Fantasy Basketball Rankings of Former Houston Rockets

Apr 9, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin (7) talks with center Omer Asik (3) in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Much has been said of the Houston Rockets offseason, and a lot of the talk focuses on whether the Rockets can replace the void left by Chandler Parsons, Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, but what do the average draft selections in fantasy basketball leagues indicate?

A good bit, maybe.

Chandler Parsons signed an offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks, and his replacement is Trevor Ariza.

Asik was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans to play alongside emerging superstar Anthony Davis.

And lastly, Lin was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers, a situation that may play favorably to Lin’s prospects with the ancient Steve Nash pencilled in at the 1.

That said, here are the rankings of the former Rockets according to average draft position in fantasy basketball:

Chandler Parsons, 47 Average Draft Position

Many are expecting Parsons’ role to expand in Dallas. And it likely will. As to whether Parsons is a top-50 talent, it would stand to reason that he is. He’s on his way to being among the best small forwards in the league, and while Rockets fans can reason that Trevor Ariza will fill that void, he will only do so in the short-term. In three seasons, Parsons could be an All-Star. In three seasons, Ariza will be done for.

Apr 30, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Chandler Parsons (25) dunks the ball during the second quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers in game five of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports

Parsons also ranks around All-Star talent. Among small forwards, he is around the likes of DeMar DeRozan, a 2014 All-Star, Thaddeus Young, a good floor stretching 4, potential Rookie of the Year Jabari Parker, and Klay Thompson, who is seeking a max-contract. That is pretty good company, but Parsons has increased his production each year as a pro.

Mark Cuban saw that as a sure bet, while Rockets GM Daryl Morey looked to other sources to find his team’s future third option (ultimately striking out on all of them). If Parsons is up to the task, he could fulfill the role of No. 2 option offensively for the Mavs.

Omer Asik, 106.3 ADP

Asik seems placed about where he should be. In the realm of Asik are Tyson Chandler, Taj Gibson, Andrew Bogut, Anderson Varejao, Channing Frye and Jordan Hill.

It’s possible that Asik out-produces all of those aforementioned talents. Chandler’s “real life” value greatly exceeds his fantasy value, and Andrew Bogut could be better utilized in this year’s offense in Golden State. Varejao was once a top force but has been slowed since leaving with a blood clot in his lungs two seasons ago.

Frye is very valuable to both the Orlando Magic and fantasy owners because he spreads the court and knocks down the triple. Jordan Hill still has a lot of potential and will be better off with Byron Scott at the helm.

Lastly, Gibson has been a force off the bench, and if the Bulls look to keep down Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah’s minutes (unlikely actually knowing Tom Thibodeau’s tendencies), then Gibson could shine.  When Asik is at his best, he is an automatic double-double.  Remember, he was in the league leaders for boards prior to No. 12 coming to Houston, and he’ll be a perfect fit alongside Anthony Davis, who can stretch the floor and finish at the rim.  Asik was traded into an ideal situation, to sum it up.

Jeremy Lin, 111.6 ADP

In the vicinity of Jeremy Lin are mostly bottom-tier starting point guards. This is both appropriate and not. Lin is potentially starting point guard quality, while most of the guards around him in the rankings only minimally fulfill that. Lin is ranked behind Elfrid Payton, Darren Collison, George Hill, Michael Carter-Williams, Brandon Knight and Patrick Beverley.

While Payton may be the best of the group in the long-run, the only things stopping Lin from being better than all of those other guards is turnovers. If Lin controls the basketball and receives an opportunity within the Lakers offense, he could put up big numbers. Lin, after all, was one of the few to rack up a trip-dub last season.

There aren’t any guards in this group capable of scoring with a Lin while he’s hot either. Lin had two games with 30-plus points last season and five games with more than 20 points. He only started 33 games, and Hill, Carter-Williams and Knight were all full-time starters. It stands to reason with Nash in front of Lin, he may see a copious number of opportunities to start, and he’s thrived in such situations.

The Lakers will see added benefit from the boost in the fan base, as Lin supporters should be in abundance in Los Angeles. While such tid bits may seem irrelevant to fantasy basketball, players do well when supported by the fan base, and Los Angeles is a perfect fit both on and off the court for Lin.