A Dozen Dimes: 2014-15 Fantasy Basketball Awards

Fantasy Rookie of the Year

Winner: Nerlens Noel

Every year, people inevitably draft rookies way higher than they should. The first year for a draft class is often such a crapshoot that it's nearly impossible to tell which guys will hit value in fantasy and which ones will be drop-worthy within a couple weeks. On top of that, because rookies are so young and carry so much upside, they also become very hard to drop when they stink up the joint.

This dance of over-drafting and holding too long is the exact reason why I always recommend not to draft rookies. To wit, only one first-year player finished in the top-100 in nine-category leagues this year and he wasn't even from this year's draft class. Andrew Wiggins may have the inside track for the NBA Rookie of the Year, but Nerlens Noel is the only choice for the award in fantasy.

Noel had a slow start to the season, but still finished as the 56th-ranked player in nine-category leagues for averaging 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.9 blocks. That line doesn't even really do him justice either, considering he was a first-round value after the All-Star break for averages of 13.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 2.3 blocks. He was not only the most valuable rookie, but for owners trying to compete in the defensive categories on a weekly basis, he transformed into one of the most valuable players period by the end of the season.

All-Fantasy-Rookie Team

PG - Elfrid Payton
SG - Jordan Clarkson
SF - Andrew Wiggins
PF - Nikola Mirotic
C - Nerlens Noel

Wiggins played all 82 games and helped owners in scoring this season (16.9), but little else. He had spurts of high value across the board peppered throughout the year -- particularly when the Wolves were banged up -- but generally he didn't excel enough in any category beyond scoring to get excited about from a season-long standpoint. As for Payton, Clarkson, and Mirotic, they each hit droppable lows in the beginning of the season, but all put up mid-round value post All-Star break. It'll be interesting to see where all five of these guys go in fantasy drafts in year two.