2008-09 Fantasy Preview: Raptors Edition

For all our readers who love fantasy basketball as much as we do, here is a fantasy preview of the most fantasy-significant Toronto Raptors.

Christopher Wesson Bosh - last year our franchise player averaged 22.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game, added with his average of .9 steals and 1 block per game makes him a great fantasy pick. He's also great for above 80% free throw shooting with plenty of attempts and 48+ FG%.
That being said, taking Bosh could have some downsides.
He doesn't grab as many rebounds as one would hope from a first or second round pick, and doesn't really produce much statistically beyond points and boards. He might hit a three from time to time but not often enough to be significant.

Jose Calderon - last year Jose broke out with a borderline All-Star performance, and his game may be even better in fantasy. He's incredibly consistent and reliable - last year his numbers were 11.2 ppg, 8.3 apg, and 2.9 rpg. Pretty decent numbers for a starting point until you factor in the rest of his production: 52 FG%, 91 FT%, 1.5 TOpg, 1 spg, 1 3pg. He played all 82 games last year. And finally, barring something huge, his numbers will only get better - he's improved every year in the league, and he only played 28 minutes a game last year splitting time with T.J. Ford. Jose should be an All-Star this year - he's a very good pick.

Jamario Moon - a player who is better on paper than in-game. He is spectacular at filling in holes, and he'll provide you with some difficult to acquire stats. Last year's stats: 8.5 ppg, 49 FG%, 74 FT%, 6.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.3 bpg and 0.7 spg. Before you say, "But he was a rookie, he'll be even better this year," keep in mind that Jamario is 28 years old. While NBA experience is important, NBA teams will now have a full year's worth of scouting reports on him. Nonetheless, Jamario worked on his ball skills and shooting this summer and figures to improve his 0.5 3pg numbers, his scoring, and his free throw percentage as well. Expect his numbers to be roughly similar to last year's. Moon is a good pickup in the later rounds.

Jermaine O'Neal - the "wild card" of this Raptors team. If you draft him in the top-5 rounds, you're gambling - but high-risk, high-return. If he pans out and returns to his All-Star form, he'll average 21 ppg, 10 rpg and 2 bpg, and will shoot a good percentage from the floor and the line, and could play over 75 games. If he's not actually healthy, however, his numbers will look more like 10 ppg, 6 rpg, 1 bpg, 43 FG%, and most importantly, 50 GP. If Jermaine falls to later than the 5th round in a deep draft, grab him (fairly likely since his numbers last year were so poor) but don't bet your team on him.

Anthony Parker - a pretty average fantasy player. Averaged 12.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1 spg, 1.6 3pg, and shot 48 FG% and 83 FT%. He's a good pickup in late rounds, but will probably never carry your team.

Jason Kapono - this year, he could be anywhere from bad to a solid contributor, and he'll likely be everywhere in between at some point. Last year he produced 7.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.7 3pg, 0.8 rpg, 0.4 spg but shot very well: 49 FG%, 86 FT%, 48 3FG%. However, in the playoffs Kapono turned into Ka-pwn-o (sorry) and started playing like a $6 million man. If Smitch is telling the truth about playing Kapono at the 2 with Moon or Graham providing needed athleticism at the 3, it should mean more minutes for him and he may look more like playoff Jason.

Andrea Bargnani - this is important: if you are playing in a league that counts fouls (especially) and turnovers, DO NOT GO NEAR ANDREA BARGNANI. If you're not, Andrea could be a solid contributor. He really doesn't have much choice but to step up this year if he'd like to play in the NBA. Last year he regressed from his rookie campaign, but still posted a serviceable line of 10.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.1 bpg and 1.1 3pg. On the downside, he shot a brutal 39 FG%. In deep drafts, Bargnani could help your team, and he's also bound to churn out a big game every so often. Grab him in the last few rounds.