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Fantasy Basketball season is right around the corner, and one of the most beneficial things to do before your draft is to evaluate some sleepers to target in later rounds. For this exercise, we'll take a look at sleeper fantasy point guards who are currently being drafted outside of the first five rounds of fantasy basketball drafts, according to Rotowire's latest ADP.
Without further ado, let's get to 6 fantasy basketball sleepers at the point guard position for the 2023-24 NBA season.
Tyrese Maxey, PHI: Taking advantage of uncertain situations on draft day is a great way to maximize value in the later rounds. While Maxey's ADP would certainly jump up a round or two if James Harden were traded, he's being conservatively taken after the first 60 picks in most formats. That's far too late for an ascending point guard who could have the ball in his hands a lot more when Harden inevitably gets traded.
Maxey has maximized his current role as a transition demon and pull-up three-point shooter very well, but there's more meat on the bone for him as a creator. Now out of a stale Doc Rivers offense, Maxey should flourish with more opportunities and be directly involved in the offensive actions. Maxey's primary contribution is 2.7 made threes on 48/43/84 splits, but it's reasonable to expect his assist numbers (3.5) to shoot up as well to supplement his already potent scoring (20.3 PPG). Draft him at a discounted ADP now, and reap the benefits in your fantasy basketball league later.
Tre Jones, SAS: The three-point shooting is going to scare off a lot of drafters (28.5 percent), but we've seen young San Antonio players develop into good shooters after a few years with their coaching staff. Even if that doesn't materialize, Jones is a cheap source of assists and steals (8.1 and 1.6 steals per 36 minutes) who should see his numbers rise playing in the pick-and-roll with No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama.
Jones isn't flashy, but it's clear Gregg Popovich trusts him to take care of the ball (1.6 turnovers a game) and get guys in the right spots. A rising tide lifts all boats, and Jones could be a major beneficiary of the Spurs being more competitive with Wembanyama.
Scoot Henderson, POR: The ADP for Henderson hasn't fully moved the way it should have following the Damian Lillard trade, as this is now Henderson's team to run. Rookie point guards can be an adventure with turnovers and erratic shooting nights, but Henderson has the kind of game-breaking speed and high-flying talent around him to really thrive in an uptempo system. Drafters should trust that Chauncey Billups will let Henderson make some mistakes and push some limits.
The shooting percentages could be a little shaky, but Henderson rebounds incredibly well for a guard (5.3 a game in the G-League) and should rack up plenty of assists as the primary playmaker in Portland. A Tyreke Evans-type rookie season (20-5-5-1.5) could be in the cards here, which should make Scoot a great fantasy basketball sleeper point guard pick.
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Jordan Clarkson, UTA: With Mike Conley in Minnesota, Utah is turning the offense over to Jordan Clarkson, who faces very little competition in the backcourt this year. The Jazz had a top-10 offense in efficiency last season, so Clarkson's assist numbers (4.4 per game) could reach a career-high once again for Utah. It's a small sample size, but Clarkson averaged 6.2 assists per game in the five contests he played after the Conley trade last year.
Clarkson doesn't come without his warts, as his three-point percentage and turnovers could get you into some trouble. Still, he's one of the most talented isolation scorers in the league, and he's a better distributor than Colin Sexton. The Jazz are going to put the ball in his hands a ton, and Clarkson has the talent to easily pay off his 9th-10th round ADP in fantasy basketball.
De'Anthony Melton, PHI: Melton is a fantasy weapon, as he gives you threes (2.0 3PM, 39 percent) and stocks (2.1 per games) at an elite level for a guard. Drafters may be afraid to take him under a new coaching staff, but Nick Nurse will likely love Melton's activity and energy defensively, which is what the team needs around its talented group of scorers.
If Melton were to get dealt, he could take on an even bigger role on the ball, as he's a capable distributor who hasn't been able to show that part of his game in Philadelphia. Players like Melton won't win you any fantasy basketball draft day awards, but they're the kind of valuable fantasy basketball sleepers who can really give a team lacking defensive categories a boost without taking anything off the table elsewhere.
Bones Hyland, LAC: This one might require the Clippers to make a big trade and consolidate some of their depth, but Bones Hyland has been a stat-stuffer in his first three years in the league, albeit in limited minutes. His per-36 numbers last year for LAC jump off the page: 20.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.4 AST, 1.5 STL. If Russell Westbrook goes down, or if Hyland has a bigger-than-expected role out of the gates, don't be afraid to jump on the sleeper sixth-man candidate who is oozing with offensive talent.
At least until there's more clarity in the Los Angeles backcourt and James Harden gets dealt, drafting Hyland with your last pick in fantasy basketball is a risk-free bet would pay major dividends if he can sniff a more regular rotation role somewhere. Hyland is the ultimate fantasy basketball sleeper point guard selection.
