This year, the Atlantic Division was one to be excited for. But it was a bit disappointing for a few different reasons. The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks were at the top of the division as predicted. However, the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Philadelphia 76ers had their seasons derailed by injuries and some egregious tanking. Nonetheless, this division still gave fantasy players some great production over the season. This article will dive into each team and what player was their fantasy MVP this season.
2024-25 Fantasy MVPs: Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum
The Boston Celtics had an array of different fantasy producers from their stacked roster. But Jayson Tatum stood far and away as the most productive fantasy asset from this team. Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 8.7 rebounds per game while finishing in fifth for total fantasy points this season. He also managed to finish with 31 double-doubles, as well as two triple-doubles. The most impressive leap for Tatum this season was easily his playmaking, as he averaged a career-high six assists. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White also provided great fantasy value, but Tatum is going to get the fantasy MVP nod for the Celtics.
New York Knicks: Karl-Anthony Towns
The New York Knicks provided great fantasy value from their starting five all season. Each of their starters averaged at least 28 fantasy points per game, which made this decision tough. I decided to go with Karl-Anthony Towns for the Knicks because of his fantasy ceiling. KAT finished as the seventh-best fantasy player in terms of total fantasy points. He averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game this season. He also finished fourth in the league with 58 double-doubles. In his first year with the Knicks, KAT was awesome on the offensive side of the ball and was great for fantasy teams. Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and OG Anunoby were great, but KAT is going to be the Knicks’ fantasy MVP.
Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes
Scottie Barnes gets the fantasy MVP award for the Raptors, even in a disappointing season for him and the team. Barnes averaged 19.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game this season. Scottie Barnes also finished with 26 double-doubles and one lone triple-double as well. He was the fantasy points leader for the Raptors, but there were a lot of injuries to the entire team. Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett were great fantasy producers for stretches of the season as well. But as I mentioned before, the Raptors’ season got away due to injuries. With all that being said, Barnes still finishes as the Raptors’ fantasy MVP this season.
Brooklyn Nets: Nicolas Claxton
The Brooklyn Nets were a team that we knew was not going to be good after trading Mikal Bridges to the Knicks. The fantasy production showed that. The Nets did not have a single player score over 1,900 total fantasy points this season, so it pretty much came down to availability. Nic Claxton gets the nod after averaging 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game this season. He also added some defensive value and averaged 2.3 stocks (steals+blocks) as well. If Cameron Johnson and Cam Thomas played enough games, they probably would have earned this award. But, due to injury, Nic Claxton is going to get the fantasy MVP for the Nets.
Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey
While I talked about injuries for the past two teams, those injuries were nothing in comparison to the Philadelphia 76ers. Their best player, Joel Embiid, missed 63 games this year. Paul George, their big free agency acquisition, missed 41 games this year. Their first-round pick, Jared McCain, missed 59 games this season. Even their fantasy MVP, Tyrese Maxey, missed some time this year. But Tyrese was awesome for the time he was on the court for the Sixers. Maxey averaged 26.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game this season. Despite missing 30 games, he still led the Sixers in total fantasy points. I also want to shout out Quentin Grimes, who averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. per game after being traded to the Sixers. Grimes certainly helped win some people fantasy championships, but Maxey is still the fantasy MVP for the 76ers.
The Last Word
The Atlantic Division was injury-riddled the entire season, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any great fantasy producers this season. Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns both finished top 10 in total fantasy points scored. Scottie Barnes and Tyrese Maxey gave fantasy owners star production, just not for the full season. And Nic Claxton provided solid value on both sides of the ball. Some other notable fantasy players this season were Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, Quentin Grimes, and RJ Barrett.
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