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Lebron might not be No. 1 in fantasyland

ASSOCIATED PRESS
LeBron James might see his stat line dip, playing with two other stars.

MIAMI » LeBron James was the most coveted basketball player on the planet this summer. It’ll likely be a different story this fall.

At least in the fantasy basketball world.

Sensing that James will be hard-pressed to match the stats he posted in Cleveland now that he’s playing with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, fantasy experts say James probably shouldn’t be considered the automatic No. 1 pick in drafts.

In short, the NBA’s reigning two-time MVP might not be as valuable anymore in the stat-driven world.

"It’s the same thing that happened in Boston a couple years ago when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen went there with Paul Pierce," said Sergio Gonzalez, a fantasy analyst for CBS Sports.com. "There’s just not enough stats to go around for all these guys."

Gonzalez’s site predicts James to finish with 21.3 points, 8.0 assists and 7.6 rebounds per game — great numbers, yet not at the clip of 29.7 points, 8.6 assists and 7.3 rebounds he posted with the Cavaliers last season.

Most experts agree, while James might be the league’s most dynamic player, Kevin Durant will likely be the No. 1 pick in the fantasy draft world this season. James is typically slotted in around the No. 3 spot on most draft boards, behind Durant and New Orleans guard Chris Paul.

 

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