Is Jayson Tatum a good NBA basketball fantasy pick? Projecting Boston Celtics star's 2023-24 returns

Jayson Tatum, one of the best players in the NBA, will be high on lists of potential fantasy team pick-ups. The new season is around the corner, and with it, a new fantasy basketball season also begins.

The St. Louis native is an elite three-level scorer and can also earn you points with his high-level rebounding and pick-and-roll playmaking. Still, before you rush out to add Tatum to your fantasy league lineup, we should look at how the All-NBA forward fared in fantasy basketball last season.

For this exercise, we will be using CBS Sports fantasy values to look at last season and make an assessment on his value for the upcoming season. Last season, Tatum averaged 46.9 fantasy points per game and earned a total of 3,474 total points.

That was almost 1,000 points more than Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry, who ended the fantasy season with 2,586.

Over the last three seasons, Tatum has averaged 3,119 fantasy points, with 43.9 points per game. As such, the Boston Celtics star is a highly valuable addition to any fantasy team, assuming you can build a solid roster around him.

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What are Jayson Tatum's predicted fantasy averages in the upcoming season?

According to CBS Sports, Jayson Tatum is predicted to average 40.9 fantasy points per game, with a total projection of 3,127.9 throughout the season. Despite the Boston Celtics adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to their roster this summer, Tatum will still be their offensive spearhead.

As such, Tatum could increase his fantasy points by having multiple elite shooters around him, allowing him to improve his assists per game average. The Celtics also boast improved floor spacing, allowing Tatum to attack defenses on rip-throughs, dribble penetration and self-created perimeter offense.

The Celtics are expected to be a genuine contender for the NBA championship this season. Tatum will likely play significant minutes and be a focal point on both sides of the court.

As such, CBS Sports's fantasy projects could look conservative, especially if Tatum has a third All-NBA-level season and produces MVP-like performances.

Nevertheless, it's worth remembering that Jayson Tatum has been nursing a wrist injury for the last two years and opted against surgery this summer. Hence, Tatum may struggle to shoot the ball, impacting his ability to be a valuable fantasy player.

Nevertheless, Jayson Tatum's versatile skillset should ensure that he's still earning fantasy points even when he's slumping. Overall, Tatum would be a solid addition to any fantasy basketball team.