Cooper Flagg Falls, Derik Queen Rises In NBA Rookie Fantasy Stock Watch
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Rookies throughout the NBA are making a significant impact on fantasy basketball this season. Now past the halfway point of the season, first-year players around the league are hitting their stride and finding consistent production on a nightly basis.
Players picked near the top of the draft, such as Cooper Flagg and VJ Edgecombe, have worked to live up to sky-high expectations. Other rookies, late draft picks or undrafted free agents, are carving out significant roles and exceeding expectations. Monitoring star rookies throughout the league, here are three first-year players that are trending in fantasy basketball:
Derik Queen Surging Despite Pelicans’ Struggles
The New Orleans Pelicans have struggled mightily through the first half of the regular season, carving out just 10 wins through their first 43 games. Despite the team’s struggles on both ends of the floor, No. 13 overall pick Derik Queen has shown tremendous flashes. The rookie big man is averaging 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists to this point of the season, adding 2.0 stocks per game on the defensive end.
Queen’s versatility has helped him emerge as one of the top rookie bigs in fantasy basketball, averaging 31.6 fantasy points per game. Prior to a quiet performance on Wednesday night, Queen upped his scoring average to 37.3 points over his previous five games, including a 52.2-point performance against the Washington Wizards on Jan. 9.
Cooper Flagg’s Stock Takes Minor Hit Following Injury
Though the Dallas Mavericks have dealt with their own share of struggles, Cooper Flagg has lived up to his billing as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Over 40 appearances to this point of the year, Flagg has posted 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists, with 2.1 stocks per game defensively. The ROY favorite sustained an ankle sprain on Wednesday night, which will hamper his short-term fantasy stock, though his long-term projections remain unaffected.
Fantasy basketball’s leading rookie entered Wednesday’s game on an upward trend, eclipsing 40.0 fantasy points in three of his previous four games. While his immediate status is up in the air following an ankle injury, Flagg remains fantasy’s No. 7 small forward, averaging 36.6 points per game in fantasy.
Cedric Coward Rising Amid Ja Morant Trade Rumors
Rumors are swirling around the Memphis Grizzlies this week, which could bode well for Cedric Coward’s fantasy stock going forward. Memphis, which could be trending toward a potential rebuild with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. each garnering immense trade interest, has found promising production from its No. 11 overall pick. Over 36 games, Coward has made 23 starts, averaging 13.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game.
Despite missing time, Coward has shown out over his last five games, posting valuable fantasy production from the shooting guard spot. During that span, the rookie guard is averaging 34.7 points per game, including a 55.0-point effort on Dec. 30. Coward has vastly exceeded fantasy projections already this season, currently ranked as the No. 21 two-guard in fantasy.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.