From Deep: 3 fantasy basketball stats that stood out this season
The three-ball has become arguably the staple of scoring in the NBA — so we figured we'd take some shots from way downtown, too. Here, fantasy basketball analyst Dan Titus will break down the three things fantasy managers need to know. Or, he'll break down multiple three-point pieces of advice, analysis and more — it just depends on how open he is From Deep.
Here are three stats that stood out to me as we near the end of the fantasy basketball season.
1/3: Victor Wembanyama is 1 of 5 rookies in NBA history with a 30% usage rate
I often reference usage rates when assessing a player's potential and fantasy value. More usage generally means more touches and opportunities to put numbers on the board. Most early-round picks carry a high usage rate because they tend to be the best players on their team and in the league.
Per Stathead, only Ben Gordon, Joel Embiid, Zion Williamson and Luka Dončić have achieved at least a 30% usage rate in their rookie seasons (with a minimum of 500 total minutes and 20 minutes per game). Zion and Embiid played less than 32 games apiece, so it's really just Luka, Gordon — and Victor Wembanyama.
The fact that Wemby is already leading his team in four statistical categories (points, rebounds, steals and blocks) shows how dominant he is, and can be, for fantasy basketball. What he's doing defensively at 19 years old is next level, but we can also celebrate the strides he's made as a playmaker (4.3 assists per game) and scorer (leads all rookies at 20.7 points per game).
Wemby's already inside the top 10 in usage rate across the league, and it'll only go up from here. The production and usage are trending toward a No. 1 pick next season. Sorry, Joker.
2/3: Domantas Sabonis has 64 double-doubles in 68 games played
It's wild that Sabonis was omitted from the All-Star team this season, but at this rate, he's a shoo-in for an All-NBA selection. If he doesn't get that, there's something objectively wrong with the process.
He's leading the league in rebounds for the second straight year and has the most double-doubles and triple-doubles for a playoff-contending team this season.
He's been one of the best bigs in the game fantasy-wise, returning first-round value in points and category formats.
Back to the accolades, Sabonis' career-high for double-doubles in a season is 65, so barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will cruise past that. What's more impressive is that Sabonis is on pace to break Hakeem Olajuwon's record of 72 double-doubles in a season.
The Kings are in a tight race to avoid the Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference, and with 14 games remaining, Sabonis will surpass Olajuwon's record, which has stood for over 30 years.
3/3: Alex Caruso is the only guard averaging at least 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game
There have been 12 players in NBA history who have done it, and seeing some of the names on the list, you probably wouldn't have guessed Caruso is on track to be etched along with mostly Hall of Famers. With the Bulls being one of the most injury-riddled teams, Caruso's defended point guards to power forwards on a nightly basis — and it's why he's recognized as one of the top defenders in the Association.
Caruso leads the league in deflections per game, which helped him jump into the top 10 in steals per game this season. As such, his defensive efforts put him in the top 50 in nine-category formats, which is on pace for the best finish of his career. The Bulls were reluctant to move Caruso at the deadline, but in doing so, benefited the fantasy managers who held on through his injuries.
Caruso is on 18% of first-place rosters in Yahoo public leagues and is easily one of the best value picks of the year.
