Cade Cunningham

Cunningham is one of the most intriguing players this season. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick played just 12 games last year, suffering a season-ending shin injury in November. Before the injury, Cunningham averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists on 41.5 percent shooting. It's fair to assume some development, with those 2022-23 averages looking like his floor for this upcoming season. That draft status should keep him as the top option in this offense, but this team is the deepest it's been since Cunningham was drafted. Jaden Ivey (No. 5 pick last season) was the primary ball-handler in the final months of last season, while Killian Hayes and Monte Morris are expected to play plenty as well. There's also Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Harris, and Ausar Thompson on the wings, while Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley take over the frontcourt. All of that means Detroit has a ton to figure out, with Cunningham as the straw who stirs the drink. This is still one of the most talented young players in the NBA and is an appropriate pick starting in the third round of most fantasy leagues.

While Cunningham wasn't as heralded as some of the previous No.1 picks, the 2021 NBA Draft first overall selection didn't disappoint as a rookie, earning All-Rookie First Team honors. Cunningham finished the campaign hot, averaging 21.1 points, 6.5 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals over his last 20 games. While Cunningham struggled to consistently connect from beyond the arc (31.4 percent) in 2021-22, he fared much better in his lone collegiate campaign (40.0 percent), so there's room for growth in that area heading into his second professional campaign. Likely aiding Cunnigham's development is an infusion of young talent that includes 2022 No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey and No. 13 pick Jalen Duren, who both pieced together solid Summer League showings. Ivey, in particular, should help take some of the pressure off of Cunningham in the backcourt. The Pistons also return most of their production from a season ago, retaining seven of the eight players that played at least 1,000 total minutes last. The lone exception is Jerami Grant, who Detroit shipped to Portland this offseason for a protected 2025 first-round pick. The rebuilding Pistons figure to rely heavily on their youth again this season, so look for Cunnigham to be front-and-center in the rotation and set to supply a diverse set of fantasy contributions.

While Detroit did its homework on the other top prospects, Cunningham was the relatively easy choice at No. 1 overall, and he'll enter his first NBA season as the clear-cut Rookie of the Year favorite. Similarly, the Oklahoma State product is the favorite to finish as the top fantasy player in the 2021 rookie class, thanks to a well-rounded stat profile that saw him average 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game last season. An excellent decision-maker and facilitator with prototypical size (6-8, 220lbs), Cunningham is also an efficient scorer who drilled 40 percent of his 5.7 three-point attempts per game at Oklahoma State. Like all rookies, Cunningham will inevitably go through some rough stretches, but in terms of fantasy value, he easily has the highest floor among the elite prospects. Given that he'll likely be handed the keys to the Pistons' franchise from Day 1, Cunningham projects to be the first rookie off the board in most standard leagues.