2017-18 fantasy basketball preview: Sleepers to target

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OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Jamal Murray /

Jamal Murray, PG, Denver Nuggets (Rank: 88; ADP: 124.5)

With two sweet-passing big men in Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap holding down the frontcourt, the Denver Nuggets don’t need a ball-dominating point guard in their starting lineup. While Denver is alternating between starting Emmanuel Mudiay and Jamal Murray during its first three preseason games, per Chris Dempsey of the team website, Murray should wind up staving off all challengers for the gig.

Unlike Mudiay, who is a career 36.9 percent shooter and nearly forced head coach Mike Malone to have a mental breakdown because of his penchant for turnovers, Murray is better suited to work in an off-ball role alongside Jokic and Millsap. The Kentucky product came on strong toward the end of last season, chipping in 12.1 points on 42.3 percent shooting, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 triples and 1.0 steals during his final 26 games to finish as the 135th-ranked player on a per-game basis over that span.

With Danilo Gallinari now in Los Angeles, Denver will need both Murray and Gary Harris to shoulder more of a scoring load on the wing, which could pave the way for a top-100 campaign. Pay close attention to the Nuggets’ preseason battle at the point, but if Murray holds off Mudiay and Jameer Nelson, he’s all but certain to vastly exceed his ADP.

Next: Marcus Smart, PG/SG, Boston Celtics

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