2005-06 NBA Fantasy Sleepers

By very definition, a sleeper is a player destined to fly under the fantasy radar. Studs are studs, so you’re not going to find any high-end, or even middle of the road players on this list. Instead, we’ll focus on the late-round gems that will actually help you claim top fantasy honors. Everyone can draft in the first few rounds. After all, how difficult is it to take Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash and Brad Miller with your first three picks?

The difference-makers are found when fatigue sets in on Draft Day. While fellow owners are taking shots with the likes of Charlie Ward and Jannero Pargo, you’ll have the keen eye to pluck up players capable of actually contributing on an every-game basis.

1. Stromile Swift, F, Houston Rockets

No player ended up in a more perfect situation than Swift. Often handcuffed by the deep playing rotation in Memphis, Swift never really had the opportunity to become a fantasy force. He’s totaled more than 100 blocks in three of the last four years despite averaging just 22.4 minutes per game. In Houston he’ll benefit from the presence of Yao Ming, because he can offer weakside help in the paint and also become more of a gambler knowing he has a seven-footer to help clean up any messes he creates.

Offensively Swift is likely to be the fourth option on the floor behind Ming, Tracy McGrady and David Wesley, but he’ll still average better than 12 points per game. At the very least, his rebounding and block numbers will soar and he isn’t a killer at the line, either. His production at the charity stripe has increased in each of the last five years.

2004-05 Stats PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 3s STLs BLKs

Memphis 10.1 4.6 0.7 44.9 75.8 0 41 92

2. Damon Stoudamire, G, Memphis Grizzlies

Every so often a veteran gets new life thanks to a change of scenery. Such is the case with Stoudamire, who’s on the wrong end of 30 for dynasty leagues but a perfect fit for an owner looking to pick up points, assists, threes and free-throw percentage. Once a stud with the Toronto Raptors, Stoudamire was on the verge of becoming a bit player with Portland, especially last year when he had to fight off Nick Van Exel and rookie Sebastian Telfair at different points.

He still managed to lead the Blazers in minutes, finished seventh in the league in three-pointers made and rack up a healthy number of assists. Like so many other teams, it seems the Grizzlies are gearing up for another deep rotation, but the one thing that stands out for Stoudamire is his veteran savvy. If Memphis has any hopes of making a return trip to the postseason–even if it’s another quick first-round KO–he’ll need to be on the court extensively. Bobby Jackson was imported from Sacramento to bolster the point, but aside from being a sparkplug, he’s also among the NBA’s most injury-prone players. Jackson hasn’t played more than 59 games since 2001-02, and his on-court time has fallen in each of the last three years.

2004-05 Stats PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 3s STLs BLKs

Portland 15.8 3.8 5.7 39.2 91.5 181 86 2

3. Al Jefferson, F, Boston Celtics

The jettison of Antoine Walker means the Celtics are in a full-blown youth movement. Paul Pierce may not be happy with the long-term commitment to development, but players such as Jefferson, Delonte West and Tony Allen will see a ton of playing time as a result. The biggest threats to Jefferson’s playing time are Brian Scalabrine, salary cap hog Mark Blount and possibly Kendrick Perkins. Hardly a superstar cast to hurdle.

In less than 15 minutes per game, Jefferson rarely had the court time to get himself settled, and his numbers reflect the inconsistent shifts. Simply put, Jefferson isn’t a 6-foot, 10-inch project. He’s a fluid big man capable of pulling in double-doubles once he gets comfortable playing an expanded role. It may be a bumpy ride early, but Jefferson’s primed for a breakout campaign that should mean a 15-point, eight-rebound season.

2004-05 Stats PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 3s STLs BLKs

Boston 6.7 4.4 0.3 52.8 63.0 0 22 55

4. Luol Deng, F, Chicago Bulls

Long, lanky and able to fill up the stat sheet. OK, so that sentence also describes for Bull Scottie Pippen, but let’s not get crazy. Deng’s rookie season was cut short like a bad sitcom but only because of a wrist injury. In Scott Skiles’ million-player rotation Deng somehow managed to stuff a full stat sheet of production into a part-time role. Even if Deng manages the same 27 minutes a night, he’ll make a perfect third forward in deep leagues or a fourth forward in a 10-team format.

The best way to build a team is with across the board production, and while the former Dookie may still be rough around the edges, the early returns on his progress are positive. Any improvement on the defensive end of the floor catapults Deng into must-have status. The versatility is there and Deng can be an inside-out nightmare for Chicago opponents.

2004-05 Stats PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 3s STLs BLKs

Chicago 11.7 5.3 2.2 43.4 74.1 31 48 27

5. Shaun Livingston, G, L.A. Clippers

Livingston would have been the perfect star of the Sixth Sense for two reasons. When the movie originally came out, the age gap between he and Haley Joel Osmond wasn’t that great. Secondly, the way he plays on the court, some could argue that Livingston sees things that aren’t necessarily there. Forget the new Madden QB vision, because Livingston’s would span the entire field even though he’s still little more than a wide-eyed 20-year old.

A cracked kneecap curtailed his court action (30 games), but no one was disappointed when the rookie did get on the floor. In 15 starts he dished out seven assists per game and wowed observers with his crispness. The biggest downside isn’t the acquisition of disgruntled, oft-injured and aging veteran Sam Cassell, but his own pencil-thin, 190-pound body. His 6-7 frame also makes him a quiet source of steals, as he averaged more than one a game while adjusting to the pros.

2004-05 Stats PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 3s STLs BLKs

L.A. Clippers 7.4 3.0 5.0 41.4 74.6 0 32 11

6. Zaza Pachulia, C, Atlanta Hawks

Age wise, Pachulia fits right in with the rest of the youthful Hawks. Aside from the “ancient” Al Harrington, no significant contributor is older than 24. Because of his age, Pachulia was buried behind such noted talents as Dan Gadzuric in Milwaukee. Despite logging just 18.8 minutes per game, he did pull down 5.1 boards per game and swat 34 shots.

Over the course of 48 minutes, those numbers don’t look quite so paltry (13 boards and just over one block per game). His main competition for the starting job is seven-footer Jason Collier, and barring a major offseason transformation, Collier doesn’t exactly fit the Run-and-Gun mold Atlanta hopes to employ.

2004-05 Stats PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 3s STLs BLKs

Milwaukee 6.2 5.1 0.8 45.2 74.6 0 44 34

7. T.J. Ford, G, Milwaukee Bucks

If Ford takes a page out of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s book, everything will be fine for the Bucks. The only thing to fear is fear itself, and Ford certainly has reason to feel that way. A spinal cord injury suffered at the end of his rookie campaign sidelined him for all of 2004-05 and threatened the progress of his career. Now healthy for the first time in more than a year, Ford has regained control of Milwaukee’s offense. Adept at finding open teammates, Ford averaged a healthy 6.5 dishes per game as a rookie. The biggest downside to Ford will be shooting percentage, but how much can a player who scored just 7.1 points per game impact that category? Still just 22 years old, Ford is a great source of assists, steals and free-throw percentage on a young, emerging Bucks team.

2004-05 DID NOT PLAY

8. Marc Jackson F/C, New Jersey Nets

The Nets remain one of the premier offensive teams in the East, even if Jason Kidd is another year older and Vince Carter lacks the chip he had on his shoulder last season. Kidd, Vinsanity, Richard Jefferson and to an extent, Nenad Kristic are all potent scoring weapons in halfcourt sets or on the break. Though that may work to New Jersey’s advantage on occasion, the Nets still needed someone in the paint to help them combat the likes of Shaq, The Wallace’s, and Jermaine O’Neal.

Enter the big heavy, Jackson. The third option on the Nets wish list, failed attempts to snare Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Tractor Traylor led them to look across state lines at Philly’s hulking 270-pounder. Jackson fell just shy of a career-high in points last year but should make a strong run at the benchmark with New Jersey. On Carter and Kidd’s misses alone, he should be good for 10-12 points a night. Throw in the one or two plays actually run for him, and you have a solid power forward who may even have center eligibility in some leagues.

2004-05 Stats PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 3s STLs BLKs

Philadelphia 12.0 5.0 1.0 46.5 82.8 0 32 18

9. Raja Bell, G, Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns were taught a valuable lesson by the San Antonio Spurs–defense wins championships. So, it came as no surprise that the franchise chased away offensive-minded Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson for the type of tough guys (Kurt Thomas, Brian Grant) that can help them win a street fight in the paint. Lost in the shuffle of the veteran additions is Bell, himself a stopper that generally prevents more points than he scores. Deep down, however, Steve Nash’s new backcourt mate can fill the nets. His scoring average has increased in three straight seasons, and he’s coming off a career-high 12.3 per game for the cement-shoed Utah Jazz.

Phoenix will put more focus on clamping down, but the team is still one of the premier scoring units around. When Nash kicks out on penetrations in the lane, Raja (134 three-point attempts last year) will answer the Bell. Expect him to provide somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 points per game with consistent contributions in threes and steals. A perfect fourth guard and possibly a No. 3 in deeper leagues.

2004-05 Stats PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 3s STLs BLKs

Utah 12.3 3.2 1.4 45.4 74.7 54 44 8

10. J.R. Smith, G, New Orleans Hornets

Scoring is on the mind of every 19-year-old. Thing is, Smith has the talent to fill up the nets on a consistent basis and is the lead man for the Hornets. Smith came on late during his rookie year, averaging 16.1 points over the final nine games and enters 2005-06 as the Hornets top option on the scoreboard. The draft netted a true point guard, Chris Paul, and none of the team’s forwards or centers rank high on the list of point producers.

Shooting percentage will be a major issue with Smith, so it’s wise to fit him in to one of two draft strategies: Add him to a team choc full of high-percentage shooters like Duncan, Nash, LeBron, or add him to a team full of chucks where he won’t wreck the category. Smith would also fit well around guys like Allen Iverson, Jamal Crawford and Kirk Hinrich. Here’s something else to tuck into the back of your hat, too: He canned at least three three-pointers in a game 10 times, and the potential for a full explosion in the category is possible with a major increase in minutes.

2004-05 Stats PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 3s STLs BLKs

New Orleans 10.3 2.0 1.9 39.4 68.9 81 55 11