We are still early in the NBA season and teams are still feeling around for their identities and how they fit together. That can also be said for fantasy basketball owners too, who are scraping box scores across the league searching for their next productive pickup. One name that is catching plenty of eyes lately is San Antonio Spurs small forward Kelvin Johnson, who is making ample use of the increased role he’s been given.

The Spurs have shown more and more confidence in Johnson as the season progresses. Last year, he played in only 2 games where he got over 30 minutes of playing time. So far this season he has already eclipsed the 30 minute mark 7 times, including a career high 41 minutes against the Timberwolves on Saturday.

With his rookie season having lots of ups and downs, it has been nice to see him settle into his role as a starter this year. Many wondered whether he could take his performance from the bubble, where he had multiple 20 point outings and started getting real minutes for the first time, and continue on into his second year. Any questions coming into the season have been answered by this point.

Why fantasy owners should be interested

With his quality play to finish last season, Keldon was on the radar of the NBA world heading into the season, but not enough to vault him too high in NBA fantasy leagues. On ESPN, his average draft position was 131st overall, and 35th out of all small forwards.

Through just 10 games so far, KJ is far outperforming his draft expectations, and people are starting to notice. He’s currently ranked as the 14th best small forward on ESPN, and has jumped up to being rostered on 68% of leagues. One week ago he was rostered on 38% of leagues, so it’s safe to say his play has earned him spots in many leagues and is trending to do so even more.

He’s currently averaging 14.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, on a very efficient 45.2% field goal percentage. Along with that, he’s also shooting a great mark from 3 point range, where he’s shooting at 41.9% so far. 

If you’re in a roto league and curious about his output in other categories, Keldon doesn’t disappoint. He’s putting up 1.2 steals and .6 blocks per game, which are both high numbers for a small forward. So he’s a good pickup in roto or traditional scoring leagues.

An area for improvement for the young forward is definitely his passing. Averaging just 2.7 assists per game this year, a major area that KJ can work on is his passing in the lane. As some have pointed out, he is so good at driving to the rim, that oftentimes he gets too locked on going up for a shot himself, while potentially missing open teammates. This is a good problem for a second year player to have, and can hope to develop into a better passer the more he learns.

Continuing through the season

The team has had a slower start than they might have liked, currently sitting at 5-5 through the first ten games. However, with the improving play of Johnson and the hopeful return of guard Derrick White next month, there is still plenty of upside left this season.

The rocky start was on full display last week when they beat the defending champion Lakers for their best victory of the season, only to lose two games later to last place Timberwolves. Locking into consistent play will be a major key as the season moves on.

For those interested in the gambling side of things, the team has been a good play to start the season with a 6-4 record against the spread. So next time you are checking out your favorite sports betting app, don’t hesitate to look for their line.

With an injured roster, and an unknown player like Keldon getting a sizable amount of minutes, bettors might have been scared off to start the season.

It’s safe to say at this point Keldon Johnson isn’t just a flash in the pan, and the San Antonio Spurs will continue to feature him as a part of their offense.