Malcolm Brogdon

After three injury-riddled seasons in Indiana, the Pacers dealt Brogdon this summer as part of their rebuild. The return haul for Indy was modest, probably because Brogdon averaged only 49 games played per season as a Pacer. Last season, the versatile guard missed 40 of Indiana's last 50 games due to back issues and Indiana's tank-mode tactics. That said, Brogdon started every game he played and averaged 33.5 minutes per contest. And he's not far removed from the 2020-21 season where he averaged career-highs in points (21.2), rebounds (5.3) and made three-pointers (2.6) per contest. In addition to his injury woes, Brogdon is expected to come off the bench for Boston this season. The Celtics' starting five was dominant during the second half of last season's NBA Finals run. The C's would be foolish to mess with the lineup, and Brogdon stated in his first Celtics press conference that he's willing to "sacrifice" to win. A sixth-man role is forthcoming -- this team is deep. After Boston was eliminated in the Finals, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens made it clear the team was looking for more playmaking. Brogdon's career average of 4.8 dimes per game certainly meets that need. But his scoring and outside shooting make him an excellent reserve on the wing, as well. At 6-foot-5, Brogdon provides the defensive flexibility required for Boston's switching defense, which should keep him on the floor. All in all, expect Brogdon to see a dip in minutes per game while he attempts to play 70-plus games, a feat he hasn't reached since his ROY season in 2016-17.

Last year, Brogdon bounced back from a relatively lackluster debut season with the Pacers to average a career-high 21.2 points and 5.3 rebounds across 34.5 minutes per game -- all career highs. The 28-year-old shot 45.4 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from three and 86.4 percent from the free-throw line as he regained his shooting consistency after shooting just 32.6 percent from downtown a year prior. The Virginia product had his best overall season from a fantasy perspective, finishing 56th overall and 52nd on a per-game basis. The only regression that he experienced was in his assists numbers, which fell from a career-high 7.1 per game in 2019-20 to just 5.9 last season -- which was still higher than any of his years with Milwaukee. Indiana drafted Chris Duarte with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, but neither he, nor TJ McConnell, should hinder Brogdon's playing time. With a healthy Caris LeVert, Brogdon may relinquish some of the scoring burden, but he should still be an efficient scorer, as has been the case throughout his career. The pick-and-roll combo of Brogdon with Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner is lethal on paper and should propel Brogdon to another top-60 fantasy finish.

After three successful seasons with Milwaukee, Brogdon joined Indiana and immediately took on a more voluminous role. In his first season with the team, he averaged 16.5 points, 7.1 assists and 4.9 boards -- all career highs. Playing a career-high 30.9 minutes per night, Brogdon's increased usage led to declines in his pristine shooting, as the former 50/40/90 wing finished the year with 43.8 shooting from the field and 32.6 percent from three. Victor Oladipo was out for most of the season, and the team dealt with injuries throughout the lineup, leading to Brogdon's increased usage as both a scoring option and a facilitator. Oladipo is likely to be back in the lineup when the new season tips off, Domantis Sabonis emerged as a legitimate All-Star and T.J. Warren cooked on offense to end the season. As a result, Brogdon could take a step back in the usage department, though a return to past shooting numbers could make up for that role decline with an increase in efficiency.

Brogdon is coming off an impressive third season, where he joined the elite 50/40/90 club. He posted career highs in points (15.6), rebounds (4.5), threes (1.6) and, unsurprisingly, true shooting percentage (61.4). While Brogdon is a relatively low-usage player, he's shown potential as top offensive option. In 64 appearances last season, he posted 12 games with at least 20 points and 13 games with more than four dimes. In joining the Pacers, Brogdon will need to showcase that ability more often, as Indiana will be without Victor Oladipo (knee) until around December. Whether Brogdon can transition into a bigger role is one question, but whether he can stay healthy is another. Through his first three seasons, Brogdon is averaging just 62.3 games played. We know that he'll be able to provide value as an efficient all-around shooter, but can he take on a bigger role and stay on the court?

Due to a partially torn left quadriceps tendon, Brogdon was limited to 48 games last season. Prior to the injury, which occured Feb. 1, he averaged 13.5 points (48.6 percent), 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 threes and nearly a steal across 31.0 minutes. It’s unclear if he'll start at shooting guard in 2018-19, but Brogdon’s ability to function as a combo guard -- and even a small forward in small-ball lineups -- should enable him to garner over 25 minutes per game for a third consecutive season. If he averages closer to 30 minutes, he has top-100 upside, and that’s without factoring in natural progression. Brogdon's average athleticism limits him, somewhat, as a point guard, but he's already a top-shelf three-point shooter (39.5% career) and is both a good decision-maker (1.5 TPG career) and defender, though it doesn't always translate into elite steals numbers.

Brogdon – winner of the 2016-17 Rookie of the Year award – played a crucial role in the Bucks’ success last season. A 6-foot-5 combo guard out of Virginia, Brogdon flashed potential as a three-and-D threat with good court vision, posting 10.2 points, 4.2 assists, 2.8 boards and 1.1 steals across 26.4 minutes per game while drilling 40.4 percent of his looks from beyond the arc. While it was assumed Brogdon would likely play a non-Fantasy-relevant reserve role behind Matthew Dellavedova and Khris Middleton, he ended up usurping Dellavedova’s role as the starter for a solid chunk of the year, drawing 28 starts. Even when he wasn’t a starter, Brogdon’s ability to handle both guard slots resulted in him seeing at least 30 minutes a game on more than a few occasions – 21 to be exact (of which he started only 13). Heading into the 2017-18 season, Brogdon should see many of the same opportunities he saw last year considering the Bucks haven’t made any significant changes to their backcourt. Plus, with Jabari Parker out until at least February 2018, coach Jason Kidd may opt to slide Khris Middleton and Tony Snell up to small forward on numerous occasions, opening up the shooting guard slot for Brogdon to fill in. That, combined with assumed offseason development, makes Brogdon an intriguing mid-to-late round option in many Fantasy formats, as well as a constant DFS threat.