Dyson Daniels set career highs across the board on his way to securing the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Improved Player.
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The race for the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Improved Player, which Hawks guard Dyson Daniels took home on Wednesday, was a good one. The voting proved there were a few deserving candidates, as three players received at least 15 first-place votes. Let’s take a look at Daniels’ potential fantasy value for the future.
Season recap
Daniels was originally selected eighth overall by the Pelicans in the 2022 Draft. He averaged just 18 minutes per game during his rookie season and 22 minutes in his second season. He showed flashes of being a difference maker on defense, averaging 1.4 steals during the 2023-24 season despite his limited playing time.
The Pelicans then traded Daniels to the Hawks in the deal that landed them Dejounte Murray. On his new team, Daniels immediately stepped into a starting role. In their season opener against the Nets, Daniels recorded 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two 3-pointers, five steals and one block over 35 minutes. Across his first 12 games of the season, Daniels averaged a whopping 3.7 steals.
Daniels started all 76 games that he played for the Hawks this season, averaging 34 minutes per game. The result was him setting career highs across the board, averaging 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.1 3-pointers per game. He shot 49.3% from the field, including 34.0% from behind the arc.
Fantasy outlook
Daniels was one of the hottest waiver wire pickups in fantasy basketball during the first week of the season. If he was drafted, it was likely in the last round or two in most leagues. He went on to help fantasy managers thrive in steals. His contributions in other areas also made him extremely valuable. There’s an argument to be made that he was the fantasy MVP this season, based on his average draft position.
Heading into next season, Daniels will likely go early in fantasy drafts. The Hawks are in the midst of a youth movement with players like Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and Zaccharie Risacher all set to have prominent roles. If Johnson hadn’t been lost for the season in January because of a shoulder injury, the Hawks could have been a scary team to face in the playoffs. With a starting role and plenty of minutes likely coming his way again next season, Daniels might not last past the third round in many fantasy leagues.
