In a 30-part series leading up to the start of the 2021-22 National Basketball Association season, we will take a look at each NBA franchise from a fantasy perspective. The 23rd team we will review is the Philadelphia 76ers.
There are a lot of questions surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers heading into 2021-22. First and foremost is what Philadelphia now plans to do with swingman Ben Simmons. The Melbourne native has seen his stock completely tank after a terrible 2021 NBA playoff and the fact he has decided to holdout prior to the start of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Philadelphia seems to be patient at this time in waiting for a deal for Simmons that best suits them. However, it is unlikely we will see Tyrese Maxey be the Philly starting point guard for long. It is expected that the 76ers general manager Daryl Morley will pull the trigger on a trade of some sort before Simmons sees a complete reduction in his overall stock.
The best 76ers player to take in fantasy is Joel Embiid, who is ranked eighth at the center and power forward positions with 2095 fantasy points*. Last year Embiid ranked fifth among centers in points with 1451, and his .859 free throw shooting is respectable for a big man. The native of Cameroon also had a .513 field goal percentage, 539 rebounds, 125 assists, 50 steals, 69 blocked shots, and 159 turnovers last season.
Tobias Harris was 14th among small forwards with 1879 fantasy points and 14th among power forwards with 1848 fantasy points. Where Harris is an asset is in rebounding, where he had 419 boards in 2021-22, which was the fourth most in the NBA among small forwards. The concern for Harris is that he has right knee soreness, which has been a problem for him in the preseason.
Finally, three other 76ers should be considered in the later rounds. They are big man Andre Drummond, point guard Seth Curry and shooting guard Danny Green. Even though Drummond had more fantasy points than Curry and Green last season (Drummond had 1320 points compared to 1107 for Curry and 1232 for Green), Drummond will be in a reserve role in Philadelphia in 2021-22 after sharing his time last year with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers.
*Please note: To calculate NBA fantasy points for point guards, shooting guards and small forwards, I use the formula (3PTM+Points+Rebounds+Assists+Steals-Turnovers). For power forwards and centers, I use the formula (Points+Rebounds+Assists+Steals+Blocks-Turnovers).
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