Fantasy Basketball 2016: Breakout Stars Ready to Be Among the NBA’s Best

The NBA fantasy landscape is always changing. Superstars begin to decline with age, and bright young stars take their places.

Some young studs such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have already shown themselves to be first-round-caliber fantasy players. Other youngsters who are below them on most draft boards have a lot of potential, but they might not quite be ready for superstardom.

Let’s recognize three talented young players who are ready to take a leap in their developments. All three have the potential to become the linchpin of a fantasy team one day.

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic gradually earned respect around the league as the 2015-16 season wore on. The second-round pick from 2014 put up great numbers early, but then he just kept producing at a high level. His fantastic rookie campaign was not a fluke.

The next step for Jokic is continuing to fill the stat sheet at the same rate despite playing a bigger role. He only played 21.7 minutes per game for Denver as a rookie—partly because of the Nuggets’ crowded frontcourt, and partly because of his occasional foul trouble (4.3 fouls per 36 minutes).

There’s no doubt Jokic will get more burn in 2016-17. The Nuggets traded Joffrey Lauvergne, Kenneth Faried has been a mainstay in trade rumors and Darrell Arthur is struggling with a knee injury. Fellow young European big man Jusuf Nurkic (22 years old) has played well in the preseason, but head coach Michael Malone has shown a willingness to play them together.

Compared to other centers, the 21-year-old Jokic provides uncommonly strong production in several categories, …

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