By Raphaelle Johnson
The 2024-25 NBA season is just over a month away, making this prime time for fantasy managers to prepare for their drafts. Rotoworld will have articles dropping during this time, starting with fantasy-related thoughts on each team. We’ll start with the Atlantic, which boasts the reigning champions and two other teams with title aspirations. Fantasy-wise, two Atlantic division stars are worthy of first-round consideration, and a few others likely won’t make it out of the third round in most drafts.
2024-25 NBA Atlantic Division Team Previews
Boston Celtics
2023-24 Record: 64-18
Speed: 97.2 (23rd)
Offensive Rating: 123.2 (1st)
Defensive Rating: 111.6 (3rd)
One Possible Sleeper: Jrue Holiday
While his value to the Celtics never wavered in his first season with the team, Holiday’s fantasy value took a hit. He finished the regular season ranked outside the top 50 in per-game value for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign, and Holiday hasn’t failed to crack the top 70 since 2012-13. While they don’t play the same position, Kristaps Porzingis’ absence after left leg surgery means there will be one less branded offensive option in the lineup when the season begins. Add in the Celtics’ need to manage Al Horford’s minutes, as he didn’t play both ends of any back-to-back last season, and Holiday’s defensive versatility could benefit him offensively. Acquiring Jrue in the 7th round of drafts can represent great fantasy value before the end of the season.
One Mighty Bust: Kristaps Porzingis
Low-hanging fruit here, and not for clever reasons. Porzingis played admirably through a major leg injury during the NBA Finals, and the result was surgery in late June, which is expected to sideline him for 5-6 months. Add in the faster time and the Celtics’ focus on being healthy for the stretch run, and it’s not hard to envision a scenario in which Porzigis doesn’t play half of the team’s regular season games. This doesn’t have to remove him from your boards altogether, but KP is someone to pass on during the first half of drafts.
A Remarkable Number: +11.6
Boston’s net rating led the NBA last season and tied with the 2016-17 Warriors for third best in league history. Joe Mazzulla’s team was dominant on both ends of the floor, winning 64 regular season games before racking up a 16-3 record during the playoffs. Even with Porzingis unlikely to return before November at the earliest, the Celtics are well equipped to repeat, and they won’t be short of quality fantasy options either. And based on how their respective summers went in terms of playing time for Team USA, Jayson Tatum (out of the rotation on most days) and Jaylen Brown (not picked to replace Kawhi Leonard) shouldn’t lack motivation.
Brooklyn Nets
2023-24 Record: 32-50
Speed: 96.9 (26th)
Offensive Rating: 113.2 (23rd)
Defensive Rating: 116.1 (20th)
One Possible Sleeper: Noah Clowney
With the Nets shifting into rebuilding mode this offseason, it’s clear that some of the team’s younger players will have every opportunity to prove themselves in 2024-25. That includes Clowney, a 2023 first-round pick who played well to end his rookie season. He started four of Brooklyn’s final six games, averaging 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, 2.2 blocks, and 1.3 3-pointers in 30.6 minutes, shooting 61.2% from the field and 72.2% from the foul line. Clowney’s ability to step away from the basket offensively means he offers a dimension that starting center Nic Claxton does not, and there may be times when they are on the floor together for that reason. Clowney is worth taking a late-round flyer, especially if Brooklyn moves another frontcourt veteran (or more) someday.
One Mighty Bust: Cam Thomas
At first glance, the departure of Mikal Bridges will increase Cam Thomas’ numbers. He finished last season with a usage rating of 30.7, which should only increase for the prolific scorer. In 66 games, he averaged 22.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.2 3-pointers in 31.4 minutes, shooting 44.2% from the field and 85.6% from the foul line. However, despite the increased usage and production, Thomas still finished last season ranked outside the top 100. The thing about fantasy value is that he doesn’t offer a great deal outside of points and 3-pointers, thus limiting Thomas’ upside. Can he change that in 2024-25? It’s possible, but fantasy managers should temper their expectations ahead of Thomas’ fourth season in Brooklyn.
A Remarkable Number: 45.6%
The Nets were one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA last season, ranking 28th in field goal percentage (45.6) and 19th in 3-point percentage (36.2%). And when your best remaining perimeter scorers (Thomas and Dennis Schroder) struggle with efficiency, that means limiting the fantasy values of most of the Nets’ rotation players. While Claxton’s fantasy value should hold steady, if not improve, there isn’t much upside on this list beyond Clowney.
New York Knicks
2023-24 Record: 50-32
Speed: 95.2 (30th)
Offensive Rating: 118.2 (7th)
Defensive Rating: 113.4 (10th)
One Possible Sleeper: Precious Achiuwa
While the Knicks added Mikal Bridges via trade, they suffered a significant loss when Isaiah Hartenstein signed with the Thunder in free agency. Mitchell Robinson will return to the crease after undergoing a second ankle surgery in May. However, his medical history means he may not be the most reliable option despite being the starter. Also, Robinson is not guaranteed to be healthy when training camp begins. That may boost Achiuwa’s value, as he and Jericho Sims are in line to serve as the backups. Precious had his moments, especially during a nine-game stretch in January/February in which he averaged 14.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.6 blocks in 41.2 minutes. Achiuwa won’t come close to averaging that minutes in 2024-25, but there will be times when his rebounding prowess will be needed, especially if Robinson can’t stay healthy.
One Mighty Bust: AND Anunoby
The word “bust” may be harsh for Anunoby, who hit the jackpot in free agency this summer. However, injuries are a concern for the Knicks wing, who appeared in 50 games between New York and Toronto in 2023-24. After appearing in 67 games or more in his first three seasons, Anunoby has hit that number once in the last four (67 appearances in 2022-23). A hamstring injury suffered during Game 2 of the Knicks’ second-round series against the Pacers was essentially the end for Anunoby, who tried to survive the issue in Game 7. OG finished the regular season ranked just outside the top 75 in 9-. cat, and the Knicks’ rotation will be deeper this season, especially on the wings.
A Remarkable Number: 29.4
After ranking second in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage in 2022-23, the Knicks led the league last season. Robinson, Hartenstein, and Achiuwa all finished with individual percentages of 13.3 or higher, with the former at 20.7. The loss of Hartenstein is a big deal, not only because of the offensive rebounding ability (and how it affected New York’s overall offensive production) but also because of his abilities as a secondary playmaker. There will be room for others to pick up the slack, boosting the fantasy values of those who step up.
Philadelphia 76ers
2023-24 Record: 47-35
Speed: 97.5 (18th)
Offensive Rating: 116.9 (14th)
Defensive Rating: 113.8 (11th)
One Possible Sleeper: Caleb Martin
After making 49 starts and averaging 29.3 minutes per game in 2022-23, Martin took a bit of a hit in terms of playing time in Miami last season. Appearing in 64 games (23 starts), he averaged 27.4 minutes, but his points (10.0) and assists (2.2) increased slightly. Martin decided that moving to Philadelphia was best for him, and the change in scenery may have increased his chances of being a fixture in the starting lineup. Fantasy managers will not expect significant scoring production from Martin due to the presence of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. However, he is versatile enough to offer value in other areas, potentially making Martin a worthy late-round target in drafts.
One Mighty Bust: Kelly Oubre Jr.
Oubre is another complementary piece whose play will be important for the 76ers this season. However, while he is a better scorer than Martin, there is a concern in the non-point production. Oubre averaged 5.0 rebounds in 2022-23, and he’s met or surpassed that number in four of his last five seasons. However, Philadelphia’s clear upgrade from Tobias Harris to Paul George could negatively impact the Tsunami Papi, even if he remains in the starting lineup, as production outside of points, rebounds and 3-pointers has been limited.
A Remarkable Number: 26.6
Paul George finished the 2023-24 season with a usage rate of 26.6, his lowest since the 2017-18 season with Oklahoma City (25.7). A tie that connected these two situations was the presence of three stars in the lineup. With the Thunder, George shared the floor with Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, and Kawhi Leonard and James Harden were in the starting lineup with him in Los Angeles last season. PG will be in a similar situation with the 76ers due to the presence of Embiid and Maxey, but this should not be a concern for fantasy managers. George finished last season as a first-rounder in 9-cat formats, and while he won’t be selected this early in drafts, he can do the same in 2024-25.
Toronto Raptors
2023-24 Record: 25-57
Speed: 99.4 (11th)
Offensive Rating: 112.3 (24th)
Defensive Rating: 118.8 (25th)
One Possible Sleeper: RJ Barrett
Throughout his NBA career, Barrett was a player whose value to the team exceeded his fantasy value by a significant margin. He finished last season ranked just inside the top 200 in 9-cat formats but showed signs of improvement after being traded to Toronto in late December. The problems for Barrett are limited defensive production and poor shooting, as he averaged 0.9 “shares” shooting 71.5% from the foul line last season. The good news: RJ shot a career-high 49.5% from the field and experienced significant boosts in his points, rebounds and assists post-trade. A full season alongside Scottie Barnes could boost Barrett’s fantasy value, making him a potential sleeper.
One Mighty Bust: Scottie Barnes
As the only Raptors player to finish last season inside the top 75 in fantasy, Barnes may be the only option for this section. He was superb for most of the 2023-24 campaign, providing top-25 per-game value in 9-cat formats. However, after the acquisition of Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, Barnes was only a 6th-round player, averaging 18.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 3-pointers. In this case, picking Barnes as a potential “bust” isn’t about his production falling off a proverbial cliff but rather an inability to reach the season heights of the 2023-24 campaign. Using a top-25 pick on Barnes is reasonable; he should go that high in most leagues. But getting to that level with this roster could prove difficult.
A Remarkable Number: 118.8
Toronto finished last season ranked 25th in defensive rating, the first time the franchise has not cracked the top half of the league in that category since the 2014-15 campaign. And that team won 49 games before being swept out of the playoffs; Darko Rajakovic’s squad was nowhere near contention for a postseason spot in his first season at the helm. Having a healthy Barnes on the floor will help boost the defense, as the Raptors have been especially poor after losing him to injury. However, neither Barrett nor Immanuel Quickley is known as a key defender. The Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby trades were necessary, but they left significant holes in the rotation that the Raptors are still working to fill.
