2017-18 fantasy basketball preview: Philadelphia 76ers

Over the coming weeks, we at FanSided will do a team-by-team breakdown of each NBA franchise’s fantasy prospects for the 2017-18 season. Let’s continue today with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers are poised to be a fantasy basketball goldmine in 2017-18.

With five players being selected among the top 75 in early ESPN.com drafts, the long-suffering Sixers suddenly find themselves with no shortage of legitimate fantasy options. New arrivals such as Markelle Fultz, Ben Simmons and JJ Redick will help Philadelphia boost its last-ranked offense to new heights, while returnees like Joel Embiid, Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Richaun Holmes should remain fixtures of fantasy lineups.

Playing time will be among the biggest concerns when drafting any Philly players this year, as the wave of new additions creates uncertainty with regard to head coach Brett Brown’s rotations. The Sixers will have legitimate competition at every position this season, which is great for their budding playoff hopes but less ideal for fantasy owners. Breakout players such as Saric and Holmes will suddenly be contending with Simmons and new arrival Amir Johnson for playing time, which complicates their fantasy outlooks in 2017-18.

Which Sixers players should fantasy owners target with early-, mid- and late-round picks, and who should be left on the waiver wire? Let’s take a look.

Early-round picks

Joel Embiid, C: There is no greater risk-reward pick early in fantasy drafts than Embiid, who touts league-winning upside if he can stay on the floor. The Kansas product averaged 20.2 points on 46.6 percent shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 2.1 assists, 1.2 triples and 0.9 steals in just 25.4 minutes per game last year to finish as the 21st-ranked player on a per-game basis in nine-category leagues. Injuries have limited him to just 31 games across his first three professional seasons, but if he dodges any further ailments and boosts his playing time to around 30 minutes per game, Embiid could finish as a top-10 option. Where you’re willing to take him depends on how much you factor injury risk into his draft-day price, but selecting him in the mid- to late third round would help mitigate those concerns.

Mid-round picks

Robert Covington, SF/PF: Covington remains wildly underrated league-wide, but fantasy owners should be well-acclimated with his sneaky effectiveness. Though the Tennessee State product has shot above 40 percent just once in his four NBA seasons and has never averaged more than 13.5 points per game, his elite output in 3-pointers (2.0) and steals (1.9) helped him finish as the 40th-ranked player on a per-game basis in nine-category leagues last season. With Simmons and Fultz now set to run the Sixers’ offense, Covington will be paired with the two best playmakers he’s ever played alongside, which may help him raise his shooting efficiency. His offensive volume may decrease slightly due to all of the new mouths to feed in Philadelphia, but he’ll still make for a strong sixth-round pick.

Ben Simmons, PF: By all accounts, Simmons will start the 2017-18 as Philadelphia’s primary ball-handler, which should make him a popular mid-round fantasy target. He missed the entire 2016-17 campaign after fracturing a bone in his foot during training camp last fall, but his per-game averages during his lone season at LSU—19.2 points on 56.0 percent, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals—speak to the type of well-rounded fantasy impact he could have as a rookie. Given Simmons’ lack of 3-point range, his average draft position of 54.2 in early ESPN.com leagues is at least a round or two too high, but he’ll be worth a look in the eighth or ninth round if he falls that far in your league.

Markelle Fultz, PG: Relying on a rookie point guard is often a death knell in fantasy basketball. While Philadelphia drafted Fultz first overall in June, it may take him time to acclimate to his new surroundings, particularly with Simmons projected to take the reins as the team’s primary ball-handler. Fultz averaged 23.2 points on 47.6 percent shooting, 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 triples, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks this past season with the Washington Huskies, but his per-game output will significantly shrink upon his arrival to the NBA. Like with Simmons, Fultz’s early ADP of 61.0 is far too high, but he’d make for a reasonable ninth- or 10th-round selection if he slips on draft day.

Late-round picks

J.J. Redick, SG: At this point of his career, Redick is poised to be little more than a three-point specialist for fantasy owners. He averaged 15.0 points on 44.5 percent shooting and 2.6 triples in his final season with the Los Angeles Clippers to finish as the 105th-ranked player on a per-game basis in nine-category leagues, but beyond that, he chipped in just 2.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.7 steals. The Sixers didn’t sign Redick to a one-year, $23 million deal to have him come off their bench, but owners who expect more than points and treys from him are setting themselves up for disappointment. As such, he’s an 11th-round target.

Dario Saric, SF/PF: The Saric love in early ESPN.com drafts is perplexing. He currently has an ADP of 67.0 despite finishing his rookie season as the 136rd-ranked player on a per-game basis in nine-category leagues. He averaged 17.3 points on 43.2 percent shooting, 7.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 triples, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in his 25 outings following the All-Star break, all of which he started, but he was the 105th-ranked player on a per-game basis during that span largely due to the 3.0 giveaways he averaged. With Simmons now in the fold to take away minutes at power forward, Saric figures to come off the bench this year and play roughly 25-30 minutes per game. Unless he drastically increases his 3-point output or cuts down on his turnovers, he’s best suited as a 13th- or 14th-round pick.

Richaun Holmes, PF: Since Embiid is no certainty to stay healthy, one of the Sixers’ backup big men figures to carve out a fantasy-relevant role this season. While draft pedigree works in Okafor’s favor, Holmes’ skill set meshes more with the modern-day NBA. The Bowling Green product is a springy shot-blocker with three-point range, as evidenced by the 1.7 blocks and 0.8 triples he averaged per 36 minutes last season. Holmes finished the year as the 112th-ranked player on a per-game basis in nine-category leagues despite playing only 20.9 minutes per game, but his top-100 upside is tied entirely to Embiid’s health. Regardless, he’s going undrafted in early ESPN.com leagues, so he’ll be a low-risk, high-upside flier with one of your final few picks.

Waiver-wire fodder

TJ McConnell, PG

Jerryd Bayless, PG

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, SG

Nik Stauskas, SG

Furkan Korkmaz, SG

Justin Anderson, SG

Amir Johnson, PF

Jahlil Okafor, C

Next: Every NBA team's greatest shooter of all time

Sleepers/busts

Sleeper: Richaun Holmes

Bust: Dario Saric

Other team breakdowns

All average draft position info via FantasyPros. All rankings via Basketball Monster are based on nine-category leagues.

Home/Fantasy Basketball