Fantasy Basketball Rankings 2022: Top Sleepers, Breakouts and Busts from Proven NBA Simulation Model

The 2022 NBA Draft brought another impressive wave of new talent into the league, and with opening night of the 2022-23 NBA season scheduled for Tuesday, fantasy basketball owners across the country are trying to figure out how the fantasy basketball Rookies fit into the bigger picture. The Pistons added a pair of NBA lottery picks to their draft night lineup by selecting Jaden Ivey No. 5 overall and trading with No. 13 overall Jalen Duren. Now these two players will join a young core that already includes Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey.

Are Ivey and Duren Potential 2022 Fantasy Basketball Breakouts to Have on Your Fantasy Basketball Draft Board? And who are the 2022 fantasy basketball sleepers and busts to watch out for? A reliable set of fantasy basketball rankings 2022 can help you answer these questions and more. Before you hit any fantasy basketball tips for 2022, be sure to check out SportsLine’s tried and tested computer model’s 2022 fantasy basketball rankings and cheat sheets.

SportsLine’s proven model simulates 10,000 times each season. This model is backed by the same people who powered the projections for all three major fantasy sites. And the same group is sharing their 2022 fantasy basketball cheat sheets.

Available for leagues on many major websites, these cheat sheets and rankings are updated several times a day. Every time an injury occurs or the roster changes, the SportsLine team updates their cheat sheets.

Last year, the model was extremely high at DeMar DeRozan, despite being drafted in the fifth round on average, and predicted he would outperform small forwards like Khris Middleton and Brandon Ingram, who were drafted before him. The Result: DeRozan had a resurgent year, finishing fifth in the NBA (27.9 ppg) and becoming a top 10 player overall in fantasy basketball.

The model also called previous fantasy basketball sleepers like Lauri Markkanen and Aaron Gordon in 2018-19 and warned that Zach Randolph was a bust that same year. Anyone who followed the model’s fantasy basketball advice was well on their way to a deep postseason run.

Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NBA season 10,000 times and released its latest 2022 fantasy basketball rankings, along with plenty of sleepers, outbursts and busts. Go to SportsLine now to see them.

Top 2022 Fantasy Basketball Sleepers

One of the top fantasy basketball sleepers of 2022 predicted by the model: Grizzlies center Steven Adams. The New Zealander averaged just 6.9 points in his debut season at Memphis but also set career bests at 10 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He then signed a two-year, $25.2 million extension during the offseason to remain Memphis’ starting center for the next several years.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins says he gave Adams the green light to be more aggressive and even throw 3-pointers this season. That would be a bonus to his already solid fantasy stat as an elite rebounder and one of the best passing centers in the league. Adams should also see more playing time this year with tall colleague Jaren Jackson Jr. (foot), who is in doubt for the start of the season after surgery. More minutes and a new offensive weapon have led Adams as a top 20 center in SportsLine’s 2022 fantasy basketball rankings.

Top 2022 Fantasy Basketball Breakouts

One of the fantasy basketball breakouts of 2022 identified by the model: Rocket’s power forward Jabari Smith. After spending a season at Auburn in which he averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, Smith was the No. 3 overall pick in the game 2022 NBA draft, and Houston will be expecting him to speak up with two dynamic young guards like Kevin Porter and Jalen Green in their lineup.

Smith shot 42% from the 3-point line at Auburn and he showed a willingness to go outside and shoot from distance while also falling inside to hit the glass in the NBA Summer League. In his preseason debut on Sunday, Smith had 21 points and eight rebounds in just 24 minutes, and his advantage as Houston’s top option for upfront goals is high. For that reason, the model ranks him as a top 10 power forward in their 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Rankings.

Top 2022 Fantasy Basketball Busts

What players should avoid lists Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook model as one of his top fantasy basketball busts of 2022. Westbrook’s 2021-22 season was an absolute disaster as he dropped significantly in points, rebounds, assists and steals last season while the Lakers missed the playoffs. It was Westbrook’s fourth other team in four seasons, and an inability to work with LeBron James and Anthony Davis has made him the subject of trade rumors again this offseason.

However, the Lakers are yet to finalize a deal and it seems Westbrook will at least start his season in Los Angeles, with some discussions he could even come off the bench. Fantasy basketball players average him in the seventh round, but the model ranks ahead of the nine-time NBA All-Star in the 10th round like Porter and Mike Conley.

How to Find Best Fantasy Basketball Rankings for 2022

SportsLine is also very confident that a forward will make a big leap and advises you to target him in the 2022 Fantasy Basketball Drafts. This youngster is listed as a shocking top five option ahead of superstars like Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant. You can only see who it is at SportsLine and fantasy basketball rankings 2022 for each player.

So which 2022 fantasy basketball sleepers, breakouts and busts should you aim for and fade away to? And which forward is shocking the NBA with a top-five performance at this position? Visit SportsLine now to get 2022 fantasy basketball cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that hit their fantasy basketball picks, and find out.