Top 10 NBA Fantasy Sleepers for the 2009-2010 Season

With the upcoming NBA season upon us, it's time to take a look at the top 10 fantasy sleeper players. My list of players includes a few guys who should break into stardom, as well as a few who should just see big jump in production. I tend to focus on younger players when looking for sleeper picks as they normally have the potential to grow the most.

1. Andrea Bargnani - Toronto Raptors
Most astute fantasy players recognized the great second half Bargnani had in the 2008-2009 season. He should be able to continue to produce at that level while increasing his rebounds per game. The addition of Turkoglu to the Raptors should actually help Bargnani as there will be another playmaker on the floor to get him his shots. The fact that Bargnani qualifies at center in a lot of leagues makes him even more valuable.

2. Trevor Ariza - Houston Rockets
Known mostly as a glue guy or intangibles players, Ariza's move to Houston came at a fortuitous time for fantasy players. With Yao lost for the year and McGrady constantly banged up, we should see plenty of opportunities for Ariza to play and generate a ton of stats. His only really competition scoring wise is Shane Battier who really isn't known as a scorer. Expect to see across the board increases in his numbers.

3. Courtney Lee - New Jersey Nets
Lee had his coming out party during the playoffs last year as everyone quickly recognized how important of a piece he was to the Orlando Magic run to the finals. Moving the New Jersey as part of the Vince Carter trade was great for Lee as he should get as many minutes as he can handle on a very poor Nets team. With Devin Harris drawing so much attention, it should allow Lee to pop open for a lot of clean looks. I would expect a big boost in his points totals.

4. Jason Thompson - Sacramento Kings
The Kings team is really bad. Thankfully for their fans, they have a young rising big in Thompson. While last year he was overshadowed by the emergence of Spencer Hawes, you should expect a big jump in his numbers this year. Thompson will get a ton of minutes and should see jumps in his rebounds and blocks. He is capable of averaging a double double.

5. Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder
While he will be constantly overshadowed by Durant, Westbrook should really come into his own this year and develop into a perfect sidekick for Durant. His uncanny ability to score and dish the ball will be on showcase as the Thunder should be an entertaining team to watch. Westbrook will see a jump in his across the board numbers and I expect a drop in his turnovers as he should be handling the ball a little less this year.

6. DJ Augustin - Charlotte Bobcats
With the situation with Raymond Felton up in the air, Augustin is primed to take alot of minutes this year and run with it. He produced big numbers whenever he got playing time last year and he should only see increases in those numbers this year. I fully expect Felton to be gone from this team at some point this year, giving Augustin full reign to run this team and generate fantastic fantasy numbers

7. Louis Williams - Philadelphia 76ers
When the Sixers moved Andre Miller to Portland, it opened up a huge opportunity for Williams as he will take over the starting role on a run and gun Sixers team. Williams is an incredibly fast point guard and a decent passer. He does excel in the open court which suits their play style perfectly. You should see a huge jump in assists with Williams as he has some good athletic wing men in Thaddeus Young and Andres Iguodala.

8. Roy Hibbert - Indiana Pacers
Hibbert actually developed well as the season bore on last year and it's fully expected that he'll be starting and getting a lot of minutes this year. He has no real competition on the Pacers for the center position and you can expect a steady amount of blocks from Hibbert and an increase in his rebounding numbers.

9. Eric Gordon - LA Clippers
While many might consider last year his breakout year, I think that Gordon has 20 PPG potential. This year he should flirt with it throughout the season. As such a good shooter, I expect an increase in three pointers and steals as well. An overall improved team in LA with a motivated Baron Davis should do wonders for Gordon.

10. Anthony Randolph – Golden State Warriors
Even with Don Nelson putting crazy lineups out there every night, Randolph should be a consistent starter this year. He’s been a beast in the summer leagues and definitely has the skill set to be a star. Even though there are a bunch of other scorers on the team, namely Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette, Randolph should still see plenty of shots since their team is all about offense. With increased minutes this year, he should be able to product some nice stats.

Honourable Mention: Julian Wright - New Orleans Hornets
Announced as a starter and putting Peja Stojakovic on the bench, Wright is an athletic swingman who should provide better fast break opportunities for Chris Paul to find on the breaks. He hasn't put up many numbers in his first 2 season, but I expect him to break out and be a consistent starter and putting up much better numbers across the board. Wright is a deep sleeper pick though, don't expect superstar numbers, but he should be worth a flyer in late rounds.