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LeBron James was amazing in the Olympics, but will it continue into fantasy basketball? (Photo by Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images)
As fantasy basketball managers gear up for the 2024-25 NBA season, I’ve been debating where to rank and draft the old guys. When I say old, I’m talking about players who will be over the basketball hill —at least 35 years old — before the end of the 2025 regular season. Some of these legends continue to extend their primes while othes are either aging like fine boxed wine or in decline.
Let’s dive into how I approach these elder statesmen in drafts this season.
Real rap, he’s one of the greatest athletes ever. He was the most impactful player for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it looks like he could play for another five seasons despite turning 40 later this year and being the oldest player in the NBA.
I have some durability concerns given his age, but James had his healthiest season in over three years, playing 71 games last year. The production’s always been consistent — bank him for at least 25-7-7 with a field-goal percentage north of 50% and a couple of threes and a steal per game. I wouldn’t be mad if you’re a LeBron stan and want to take him in the second round but an early third-round pick balances the risk and reward perfectly.
The NBA’s modern mercenary became an injury risk over the past decade, where he sustained a Jones fracture during 2014-2015 that set off several injuries thereafter, most notably a torn Achilles in 2020. Since the Achilles tear, Durant has failed to play over 55 games in a season. That was until last year, when he played 75 games, clearly returning to form as a top-10 player in fantasy. Like James, the Slim Reaper was bounced early from the 2024 playoffs but played an influential role in Team USA capturing gold in Paris.
Durant will be 36 in September and is going in the backend of the first round of most mock drafts this offseason. I’ll likely pass on him there because of (what seems to be) persistent soft-tissue issues, but that could easily become a regret. He’s one of the most prolific and efficient scorers ever. And he gets…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-basketball-lebron-james-kevin-durant-draft-strategy-191831333.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-08-20 19:18:31
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