Believe it or not, Brooklyn Nets PG/PF Ben Simmons used to be universally recognized a strong fantasy basketball option. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft -- and nobody questioned the move at the time -- averaged 15.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 7.7 APG and 1.7 SPG over four seasons as a Philadelphia 76ers building block.
Sure, things got ugly and controversial at the conclusion of his tenure, but fantasy managers did enjoy Simmons for the time he was an active player in Philadelphia, until mercifully trading him to Brooklyn in February 2022.
The current version of Simmons is obviously not the same player contributing occasional triple-doubles and outstanding defense, but there remains some good things to aid fantasy managers. Simmons is averaging double-digit rebounds over his six games this season and continues to be an excellent, all-seeing passer, still capable of making his teammates better and providing easier shots.
Simmons will not play in Thursday's game with the Miami Heat, but he is averaging 30.8 ESPN fantasy points per game, making him, on a per-game basis, safely one of the top 100 players in ESPN standard (points) scoring.