Jalen Brunson

After having never averaged more than 25 minutes per game during his first three seasons in the league, the Mavericks unleashed Brunson by letting him average 32 minutes last season. He made the most of his expanded role, providing 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 three-pointers per game. From a fantasy perspective, what really set him apart is that he shot 50.2 percent from the field and 84.0 percent from the free-throw line. When the Mavericks began their playoff run, they did so with Luka Doncic injured. Brunson stepped up in his absence, averaging 32.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 three-pointers across three games against the Jazz, shooting 50.7 percent from the field in the process. It showed the type of upside he could have in a leading role, which may have been a key factor in him ultimately cashing in with a big payday with the Knicks. Now, he's an undisputed starter who will be one of the vital building blocks for the Knicks going forward. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett will be his main running mates, and while both are very good players, neither of them garner anywhere near the usage that Doncic does. As the starting point guard and No. 1 option for the Knicks, Brunson will command a significant draft day price.

Brunson is coming off the most productive season of his career. The guard occupied a sixth-man role for the third straight year with the Mavericks and averaged 12.6 points, 3.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds -- all career highs. He also reached career marks in field-goal percentage (52.3) and three-point percentage (40.5). That resulted in him ranking 184th in fantasy on a per-game basis. Brunson's role shouldn't change in 2021-22. The Mavericks added a little more depth by signing Reggie Bullock, but that shouldn't cut into Brunson's usage significantly. Fantasy managers in standard leagues can ignore Brunson, and those in deeper formats don't need to pay much attention, either, as he's a low-ceiling player in his projected role.

The Villanova product had a productive rookie season, compiling 9.3 points, 3.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 73 games, logging 21.8 minutes a night. Brunson shot well, draining 46.7 percent of his field-goal attempts and 34.8 percent of his threes. In 38 starts, Brunson managed 13.0 points, 4.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds, showing that he could perform well in an expanded role. He flashed upside by finishing the season with back-to-back double-doubles with 10 assists, and he recorded at nine games with at least seven dimes. His biggest highlight was a 34-point outing March 12 against the Spurs. Brunson has some potential acting as the top backup to Delon Wright, and it's possible the two actually end up splitting minutes at the point guard spot. All things considered, Brunson can likely be avoided in standard drafts, but he's worth exploring with a late-round flier in deeper formats.

Despite leaving Villanova early after his junior season, Brunson did plenty to elevate the program and helped lead his team to two National Championships. He also captured the AP Player of the Year award and the Wooden Award, so the point guard received plenty of national attention. His final year in college was unsurprisingly his best showing, becoming a dominant scorer from all over the floor. Brunson finished with a team-high 18.9 points per game, while shooting an impressive 52.1 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from the three-point line. He was also solid in the ancillary categories and added 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds across 31.8 minutes. Brunson has been praised for his leadership and NBA readiness, though there are plenty of question marks with his defensive capability at the next level. He's only 6-foot-2, which could present some problems when forced to switch on screens. Either way, Brunson is going to have plenty of time to develop, as he'll have a tough path to significant minutes right away. Dennis Smith is locked into a starter's workload, while Devin Harris re-signed and J.J. Barea is back as well. Both Harris and Barea should be great mentors for Brunson, but will also absorb plenty of backcourt minutes. As a result, look for Brunson to see only spot time off the bench and he could also get some run in the G-League to aid in his development.