookie on a veteran team last year. Lee should have a larger role this year as he won't be stuck behind Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu.
Tyreke Evans: 145.40 : 5
Evans has to beat out Beno Udrih in camp for the starting point guard job. In other words: Evans will start at point guard for the Kings this year. He rebounds well and can get to the rack at will. His jump shot needs work, and he turns the ball over too much. But the Kings aren't playing for much this year and should give Evans every opportunity to develop this season.
Disclaimer: Draft Board Balancing:
Depending on which website you use to conduct your draft, the default rankings will differ dramatically in some cases. Yahoo uses rankings that take into account turnovers. ESPN doesn't factor in the turnover stat, because it isn't one of their default categories in their standard league setup. CBS uses a points based system that drastically alters player rankings when compared against categorical scoring systems like roto and h-2-h leagues. Make sure you know which scoring system your league uses, and have proper rankings available to reference during your draft.