Chuma Okeke

Okeke's delivered a mixed bag in his second season, though he improved his fantasy value compared to his rookie campaign. He ranked 189th in per-game value as a rookie and upped that to 132nd last year. Okeke's workload remained nearly the same (25.0 MPG), but he transitioned more into a catch-and-shoot, off-ball role. In his first year, 42 percent of his shots were threes, which increased to 61 percent in 2021-22. He also went from unassisted baskets at a 36 percent rate to just 23 percent. And even though his efficiency from the field (37.6 percent on all shots and 31.8 percent on threes) was poor, he increased his free-throw percentage to a quality 84.6 percent, so his true shooting percentage (50.1) wasn't affected too much. Still, the free-throw shooting could be considered a small sample, as he attempted just 65 last season. Okeke's defense guided his improved fantasy value. He averaged 1.4 steals and 0.6 blocks per game in addition to his 8.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists. That's encouraging, but Okeke will need to become a serviceable three-point shooter to find a consistent role with the Magic. The team simply has too many other options at forward at this point. Okeke will compete for minutes with Mo Bamba, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac and Terrence Ross. Fantasy managers in keeper/dynasty leagues don't have to panic yet, but managers drafting in standard leagues can probably find greater upside elsewhere.

After missing all of his would-be rookie season due to a torn ACL, the 16th overall pick in 2019 made his NBA debut last season. Things didn't start off on a great note, as he missed all of January due to a knee injury, but he was eventually given a much bigger role once the Magic dealt Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline and committed to a rebuild. During his final 18 appearances, Okeke averaged 12.8 points on 45/35/81 shooting, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.2 combined steals-plus-blocks. While the end of his season was also cut short due to an ankle injury, he still managed to rank 86th in per-game fantasy value from March 24 through the final game of the season. Heading into 2021-22, there's a good chance Okeke will start at power forward, though he'll be competing with rookie Franz Wagner, who was selected with the eighth overall pick over the summer. Still, even if Okeke doesn't start, he should be in line for minutes in the mid-to-upper 20s for the rebuilding squad. Given what he was able to accomplish when given real minutes last season, fantasy managers have justification to take a late-round flier on him, though he might end up really only being viable in deeper leagues, especially if Jonathan Isaac (knee) can stay healthy and Wagner plays well. Dynasty/keeper league managers should be encouraged by the 23-year-old's rookie campaign, however.

The 16th overall pick of the 2019 draft, Okeke is finally officially in the fold with the Magic after rehabbing a torn ACL throughout the duration of what would have been his rookie season. Okeke entered the draft after a solid sophomore season in Auburn, where he averaged 12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks across 29.1 minutes over 38 games. Okeke displayed impressive shooting prowess as well via a 49.6 percent success rate from the floor, including 38.7 percent from three-point range. The 6-foot-8 big initially projects to slot in behind capable veteran Al-Farouq Aminu on a power forward depth chart helmed by Aaron Gordon, but he could potentially carve out a bigger role over the course of the season if Aminu encounters further issues with meniscus he tore in November 2019. Okeke himself appears to be back to full health, although it's likely that the Magic eases him into NBA action cautiously early in the season before potentially affording him more run as the campaign unfolds.

Okeke, selected 16th overall in the 2019 Draft, enjoyed a breakout sophomore season at Auburn. He started 38 games, putting up 12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest. However, he tore his ACL during the NCAA Tournament, so he'll likely miss at least the first month or two of his rookie season. At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Okeke has an NBA-ready body at 21 years old and will likely play power forward as a professional. He has strong upside as a three-and-D player considering his steal and block rate, plus his 55-for-142 (38.7 percent) mark from distance last season. Once he's healthy, his path to playing time won't be easy, however. The Magic are looking to be competitive, and Okeke will have to truly beat out the likes of Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu and Terrence Ross for minutes.