Stephen Curry Fantasy Outlook & Value 2019-2020

The Golden State Warriors’ dynasty finally started showing some cracks last season, as injuries began to pile up for the team in the playoffs. The Warriors still managed to make it to the finals, but they ended up losing to the Toronto Raptors in 6 games. Despite this, Steph Curry still played at a high level, particularly the western conference finals where he averaged an incredible 36.5 points per game. The Warriors lost several key pieces in free agency, with Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston all departing the team. Still, this has a chance to potentially benefit Curry individually. Curry was still great with Durant on the team, but in his most recent season without him, he put up historic shooting numbers. In fact, in Curry’s career, the more 3-point shots he takes in a season, the higher his percentage is.

 

 

The Warriors will enter the season with significantly more challenges then they’re probably accustomed to having. Although they salvaged their offseason somewhat by getting D’Angelo Russell, there are still many questions. While the Warriors will likely be fine on offense as long as Curry and Russell stay healthy, the Warriors perimeter defense figures to be incredibly shoddy. This rings especially true when considering Klay Thompson will likely miss the majority of the regular season. Still, the last time Curry ran his own show, he ended up becoming the only unanimous finals MVP in history. Yes, the Warriors are no longer favorites and yes, this is the most flawed Warrior team in years. But as long as Curry sticks around, this team still has the potential to be incredibly dangerous.

Stephen Curry Fantasy Stats

GPMPGPPGRPGAPGFG%FT%3PT%STLBLKTOFPPG
6933.827.35.35.247.291.643.71.30.42.843.8

Upside

Curry’s ceiling should be extremely high going into the season. Durant is gone and Klay will likely miss most of the regular season. D’Angelo Russell will likely absorb some of those touches, but it’s likely the amount of touches Curry gets this year will be similar to his 2016 season. That year, Curry put up 30.1 points per game on mindboggingly absurd efficiency. In fact, he became the only player in history to make the 50-40-90 club while averaging over 30 points. This will be the first year since then that Curry will have that much of a green light to fire away, and he’ll get the chance to re-insert himself into the MVP discussion. His ceiling is a hyper efficient season where he averages 30 points a game, 7 assists per game, 5 rebounds per game, and 1.5 steals a game.

Floor

Although Curry is still as great a player as he was in 2016, he is on the wrong side of 30. It’s worth mentioning that although he’s usually come back in time for the games that matter, he’s missed 44 games combined the past two seasons. When he does play, there really shouldn’t be a reason he won’t be as elite he’s been throughout his prime, but there is some worry he won’t play as much as preferred. He may also have to expand slightly more energy on defense this year than years past, which adds worry about his potential workload this season. His floor is still a great season where he averages 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal a game, but ends up missing significant time due to an injury.

What to Expect

golden state warriorsSteph Curry is currently ranked as the best point guard in fantasy, and the number 4 player overall. He’s expected to be drafted in the first round and has an auction value of $56. Curry’s being valued as the superstar he is, and he’s definitely worthy of being the guy on your fantasy team. There may be some concern about potential injuries due to his age and increased workload, but you’ll know what you’re getting if he does play the full season. That’s the best shooter in NBA history that will likely contend for the scoring champion. Don’t blink if have the chance to draft him early.

The Warriors will enter the season with much lower expectations than they’re used to. Still, assuming they won’t have a chance is a mistake. If they can get Klay back healthy, they’ll still have the three most important players from their 73-win season. It’s true that their lack of forwards may hurt them against teams like the Clippers and Lakers in the west, but at the same time, Curry is a unique weapon that no one else in the league has. I personally believe that Curry will remind everyone of his dominant 2016 season and be one of the favorites for the MVP this year. I think a season where he averages 29 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.5 steals is a reasonable prediction.

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Despite being born in Orange County growing up as a die hard Lakers fan, his fandom is pretty diverse and extends as far as Syracuse University. Aside from sports journalism and analytics, he’s passionate about video games and critiquing movies. Eventual goals include ownership of the entire NBA and NFL.

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