With the draft lottery around the corner, we are soon going to find out who is going to win the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. He could very well be the next face of the league. In this article, we are going to be ranking my top landing spots for Flagg from a fantasy basketball standpoint. I will mostly be taking into account the opportunity that a team can give Flagg. For example, Flagg on the 76ers would be a great NBA fit, but he would still likely be the third or fourth scoring option for the team, which doesn’t give him the greatest fantasy value. Flagg is a special talent, and he is going to be a great NBA player. But how much will he impact fantasy basketball in year one? It all depends on where he goes, so let’s get into it.
Cooper Flagg’s Top 3 Landing Spots for Fantasy Basketball
1) Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are the top option for Flagg in fantasy. With Flagg, the starting lineup could look something like Bub Carrington, Jordan Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, Flagg, and Alex Sarr. Flagg fits perfectly into this lineup and would instantly become the second scoring option behind Poole. Flagg would slot in perfectly to this role on the Wizards. Sarr only averaged 6.5 rebounds, so I project Flagg to get a lot of rebound opportunities for this team. It also helps that Flagg won’t have to be the number one scorer on this team, giving him time to adjust to NBA-level defense. The Wizards are a young team that, with Flagg, can be sneaky good next NBA season.
2) Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets come in at the number two spot. The Nets have gone through many iterations of the team over the last six to seven years. Landing Flagg can allow them to finally have a distinct direction for the team to go. With D’Angelo Russell having a player option, we don’t know if he is coming back to the team. But, Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson, Flagg, and Nic Claxton would all most likely be in the starting lineup. I think the Nets would give Flagg more opportunity as a scorer compared to the Wizards. I also still like the rebounding and defensive opportunities that this team can give Flagg. If the Nets can retain Russell, the spacing on the floor will be great as well. Getting Flagg in Brooklyn could be very good for fantasy basketball.
3) Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz could also be a great team for Flagg. Although the frontcourt is a bit packed with Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, Flagg is versatile enough to play the small forward with both big men in the lineup. The Jazz could also give Flagg the most opportunity as a ball handler, and that is great for fantasy purposes. Nevertheless, being surrounded by Keyonte George and Collin Sexton doesn’t force Flagg to be the primary ball handler. The Jazz have the most lineup versatility in terms of where they can play Flagg on the entire list. If the Jazz end up with Cooper Flagg, they could be a lot better than many people expect them to be.
Honorable Mention and Wrap-Up
The Wizards, Nets, and Jazz are a combination of the best and most likely landing spots for Flagg. But, there are some less likely teams that I think Flagg would thrive with. One of these teams is the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls are a really good fit for Flagg. They have two above-average guards in Coby White and Josh Giddey, and a solid frontcourt piece in Nikola Vucevic. The Bulls have just a 1.7% chance at the number one pick, but we’ve seen crazier things happen. With this in mind, I do believe that Flagg will be a great NBA player for years to come. He is going to change a franchise, and the lottery is where we will find out which team he is going to change for the future.
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