by Last week we talked about the early dynasty Risers And Faller. I intentionally left rookies out of both lists, which gives us a chance to talk about some of them here. These 10 rookies have played well early on and their dynasty value has certainly improved compared to last season. We won’t be too critical of the rookies who struggled, especially since that class was considered a weaker class.
It’s easy to get excited about rookies putting up crazy stats, but that just hasn’t happened much this season. Some of these are obvious choices for beginners that have been impressive so far, but even a few fun impressions can help you land on this list. I’m not saying try to trade for all these people. Just give credit where credit is due about two months into their rookie years.
Jared McCain, G, PHI
McCain was one of the best rookies to start the season, and while his long-term prospects are still fantastic, he will be out indefinitely after tearing his left meniscus. He currently leads all rookies in points and 3 points per game and is averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.2 triples per game. An extended absence will likely keep him from winning any awards, but he will be an important part of the 76ers’ future. They were able to take him with the 16th pick and he will share the backfield for a long time with another guard they selected outside of the lottery: Tyrese Maxey. I covered McCain in more detail earlier this season, which can be found here Here.
Donovan Clingan, C, POR
As a rookie, Clingan was unable to play a major role for Portland and he is currently playing on a minutes restriction after missing seven games due to an MCL sprain. However, when they released him, the results were impressive. In his seven starts this year, Clingan averaged eight points, 10 rebounds and three blocks while shooting 52.2% from the floor in 22.3 minutes per game. He’s stuck with Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams for minutes, which will prevent him from truly dominating. However, this won’t be a long-term problem and he will quickly become a dominant force in fantasy basketball.
Stephon Castle, G, SAS
Castle has been one of the best rookies to date, but one of my concerns was how that would translate to fantasy basketball. Although he hasn’t fully answered these questions yet, he was still very good at the beginning. Castle is currently averaging 11.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 triples per game due to poor shooting distribution. As Spurs continue to get healthier, his role may be a little smaller going forward than it was initially, but he has proven that he will be a big part of their future.
Carlton Carrington, G, WAS
Bub’s performance dipped a bit when Malcolm Brogdon was healthy, but when he got the minutes he was one of the best rookies in the league. In 29.1 minutes per game, Carrington averaged 9.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 triples per game. He was recently back in the starting lineup due to a variety of injuries on Washington’s sidelines and should remain there for the remainder of the season on a strong team. Hopefully head coach Brian Keefe agrees.
Yves Missi, C, NOR
Missi was probably the best rookie in fantasy basketball so far. Part of it is certainly the situation, as his only competition for minutes is Daniel Theis, but he still played really well. In 20 starts, Missi averaged 9.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game. He has slipped to the Pelicans outside the top 20 and filled the gaping hole in the middle. Unfortunately, they simply suffered too many injuries to be competitive. Missi was one of the few bright spots in a disastrous season.
Kyshawn George, F, WHAT
George is a player I wasn’t particularly excited about when he was taken in the draft, but he has shown some flashes so far, especially early in the year. George has only started six games this season, but he is averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.3 three-pointers per game. He had a few good games as a substitute, but his greatest success came as a starter. It was a fun glimpse into what he can be and I hope there are more opportunities for him this season, especially towards the end of the year.
Jonathan Mogbo, F, GOAL
The second-round pick has played an important role for Toronto this season, and while he hasn’t consistently contributed, Mogbo has had some encouraging performances. He grabbed 10 rebounds in his second career start, a role he will play in the near future when Scottie Barnes is sidelined. A few weeks ago he scored 17 points in 23 minutes against the Thunder. In his second career game, he recorded 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks in 24 minutes.
Jaylen Wells, F, MEM
One of the biggest surprises this season was that Wells started all but five games for Memphis as a rookie. Wells is the third-highest scoring rookie and has averaged 11.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.8 three-pointers in 24.6 minutes per game. The Grizzlies took him with the 39th pick of the draft and he has already proven that he is a quality player. His fantasy production may be limited to 3-pointers, but he was a great find for Memphis.
Ajay Mitchell, G, OKC
It certainly helps that Mitchell gets extra minutes when the Thunder blow teams get eliminated, which happens quite often. However, he has proven he can serve as a rotation player on one of the deepest teams in the league, which is encouraging. His averages aren’t great, but he scored in double figures seven times despite playing 15.7 minutes per game. He’s an older rookie, so it shouldn’t be surprising that he can make an early impact. Hopefully he finds a bigger role in the future, whether in OKC or elsewhere.
Pelle Larsson, G, MIA
He has missed the last few games with an ankle injury, but Larsson has been able to carve out a backup role for Miami this season. He had a career-best six assists off the bench last game, and he scored a career-best 14 points in a win over Dallas last month. Larsson wasn’t spectacular, but he had a solid performance off the bench on a playoff team despite being selected 44th overall.
