Special for Yahoo Sports
With 58 new draft picks and dozens of unselected players signing with NBA teams, rotations around the league will be reconfigured and reset ahead of the 2022-23 season. The 2022 NBA draft brings another influx of talent to a league that is already booming with high-level young players.
Led by general selection number 1 Paolo Banchero, the 2022 class is deep with potential prospects of instant impact. But how many of these freshmen will be worth signing up for the fantastic 2022-23 basketball drafts? That’s the question fantasy managers are asking, especially in the wake of a 2021-22 season in which several major debutants, including Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes, finished the season as the top 75 values.
With the dust approaching the draft and free agency, it’s time to evaluate the big fantasy winners and losers for the low season.
Winner: Jabari Smith, Rockets
First-year season at Auburn: 16.9 points per game, 42.0% 3PT, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.0 blocks
Christian Wood’s export to Dallas last week was a coup for Smith long before he knew he would put on a Rockets uniform. The Rockets are making a conscious effort to give playing time to young pieces. Smith averaged 7.4 rebounds per game at Auburn while playing alongside a great traditional kickback to Walker Kessler.
He is now in an environment where he is the highest player in the Rockets squad. Jalen Green will still direct the show in Houston and Alperen Sengun should play a much bigger role in Year 2, but Smith is now a key piece for a franchise that is moving in the right direction. It certainly has the highest floor of any player in the 2022 draft, so for fantasy purposes it should be a reliable source of points, boards, three efficient and some defensive jump statistics.
Winner: Keegan Murray, Kings
Second season in Iowa: 23.5 ppg, 55.4% FG, 39.8% 3PT% 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.3 steals
The story goes on
Murray adapts as a piece of the puzzle to the Kings ’projected starting lineup, and joins as a top striker on the depth board. He and Harrison Barnes form an exciting combo-front duo.
Murray’s rebounding skill will be overshadowed in the box score by Domantas Sabonis at times, but his modern structure will allow him to fill the box score in Sacramento. For Synergy, Murray ranked 97th percentile in transition and 99th percentile in subsequent offense last season. Even with an expected learning curve, you will find ways to generate cubes. Murray’s 3.2 steals / locks per game are also very appealing to fantasy managers.
Losers: Young Washington Wizards players
The selection of Johnny Davis at number 10 does not help Rui Hachimura, Corey Kispert and Deni Avdija, none of whom are creators. As a sophomore in Wisconsin, Davis averaged 2.1 assists and 2.3 losses per game. It won’t help to involve them and sometimes it could be a ball stopper. Davis brings defensive energy to Washington, but the dominance effects he and Bradley Beal will have on the roster have yet to be determined.
Rui Hachimura and the rest of the young Wizards unit watched as their fantasy values plummeted after the NBA draft. (Photo by Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
Davis himself’s prospects depend almost entirely on what happens to Beal. If he signs back with the Wizards and returns as the No. 1 option in question, then Davis will occupy a clear back seat. But still, Davis could very well start the season starting alongside Beal. He will still be fourth in the lineup behind Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma, but as long as he is able to shoot even relatively efficiently, he could boost fantasy value among the top 120 at the end of the season. Davis is a rebounder well above average for his position, which should help keep him relevant in deeper leagues.
Winner: Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers
Arizona Season Two: 17.7 ppg, 36.9 3PT%, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 FTAs, 1.0 steals
The Pacers qualified as an average league offense and a three-low defense last season. Following the acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton, the attack improved dramatically while the defense got even worse. With Myles Turner on the commercial block to boot, Indiana seeks to be an attractive fantasy destination.
As for the staff, Mathurin gets to play alongside an offensive master in Haliburton. Mathurin will be a benefactor and will get a lot of three open through the Halliburton dish. Currently, the Pacers’ depth chart is a bit of a disaster, especially on the backcourt, but Mathurin’s selection at No. 6 makes it even more clear that Malcolm Brogdon will likely have a new home before the start. of next season. Assuming this is the case, the coastline should be clear for Indiana to deploy a Haliburton-Mathurin-Buddy Hield trio.
At the end of the day, the Pacers added a potential cornerstone to the franchise and put it in an environment where their strengths can be leveraged. Mathurin, and by extension, Indiana, is one of the big winners of the night.
Losers: Orlando’s top scorers
Orlando’s top scorers last season, Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner, finished 51st and 61st, respectively, in the NBA on points per game last season. Anthony averaged 16.1 points, 5.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Wagner impressed everywhere as a rookie, leading his double effort with 15.2 points in 46.8 / 35.4 / 86.3 shots on 12.3 shots per game.
However, there is a new offensive center in the city. Paolo Banchero will need the ball. It’s a projected superstar that instantly becomes Magic’s top development priority. Anthony is probably the biggest loser, as the third-year baseman will likely yield the most touches to Banchero, who is very capable of operating with the ball at 6 feet 10. Wagner is rather a natural complementary piece, so you probably won’t see a significant drop in value, but with Banchero in town, it may be difficult for him to take a significant step forward.
Winners: Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, Pistons
Ivey’s second season at Purdue: 17.3 ppg, 35.8% 3PT, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.6 TOs
Duren Memphis freshman season: 12 pgg, 59.7% FG, 8.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks
At the end of the lottery, the Pistons came out looking like perhaps the biggest winners of the night. Combining Ivey with Cade Cunningham and landing his center of the future in Duren puts the Pistons on track to speed up their rebuilding.
It’s all about the back track of Detroit. Ivey and Cunningham are stylistically yin and yang. The duo will see mutual success grow side by side and increase the number in the process. Cunningham connected 40.0 percent of his three to Oklahoma State, but only hit 31.4 percent in his rookie season with Detroit. Ivey’s dynamic attack should help increase that figure, while Cunningham will make it all easier for the former Purdue star.
Ivey will likely go through the usual ups and downs of the rookie guard, and there is a good chance he will be a responsibility in fantasy leagues that value the percentage of field goals. But the main selling point for landing in Detroit is plenty of playing time, especially considering Ivey could have landed very easily in Sacramento alongside De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell.
Needless to say, Ivey’s arrival means Killian Hayes, one of the top 10 picks just two years ago, is a big loser. Detroit may not be ready to plug in Hayes, but it is clear that Ivey will be the much higher priority in the future.
Loser: Chet Holmgren, Thunder
First year season in Gonzaga: 14.1 ppg, 60.7% FG, 39.0% 3P, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 blocks
Holmgren feels destined to make a quality rookie season. Oklahoma City has been a stable source of empty stats, the Holmgren shooting block should have plenty of opportunities and is free for offensive experimentation.
Although he goes through growth pains, Holmgren should have plenty of room to play with his mistakes. However, the specter of Oklahoma City making a big tank effort more will be a cloud that will hang over the fantastic value of Holmgrem throughout the season. If the ankle is tweaked or a muscle is stretched after the All-Star’s rest, you can bet the Thunder will be extremely careful. In the long run, Holmgren has the highest fantasy ceiling in the class, but just for next season he could be a bit bumpy.
Winner: Mark Williams, Hornets
Second season at Duke: 11.2 points, 72.1% FG, 7.4 rebounds, 2.8 blocks
Williams manages to replicate his role in Duke as a tire runner and inner strength. Williams has shown talent as a passer and fluid offensive player, so there is a continuous evolution. Regardless of how Charlotte handles Miles Bridges ’free agency, the presence of a defensive plug in the forward-pivot position is unlikely. Williams will be active blocking shots and catching rebounds. It’s an instant update over Mason Plumlee, which becomes even more expendable than it was before the draft.
LaMelo Ball should also benefit by towing a more capable pickup. The ball is the perfect scorer to match a player the size and skill set of Williams. Right now, Williams may be well on his way to starting center since Day 1.
Loser: Dyson Daniels, Pelicans
2021-22 G League Ignite Tour: 11.9 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.1 steals
An excellent fit for New Orleans ’ongoing reuse tool, Daniels adds much-needed defensive size and insight to the Pelicans’ backcourt. In the long run, it’s in a great place. But with the lottery team better equipped for another postseason in 2022-23, Daniels will likely approach it relatively slowly. The Pels have CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones locked in as key pieces, while Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy are expected to take on more important roles next season. Devonte ‘Graham is still there, though that could change very well by October.
Right now, Daniels is too dirty offensively to often share the track with …