Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks
When speaking of NBA rookies, Brandon Jennings must be mentioned first. While he’s still producing at a high level, his shooting percentage has been plummeting lately. It’ll be interesting to see if he can bounce back.

Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings
With Kevin Martin out injured, Tyreke Evans has emerged as the star of the Kings. He can score, grab rebounds and dish out assists. If Jennings doesn’t heat back up, Evans may become the talk of this rookie class.

Darren Collison, New Orleans Hornets
With Chris Paul out, Darren Collison has stepped in and done a fantastic job as a starter. In his last five games, he’s averaging 16.4 points, 7.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds.

DeJuan Blair, San Antonio Spurs
When it comes to per-minute production, DeJuan Blair is a beast. He grabs more boards per minute than anyone in the NBA and he can score when he touches the ball. If he gets more minutes, watch out!

Brandon Jennings - Milwaukee Bucks (Image: Zuma Press)

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Sam Young, Memphis Grizzlies
In the 2009 NBA Draft, Young fell to the second round mostly due to his age. At 24, he wasn’t a very exciting prospect. But he could come in right away and play for the Grizzlies.

DeJuan Blair, San Antonio Spurs
Young’s teammate at Pittsburgh also fell to the second round. Blair’s issue were a pair of bad knees. But with the Spurs, there’s a chance that he could play a lot of minutes next to Tim Duncan.

Patrick Beverley, Miami Heat
The Heat got a good year out of Mario Chalmers but Beverley could push him for minutes. Beverley has great energy and his defense should make him a favorite in Miami.

Chase Budinger, Houston Rockets
Budinger undoubtedly has first round talent. But due to his questionable work ethic and toughness, he fell to the Rockets in the second round. If he can capitalize on his talent, Budinger could surprise.

Robert Dozier, Miami Heat
Although Dozier was the last pick of the draft, Dozier fell into a very good spot with the Heat. The Heat desperately need bigs and keep on eye on whether Dozier can carve out a niche with the Heat.

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Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Though Derrick Rose’s play has dropped off a little bit as of late, you can expect him to catch a second wind at some point. Once he fights through the rookie wall, Rose should once again claim his spot as the best rookie point guard in the league and fight for the Rookie of the Year award.

Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers
Lately, with half the Clippers roster out due to some form of injury or suspension, Eric Gordon has been scoring the ball very well. Over his last five games, he’s averaging more than 21 points per game while shooting very good percentages from the field, from three and from the line.

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Early on in the season, Russell Westbrook wasn’t very good offensively. As of late, however, he’s started to turn it around. He looks much more comfortable both looking for his own shots and running the show as Oklahoma City’s point guard.

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OJ Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies
Enjoying a rock solid fantasy basketball season, OJ Mayo will likely be a fantasy powerhouse for the next decade. He can score, shoot good percentages and the rest of his game is slowly but surely catching up. He could move as high as the second round of fantasy drafts next season.

Michael Beasley, Miami Heat
Although he’s not getting the consistent playing time Rose and Mayo are getting, Beasley has still be productive. He can score, rebound and he’s even blocking a few shots. Once he gets comfortable, he has a very high fantasy basketball ceiling.

Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trail Blazers
He’s not great at any one category but Rudy Fernandez helps out in a multitude of areas. He can put the ball in the basket, help you with his three-point accuracy and in other traditional categories such as assists and rebounds.

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2. OJ Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies
While the Grizzlies aren’t that good, OJ Mayo is putting on a show. He’s proving to be a very good scorer on the NBA level. Surprisingly his shooting percentages are healthy and he’s doing a good job of not turning the ball over too much. Overall, Mayo is adjusting very quickly to the NBA level.

3. Michael Beasley, Miami Heat
The Heat coaching staff has been hard on Michael Beasley — benching him for poor play. But when he’s on the court, Beasley’s natural talent shines through. He can score and rebound effortlessly and he’s destined to get better as the season progresses.

4. Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers
After a slow start to the season, Greg Oden is coming into his own. He’s still not starting but that is only a matter of time. Once he does, he’ll be a double-double machine for the next 15 years — as long as he stays healthy.

5. Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trail Blazers
Rudy Fernandez is the Blazers’ energy player off the bench. For your fantasy team, Fernandez can do a little bit of everything. If his minutes go up, he could really turn into a fantasy force by the end of his rookie campaign.

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Will Michael Beasley become a beast for the Heat?

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Sean Williams, New Jersey Nets
Although Sean Williams had off court issues clouding his draft stock, he has shown to be a very good basketball player on the court. He’s extremely athletic and has very good timing. If he can stay on the straight and narrow, he looks to be a great find for New Jersey.

Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
If the Bulls continue to slip down the Eastern Conference standings, expect Joakim Noah to become a big part of their rotation in the second half of the season. He has shown good potential and there’s no reason to believe that he won’t become a solid starter in the league.

Spencer Hawes, Sacramento Kings
Although he hasn’t shown much to date, Spencer Hawes has had a few flashes of brilliance. While those flashes have been few and far between, he’s a legitimate center prospect. If something were to happen to Brad Miller, Hawes is the next in line for big minutes.

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Yi Jianlian, Miwaukee Bucks
There is a lot of hype surrounding Yi Jianlian but most of that hype is warranted. He has a pure jumper that extends all the way out to the three-point line. He can rebound and mix in some blocked shots. Everything about him points to him being a star at some point.

Glenn Davis, Boston Celtics
With Kevin Garnett currently injured, Glenn Davis has been a big part of the Celtics ability to stay competitive. Although he’s still a raw talent, he has impressive basketball IQ and knows where to be on the court. He appears to be quite the find for Boston.

Carl Landry, Houston Rockets
As of late Carl Landry has really come on strong for the Rockets. He seems to have replaced Chucky Hayes as the backup to Scola. Landry is very athletic, very aggressive and backs down from nobody. Although he doesn’t have great height, he does have very good potential.

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Al Thornton, Los Angeles Clippers
The habitually banged up Clippers will lean heavily on Al Thornton as the season wears on. A pure scorer, Thornton can put the ball in the basket from a number of spots on the court. There’s no reason why he eventually can’t average 15+ points per game.

Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers
Although Young is, well, young, he’s already playing important minutes for the Sixers. As the season wears on, those minutes should increase more and more. Although he doesn’t have huge potential this season, his potential down the line is impressive.

Jeff Green, Seattle Supersonics
Known as the other rookie in Seattle, Jeff Green has had an up and down season – as is to be expected. However, when he’s playing well he can be a valuable piece on a fantasy basketball team. He can do a bit of everything and will continue to improve.

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Juan Carlos Navarro, Memphis Grizzlies
Juan Carlos Navarro has proven to be a world-class shooter who isn’t as one-dimensional as some pundits insisted. He can put up some nice stats but it’s true that he’s primarily at shooter. With the Grizzlies looking to unload even more talent, Navarro should get plenty of time to shine.

Corey Brewer, Minnesota Timberwolves
Able to play many positions, Corey Brewer is hard to pigeonhole into one category. He’s a multifaceted talent who is a consistent jumper away from being a really good player. Brewer will never be a big time scorer but he could become a fantasy basketball stud eventually.

Daequan Cook, Miami Heat
With the Heat looking to go young, Daequan Cook appears to be a key part of their rebuilding plan. He’s a natural born scorer who can fill up the stat sheet in a hurry. Even though he’s young, he could become a main scorer threat in Miami late in the season.

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