De'Aaron Fox

Fox's 2021-22 season got off to a slow start. In October and November, he averaged a solid 20.1 points, but it was on poor shooting splits of 43/26/74. He also averaged just 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals compared to his 2020-21 mark of 7.2 dimes and 1.5 swipes. Fox's decrease in usage coincided with the emergence of second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton. However, the Kings made a big shake-up at the trade deadline, moving Haliburton to the Pacers and getting Domantas Sabonis in return. Fox no longer had to share backcourt playmaking responsibilities with Haliburton, facilitating his reemergence toward the end of the campaign. During Fox's 16 appearances in the final two months of the season, he averaged 28.9 points on 50/38/77 shooting, 6.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 38.5 minutes. Sacramento did bring in more backcourt help for this season - Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk - but neither player should remotely challenge Fox for playmaking responsibilities. Fox ended last season as the 62nd-best fantasy player per game, his lowest rank since he was a rookie. However, he's ranked as high as 46th before, so optimistic fantasy managers can explore drafting him around that range. He's established a relatively high floor, but to reach the next level, Fox will need to prove his improved three-point shooting at the end of last season was real. His poor free-throw shooting also drags his rank down. Over the past three years, Fox has shot just 31.6 percent from three and 72.2 percent from the charity stripe. The upside is clear, but it won't materialize unless he can correct the shooting woes.

Fox's fantasy value has practically been unchanged over the past three seasons. As a sophomore, he ranked 46th on a per-game basis; in 2019-20 he ranked 56; in 2020-21 he ranked 47th. Last season, he averaged a career-high 25.2 points, 7.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 35.1 minutes. While he shot a solid 47.7 percent from the field, Fox hasn't found consistency as a jump-shooter, hitting just 32.2 percent of his threes and 71.9 percent of his free throws. That aspect of his game is what's holding his fantasy value back. But how much can we expect him to improve when he wasn't a shooter in college and had just one flash as a sophomore, when he shot 37.1 percent from three on just 2.9 attempts per game? If Fox improves his percentages, he could be worth a high-third-round selection. If he doesn't, it will be difficult for the 23-year-old to climb up the fantasy ranks. The roster around him in 2021-22 will be essentially the same as last year's, though rookie Davion Mitchell adds another mouth to feed in a backcourt that also features last year's lottery pick, Tyrese Haliburton. It's possible Mitchell cuts into Haliburton's workload, but as the best player of the group, Fox's role as the Kings' No. 1 option should be safe.

Fox had a strong third season, averaging 32.0 minutes per game while putting up 21.1 points, 6.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He also improved his field-goal efficiency to 48.0 percent but oddly dropped to 29.2 from three after shooting 37.1 as a sophomore. His free-throw efficiency also remained low for a guard, as he went just 70.5 percent from the charity stripe. Regardless, Fox's impressive counting stats led to a top-60 fantasy ranking (per-game, eight-category). His total fantasy rank suffered, however, as he missed 17 straight games early in the year due to an ankle injury. Heading into his fourth season, the 23-year-old just signed a five-year, $163 million max extension, and he should continue building upon his game, with his three-point and free-throw shooting being the most obvious potential improvement areas. If he can boost his overall scoring in those ways, the boost to Fox's fantasy value would be significant. The Kings also failed to add any legitimate building blocks to the roster, so Fox will remain the focal point of the offense, and his role is extremely safe.

After an underwhelming first season where he failed to make an All-Rookie team, Fox stepped up as a sophomore in 2018-19. He ranked fourth in total assists (590) and sixth in steals (133) while also averaging 17.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The former fifth overall pick improved his efficiency as well, raising his true shooting percentage from 47.7% to 54.4%. Fox's development helped contribute to a 39-win season for Sacramento, and it was the first time the Kings have reached that many victories since 2005-06. He'll look to continue building on his second season, where he managed to accumulate three 30-point games, 17 games with at least 10 assists, and 19 performances with at least three steals. Already a top contributor in the assists and steals categories, Fox's room to grow is in his scoring. Primarily, increasing his free-throw percentage (72.7%) and finding a way to shoot more threes (1.1 makes per game at 37.1%).

After being selected to the First Team All-SEC during his freshman year at Kentucky, Fox was selected by the Kings with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He proceeded to start 60 of his 73 appearances for the team, but failed to crack 30 minutes per night. The rookie struggled scoring the ball, averaging 11.6 points while shooting 41.2 percent from the field, 30.7 percent from deep and 72.3 percent from the line. Fox was also a subpar distributor and defender, posting 4.4 assists compared with 2.4 turnovers, and swiping only 1.0 steal per contest. It wasn't all underwhelming, however, as he still managed to flash the upside the Kings were hoping for. Fox posted five games with at least 20 points, four games with double-digit assists, and seven games with three-plus steals. Entering his age 21 season, Fox will likely be handed a similar, if not expanded, role.

Fox, a 6-foot-3 point guard out of Kentucky, was drafted fifth overall by the Kings in the 2017 NBA Draft. Last season, in college, Fox posted 16.7 points and 4.6 assists per game – the latter of which led the SEC. Though he showed to be an inconsistent shooter, Fox’s upside as an explosive ball-handler and defender seemingly intrigued the Kings enough to warrant a selection. When Sacramento made the pick, it was assumed Fox would be immediately thrown into the fire as starting point guard for the rebuilding franchise. However, the Kings signed veteran point guard George Hill during free agency, who garnered a 30-plus minute workload last season. It’s unclear at the moment if coach Dave Joerger intends to play Hill at the shooting guard at times to free up Fox at the point, though that seems like legitimate scenario. As a result, Fox’s Fantasy value is a somewhat unclear heading into his rookie season, making him a risky pick due to not only his questionable workload, but also his undetermined adjustment to NBA basketball. He might be worth avoiding in many formats until coach Joerger shows his hand.