Ish Smith

After a strong first season in Washington, Smith saw a reduced role in his second year with the team. Teammate Russell Westbrook took over the primary point guard role for the Wizards, while Raul Neto took away depth minutes from Smith. The 33-year-old saw roughly 21 minutes per game and averaged 6.7 points, 3.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 0.7 steals in his final season with Washington. The former Wake Forest guard hit 43.4 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Following his two-year stint in DC, Smith joined the Hornets on a two-year deal to serve as the main backup point guard behind LaMelo Ball. The veteran should see solid playing time off the bench for Charlotte and will also help mentor one of the league's youngest teams. Smith should still only be considered in deep fantasy formats.

In a completely lost season for John Wall (Achilles), Smith handled a fairly heavy role at point guard for the Wizards, starting 23 games while playing 26.3 minutes per game, the second-highest total of his decade-long career. His 10.9 points per game also represented the second-best total of his career, while his 4.9 assists were his third-best mark. His comparatively high point total was a result of improved efficiency rather than volume, as his 19.1 percent usage rate was merely the seventh-highest of his career while his 49.2 percent effective field goal percentage was his second-best. The veteran has settled in as a useful enough player whom a team need not be embarrassed to start on occasion, though his small 6-foot-0 frame limits him to strictly point guard duties. With Russell Westbrook now at point guard for the Wizards, Smith's role and fantasy relevance should be reduced. He only needs to be considered in deep formats.

Smith had played at least 81 games in back-to-back seasons, but he was limited to just 56 contests last season. His playing time was also reduced to just 22 minutes per game, leaving him with averages of 8.9 points, 3.6 assists and 2.6 rebounds. After spending three seasons with the Pistons, Smith now finds himself with a new team -- the Wizards. It's a great situation for his fantasy value since he has a favorable opportunity to be the starting point with John Wall (Achilles) expected to miss the entire season. The Wizards did also add Isaiah Thomas, who could press Smith for the role. However, the more likely scenario is that Thomas serves as the team's sixth man and primary offensive weapon off the bench. Smith has shown he can be productive as a starter, averaging 12.1 points, 4.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds across 35 starts during the 2017-18 season. However, his lack of contributions in steals, blocks and three-pointers still makes him a late-round target.

For the second straight season, Smith was forced into an expanded workload because of an injury to starting point guard Reggie Jackson. The latter ended up sitting out 37 games, which allowed Smith some run with the top unit once again. Smith finished with 35 starts across 82 games and essentially duplicated his numbers from a year prior with averages of 10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists across 24.9 minutes. He also showed improvement as a three-point shooter, going 34.7 percent from beyond the arc compared to the brutal 26.7 percent clip he posted in 2016-17. However, with Jackson reportedly back to full strength and set to reclaim his spot with the starting five, Smith should shift back to a permanent bench role ahead of the upcoming campaign. A drop in playing time and production should be expected, so Smith's already lacking Fantasy profile will likely only get worse. Look for him to serve as the backup point guard and provide a reliable insurance policy behind the oft-injured Jackson, though he isn't going to be relevant in the majority of leagues.

Smith performed well backing up Reggie Jackson at point guard last season. He was able to avoid the injury bug and played in a career-high 81 games, while averaging 9.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists across 24.1 minutes. Those numbers were all down from a season prior, and there's a chance they continue to go down heading into the 2017-18 campaign. The Pistons surprisingly opted to bring in Langston Galloway this offseason, giving him a three-year, $21 million deal. The two will now have to battle for minutes at point guard behind Jackson, which could mean a dip in Smith's minutes. Unless Jackson gets injured, which is a distinct possibility considering his recent history with tendinitis, Smith will struggle to provide meaningful Fantasy value.

Smith joins the Rockets this year after playing with the Phoenix Suns during the 2013-14 season. Last season, he got a decent boost in playing time going from 10 minutes per game two seasons ago to 14 minutes per game last season. He also improved his numbers in every other important category, as he averaged 3.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks, which was an increase from his averages of 2.4 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks during the 2012-13 season. Smith also shot well, finishing the season with 42-percent shooting from the field. He's potentially in line for a good amount of playing time, with the backup point guard spot up for grabs. Smith will have some serious competitors with guys like Isaiah Caanan, Nick Johnson, and Jason Terry, but he'll have every opportunity to establish himself as a reserve for the Rockets. Whether he ends up behind Patrick Beverley or not, there's a good chance Smith will improve on his numbers from the last few seasons, and he'll provide the Rockets with depth in the backcourt.

The Suns are collecting ACC players, and Smith is the least likely of the bunch to find the floor. Stuck behind Dragic, a pair of combo guards and his former counterpart Marshall, he should provide decent playmaking ability in limited action.

Smith lost the chance to compete for the backup point guard role after injuring his shoulder, but is expected back by mid-November. When he returns, he’ll have the chance to challenge Moore for the gig, and his quickness makes him more of an offensive threat. He needs to improve his shooting, though, to earn minutes.

The Warriors claimed Smith off waivers late in training camp and he’ll compete with rookie Charles Jenkins to be the backup to Stephen Curry at point guard. Smith is one of the quickest players in the NBA and can get anywhere he wants on the court. He had a nice college career at Wake Forest before getting some run with the Rockets in his rookie season in 2010-11. We suspect there won’t be much playing time left over after Curry and Monta Ellis get their’s, so Smith will not have a major role on the team in 2011-12.