Fantasy Basketball Rookie Sleepers – 2008

Luc Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee Bucks
At UCLA, Luc Mbah a Moute looked like an NBA star in the making during his freshman season. But then he had two underwhelming campaigns where he struggled mightily to score the basketball. Now with the Milwaukee Bucks, this second round draft pick is reminding basketball fans why he was once so highly regarded. Mbah a Moute is now starting a power forward for Milwaukee and could hold onto that job for a long time. He’s a very good defensive player, which coach Scott Skiles loves, and is scoring much better than he did at UCLA.

JaVale McGee, Washington Wizards
With the Washington Wizards struggling to win games early in the season, there have been some whispers about moving JaVale McGee into the starting lineup. If that happens, he instantly becomes a fantasy viable center. But even if it doesn’t, McGee is starting to put up very nice numbers. We’ve been calling him a sleeper since preseason and he looks like he’s going to transform from a sleeper to the real thing pretty soon.

George Hill, San Antonio Spurs
Now that Tony Parker is out at least one month, rookie George Hill has taken over at point guard. While his first two starts haven’t been overly impressive, he’s going to get a good opportunity. As long as he keeps getting minutes, he’s a player who can help your fantasy basketball squad in points, assists, rebounds and steals. Overall, he’s still raw but the potential is definitely there.

Anthony Tolliver, San Antonio Spurs
A second Spur on this list, Anthony Tolliver is an unknown quantity with most NBA fans. But with the Spurs struggling to get production from the bigmen next to Tim Duncan, Tolliver has emerged as a legit option. It wouldn’t be too surprising if he eventually becomes a starter next to Duncan. Tolliver is a center who can hit three-pointers and hand out assists. Those unique talents for his position could make Tolliver an interesting fantasy basketball option.

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