NBA Breakout Players 2022 : 2021-22 NBA Fantasy Basketball 11 Breakout Candidates
Last year, NBA fans and fantasy basketball general managers saw promising young players falter just as they were about to break out. Which one of these standouts is poised to make a significant impact this year?
Michael Porter Jr. (SF, PF – DEN)
Year 2 was a turning point for MPJ, who saw his playing time nearly double and his production rise along with it. His stats were as follows: 19.0 points, 7.3 boards, 2.8% three-point shooting, and 1.1 assists per 31.3 minutes played. MPJ’s playing time and production were inconsistent from night to night. Going into his third season, he has a chance to break into the top 15, but only if he maintains his upward trajectory and gets more court time consistently.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Last season, JJJ played in just 11 games, averaging 23.5 minutes per contest. Despite his limited playing time, he made the most of it. When Jackson was with the Lakers, he scored 22.0 points per 36 minutes, grabbed 8.7 rebounds, blocked 2.5 shots, and drained 2.4 threes. When Jonas Valanciunas is replaced by Steven Adams in the starting five, JJJ’s role as a stretch-5 is expected to grow. JJJ is expected to play a larger role this season if healthy. Could this be the season, after an injury-plagued start to his career, that he stays healthy and fulfils his enormous potential on the court?
OG Anunoby
Given his strong 2020-21 output, I was hesitant to label Anunoby as a breakout player, but I have high hopes for him this season. Averaging 15.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 3-pointers, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals on a shooting percentage of 48/39/78, Anunoby had a solid season last year. Due to Pascal Siakam’s absence for the first 2-3 weeks of the season and his continued development, Anunoby is poised to produce at a high level in fantasy basketball.
Dejounte Murray/Derrick White
Both of San Antonio’s guards should have a career year. The real question is: Which one is the best fit for my group? Murray is tall and athletic, which gives him an advantage in grabbing rebounds, which are typically the domain of the point guard. On the other hand, White is a non-guard colour that can provide useful blocks. Both have a bright future in 2021-22, and are only a few spots apart in the rankings.
Robert Williams III
Didn’t we just see a Time Lord make an appearance? Not exactly. Williams played an average of 18.9 minutes per game in 2020-21, but he had a lot of impressive stats to show for it. What’s the most frightful part? He still has a long way to go. Williams didn’t get much playing time, but when he did, he made the most of it. Williams averaged 11.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals in 26.7 minutes per game in 11 games with at least 25 minutes played. In spite of his brief NHL career, Williams has proven to be a productive player per minute. If the 23-year-old big can stay healthy with a new contract and additional minutes, the sky’s the limit for him.
While Robert Williams has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, he may finally break out this season.
Isaiah Stewart
While shooting 55.3 percent from the field in just 21.4 minutes per game, Stewart averaged 7.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 swats during his rookie season. While playing 29.2 minutes per game, he shot 56.8 percent from the field, which boosted his averages to 12.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 14 games as a starter. Stewart is expected to replace Mason Plumlee as the Lions’ starting quarterback in 2019-20. It’s only a matter of time before the sophomore slump ends.
Jakob Poeltl
Despite his lack of star power, Poeltl is an everyday worker who gets the job done when it counts. From start to finish, he had 15 double-doubles and shot 62.6 percent from the floor while scoring 9.8 points, getting 8.6 rebounds and blocking 2.0 shots per game in 52 starts last season. The absences of Rudy Gay, DeMar DeRozan, and Patty Mills should give Poeltl a clear path to playing time in the 25-30 minute range, making him an excellent fantasy option.
Kevin Porter Jr.
Over the course of the Rockets’ 23 regular-season games, KPJ averaged 17.9 points, 6.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.1 threes per game after being called up from the G League. Though his shooting efficiency and turnovers need improvement, he is a talented offensive playmaker who could rise even higher in Year 3 in Houston with a full season of experience under his belt. The Bucks beat him in double overtime, and he went 50/11 while draining nine threes. He showed off his enormous potential in that game. Now that John Wall is gone, Porter should be the Rockets’ primary point guard moving forward.
Fantasy owners can expect Kevin Porter Jr., who burst onto the scene last year and is expected to produce heavily this season, to continue his meteoric rise.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
The Bayou is ripe for a NAW outburst! The second-year guard averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.1 triples in 13 games last season. It’s a small sample size, but he had two big games with 30 and 37 points respectively in those 13 games.
With Eric Bledsoe and Lonzo Ball gone, Alexander-Walker now has a full workload to prove himself in. He’s averaged 17.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.8 threes, and 1.4 steals in his first two seasons in the NBA, and he has plenty of room to grow in his third.
Tyrese Maxey
If Maxey stays with the Phillies and gets more playing time, he has tremendous breakout potential. Last season, he averaged 18.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 three-pointers, and a 50/33/85 field goal percentage over 31.6 minutes in eight starts. Maxey has the potential to be a valuable fantasy asset if he is selected as Philadelphia’s next starting point guard. What’s the most exciting part? In fantasy draughts, he’s likely to be undervalued.
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