Fantasy basketball, not unlike it’s fantasy counterparts, is won and lost by players who outperform their preseason expectations. Granted your fantasy basketball team won’t be in contention without proven stars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, but it is the bit players and role guys that you slot in as complementary pieces that can ultimately propel your fantasy team to the top.

Preseason fantasy polls are full of predictions and analysis that peg a players worth in comparison to his counterparts. Bargains can be had here as a player’s value may seem low to you and ultimately you draft him based upon your belief that he will outperform those preseason predictions. Choosing your bit-role players can be the most important part in your draft as it is through these up and comers that real success is experienced.

I’ve selected six players from the Western Conference who turned out to be great fantasy producers. Each player outperformed their preseason expectations by a large margin and thusly they are now identified as eDraft’s fantasy up and comers for next season. To check out the Eastern Conference up and comers click here.

Damian Lillard - Guard, Portland Trailblazers

I realize it may sound a bit odd to name the NBA’s Rookie of the Year recipient as an up and comer; however, the world of fantasy basketball differs from the on-court game. While Lillard has already made his mark on the pro-ranks he is just arriving in terms of fantasy potential. We saw a glimpse of the potential this past season as Lillard’s strong play propelled him to be the twelve most valuable fantasy option in the league. In just his first season he finished ranked higher than the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard. He posted season averages of 19.0 ppg, 6.5 apg, 3.1 rpg and 0.9 steals per game. He contributed with seven double-doubles on the season, all the while playing a robust 38 minutes per game in all 82 games. There is no doubt that Lillard will be in high demand come draft day and he will be a top-ten value for guards in every draft.

Greivis Vasquez - Guard, New Orleans Hornets

If I had asked you at the start of the season to rank Vasquez would you have pegged him as a top 50 fantasy talent? How about a top 25 guy? A top 20 ? Would you have stated boldly that he would be finish as the fifteenth highest ranked fantasy option in the Association? Well, fifteenth overall is exactly where Vazquez finished up. He ranked one spot better than the first-place MVP vote receiving Carmelo Anthony. The season that wrapped was a very productive one for Vazquez and the Hornets. Granted they didn’t win many games and they are once again lottery bound; however, Vazquez has made a statement concerning the youth-movement that lies ahead in New Orleans. While many figured that the max-contracted Eric Gordon would be the focal point of the franchise moving forward, it has been Vazquez who has risen to the top and at one-tenth the cost of Gordon it is clear that Vazquez is the better option all-around. I do not expect Vazquez to get much in the way of fantasy love come draft time; however, he represents a true up and comer that can’t be ignored.

Klay Thompson - Guard, Golden State Warriors

After a solid season that culminated in the Warriors gaining postseason acceptance, Thompson was known among basketball fans in the bay area and those avid fantasy hoopsters who religiously scan box scores. Now that the Warriors have been making some noise in the playoffs, it seems like every casual hoop fan knows Thompson; primarily as the the backcourt mate to Stephen Curry, but he is known nonetheless. I usually hesitate to add pure shooters to my fantasy rosters as they can be streaky and inconsistent. Thompson is neither, he shoots a nice ball and contributes offensively on a nightly basis. My only hesitation with Thompson is that he doesn’t add much in terms of value from the other statistical categories. Now the playoff run seems to have built some confidence and reminded him that he is a 6’7” guy who can grab more than the occasional rebound. I’d like to see better assist and rebounding numbers come next season out of Thompson and once he gets those numbers up a bit his fantasy stock will skyrocket.

Chandler Parsons - Forward, Houston Rockets

A key player in the Rockets success this season was Parsons as he forces defenses to spread out and guard him on the perimeter. This in itself may not seem like a big deal but keep in mind that Parsons is 6’9” and anytime you can force a similarly sized big man away from the basket it opens up driving lanes and when your offense is predicated on the dribble-drive offense this becomes a necessity. When teams backed off Parsons he was able to make them pay as he averaged 15.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 3.5 apg for the season. Parsons finished the season as a top-twenty fantasy option for forwards and while he doesn’t set the world on fire, he is a consistent fantasy option for next season.

J.J. Hickson - Forward, Portland Trailblazers

This soon-to-be unrestricted free-agent will command some serious attention and dollars this off-season. Hickson finished the year as one of two players in the Association to average 12-plus ppg and 10-plus rebounds while maintaining a shooting percentage over .550; the other being Dwight Howard. All in, this past year was an extremely successful one for Hickson as he averaged a double-double throughout and put himself in line for a hefty pay raise. From a fantasy perspective, Hickson ranked eleventh overall among centers; however, he is better suited as a strong-four and his new team will likely move him out of the five spot. I expect Hickson to be a top-ten fantasy talent come next season and as a bonus he might be player eligible at both positions.

Nikola Pekovic - Center, Minnesota Timberwolves

Pekovic is another big-man who could find himself moving teams this offseason as he is a restricted free-agent with the Timberwolves. Unless the Wolves do some salary cap restructuring they will have to move Pekovic along. Pekovic had a solid season as he averaged 16.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg to go along with a .520 field goal percentage and 26 double-doubles on the year. Problem for Pekovic last three season’s has been his health as cumulative injuries have cost him nearly a season worth of basketball. If Pekovic can stay healthy and on the court he is a producer. His season ending ranking is not indicative of his potential fantasy contributions and so long as the injuries remain at bay he could be a top twelve centerman in the league.