クラークの退団はファンタジーに空白を残すが、次世代を見逃すな

The Post-Clark Era: Who's Your New Number One Pick?

Look, we all knew this day was coming. Caitlin Clark single-handedly warped fantasy drafts for two years, and for good reason. Her 31.6 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, and 8.9 assists last season were just silly. You rostered her, you pretty much won your league. She was the cheat code.

But now she's gone, off to the Indiana Fever, and the fantasy landscape for NCAA women's basketball just blew wide open. Don't tell me you're not already scrambling, wondering who slots into that top-tier draft capital. The obvious answer for many is Paige Bueckers. UConn's star returned from injury and showed flashes of her old self, averaging 21.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. She's a fantastic player, no doubt, but can she carry a fantasy team the way Clark did?

Thing is, a lot of folks are forgetting about JuJu Watkins at USC. The freshman phenom put up 27.1 points and 7.3 rebounds, plus 3.3 assists. She's got that high-usage, high-scoring profile that fantasy managers drool over. And frankly, her supporting cast might even allow her to be more efficient than Bueckers, who will likely share a bit more of the offensive load at UConn.

Finding Value: Rebounds, Assists, and the Hidden Gems

It's not all about the scoring titans, though. In a world without Clark hogging all the usage, rebounders and assist-getters become even more valuable. Think about Angel Reese. Her 13.4 rebounds per game last year for LSU were elite, and she chipped in 18.6 points. That's a double-double machine you can build around in the middle rounds.

And what about Georgia Amoore from Virginia Tech? She averaged 6.8 assists and 14.8 points last season. Those kinds of assist numbers are gold, especially if your league counts turnovers. She's a point guard who runs the offense and will have plenty of opportunities to rack up dimes. Plus, her 2.6 threes per game add another nice boost.

Here's a hot take: Hannah Hidalgo at Notre Dame is going to be a fantasy steal next year. Her 22.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and absurd 4.6 steals per game as a freshman were incredible. Steals are such a hard category to fill, and she provides elite production there while still giving you plenty of points and assists. She's going to outproduce her draft position, mark my words.

My bold prediction: JuJu Watkins will be the consensus #1 fantasy pick in next year's drafts, and will lead the league in total fantasy points.