The fantasy basketball season is officially over, and despite the quotidian trudge of boxscores, waiver wire adds and trade negotiations, hopefully, your season ended with some new hardware! And if it wasn't your time, that's ok — there's always next season.
I was between two candidates for much of the season and hoped that one would separate down the stretch, but that wasn't the case. Both candidates excelled for fantasy managers, and thus, Jalen Williams and Walker Kessler are the 2022-2023 Co-Rookies of the Year.
Yeah, I know, I took the easy way out — but it's not without precedent; Recall Elton Brand and Steve Francis in 2000 or Grant Hill and Jason Kidd in 1995.considering his ADP and growth into a top-20 fantasy player since the turn of the calendar year. I won't bore you with more stat-heavy justifications, but if you look at his month-over-month production, it's clear he was one of the most efficient rookie guards in recent years.
Jackson Jr. was the undisputed stock king. He averaged 3.0 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest and is the favorite to capture his first DPOY honors. Per Stathead, it's been 15 years since NBA fans witnessed a player swat at least three shots with a steal per game , and JJJ is tied with several other stout defensive players as the second youngest player in NBA history to put up those numbers .
JJJ missed the first 14 games of the season recovering from a meniscus injury but was one of the best-valued draft picks this season — finishing 13th in per-game value with a preseason ADP of 102.4. He's played in 60 games through Monday and should be a no-brainer second-round pick heading into next season.