For those of us with him on our fantasy basketball rosters, this is something important to know.
As he ascends to the ranks of the very best players in the NBA, star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is joining the ranks of the most coveted fantasy basketball players.
Key to his value in terms of the statistics people engage in for fun and profit is his ability to put up the kind of numbers that will justify the likely astronomical draft cost the Celtics star will have in most leagues.
In particular, his surge in assists in the 2021-22 NBA season made him a sexy fantasy option last season, but that trend continuing is key for his value to be maximized in the looming 2022-23 campaign.
The host of the “Locked On Fantasy Basketball” podcast, Josh Lloyd, recently explored Tatum’s potential value as a fantasy player with more passing depth being added to the team next season on a recent episode.
Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what he had to say about the St. Louis native for your next fantasy roster.
It’s nearly time to draft our fantasy teams — what Celtics ought to be on YOUR roster?
As the 2020-21 NBA season draws nearer, the time to start thinking about potential fantasy basketball teams does as well, and if you all are anything like we are at the Celtics Wire, you probably tend to have at least a few players from your real-life favorite team on your fantasy roster.
And given the rules of fantasy basketball aren’t quite the same as rules for the sport in the flesh, it can be a little tricky picking which Boston Celtics will actually help your team win. For the actual team, the intangibles they bring to the table consistently help Boston close the deal on opponents — but may not do much for a fantasy rotation.
HAPPY FANTASY BASKETBALL DRAFT GUIDE DAY!!!!! (this one is free to peruse for anyone — come take a look at what @RotoEvil has put together):https://t.co/uFYD3DOnv7
Locked On Fantasy’s Josh Lloyd recently evaluated the Boston Celtics’ youth movement from a fantasy basketball perspective.
The Boston Celtics demonstrated they are a contender again with their performance over the 2019-20 NBA season so far, but how are the better players on the roster as far as fantasy basketball options?
Locked On Fantasy — hosted by Josh Lloyd — recently released a podcast focusing on Boston’s younger players for fantasy value, and while there’s no games in the 2019-20 fantasy basketball season while games are also suspended in the NBA, Lloyd still had plenty to say on Boston’s roster.
The obvious place to start is the massive step forward taken by forward Jayson Tatum this season.
His numbers have jumped considerably along with his real-world production, pushing the Duke product, “from a guy that’s never been a top 60 player in his first two seasons, to where he’s on the fringe of top 20 now and is going to be top 15 moving forward” — heady praise indeed.
He also notes steals have gone from a respectable 1 per game to 1.5 per contest, and his rebounds making an impressive leap from “5 or 6 to 7 or 8” per game.
That his 3-pointers have jumped from 1.3 per game to nearly 3 has been another boon, and the scoring — up to roughly 28 points per contest over the last 20 games from 15.7 per game — especially so.
That Tatum has boosted his trips to the charity stripe as well is an excellent sign the St. Louis native’s progress isn’t fools gold, according to Lloyd, nearly doubling from 2.9 to 4.7.
The Locked On Fantasy host doubts the 44.8% 3-point shooting clip will continue, but is confident 40% is sustainable long-term. Ultimately, this adds up to a top-15 player with potential to crack the top-10 for Lloyd.
The fantasy basketball podcast host notes fellow Celtics wing denizen Jaylen Brown has shaped into a quality fantasy option as well this season, jumping from 182nd to 57th, largely through increased usage (21.4% his second season to to 24.7% this season) and improved true shooting.
On the latter count, he improved from .547 to .589, with his free throw percentage jumping from 65.8 % to 73.6%. His rebounding went up from 4.2 to 6.4 per game as well, which hasn’t hurt his fantasy stock.
He could improve in a number of areas, yet still has become a very good player. Getting to about 80% from the line would bump Brown up “another 10 spots at least”, and increasing the volume of 3-point shots would also help.
As for the rest of the younger end of roster, there are no clear values yet, but a few have caught Lloyd’s radar.
Robert Williams III intrigues, but can’t stay on the court. Blocks (of course), steals and field goal percentage are areas to watch for Time Lord, but the health is clearly paramount.
If he can average 20 minutes per game consistently, a top-100 player could be in the making.
The other Williams — rookie forward Grant — has also caught Lloyd’s attention.
“[Williams] didn’t hit a three for what felt like the first two months of the season, but then did start to come on and start to hit them; [He also hits] half a steel half a block in 16 minutes; they’re not great numbers, but again, they do translate out to one per 30 minutes.”
According to Lloyd, “good [things] happen when Williams is on the court”, with outstanding defense for a rookie, and while his offense needs work, he believes the Tennessee product will be Boston’s “starting power forward of the future” with Paul Millsap-like production an absolute best-case outcome.
Two way point guard Tremont Waters is another Celtic that has the fantasy analyst’s attention with his ability to play within his role but also take on a bigger role when needed at the NBA level.
His G League stats with the Maine Red Claws were good too — 18 points, 3.2 boards, 7.3 assists and 2 steals per game at the developmental league level with a not-improbable outcome of a backup guard in the NBA good for around 20 minutes per game.
Javonte Green, Semi Ojeleye and Carsen Edwards are all singled out as poor fantasy options who may also find themselves out of the league if they don’t improve on both ends of the floor, and while forward Romeo Langford hasn’t played enough for a good evaluation, his defense at least is intriguing.
While the lion’s share of praise fell on the Jay Team, that Grant and Robert Williams (no relation) were cast in such a favorable light is refreshing after former Memphis Grizzlies executive John Hollinger shredded the younger end of a young roster in a recent piece.
While several Celtics still on their rookie deals have a lot of work to do if they want to remain in the league after those deals end, there’s some hope in Lloyd’s estimation for most — and some high potential ceilings to live up to for the rest.
The Boston Celtics are teaming up with online fantasy sports and online bookmaking site DraftKings for a sponsorship deal that will provide fans with watch parties and more.
The Boston Celtics are signing a multi-year partnership with online fantasy and sportsbook provider DraftKings, reports Sporttechie.com’s Andrew Cohen.
As the NBA gets more involved with sports betting as a source of revenue, individual teams have been securing their own partnerships as well. Boston is one of three teams inking long-term agreements with Draftkings, the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers being the other two franchises.
Boston’s deal will be solely for fantasy sports-related promotions, unlike that signed with the Pacers and 76ers. This is due to the fact that while sports betting is legal in Indiana and Pennsylvania, it is still illegal in Massachusetts.
As part of a deal with the @Pacers, @DraftKings customers will get the opportunity to attend team practices and games, and meet former players. https://t.co/kIVtJK3tcP
DraftKings will host watch parties for Celtics games, and sponsor social media posts as well as part of the promotion.
The fantasy sports and online bookmaking site has already established relationships with the NBA as the league’s authorized betting operator, as well as having an arena-based partnership with Madison Square Garden.
