Nickeil Alexander-Walker

After making some nice strides forward during his sophomore season, Alexander-Walker took a backward step during 2021-22, ending the season as the 276th-ranked player in eight-category fantasy leagues. He was sent from New Orleans to Utah midway through the season, and despite one or two encouraging performances, he was basically a non-factor in both fantasy and reality. Efficiency remains a significant issue for Alexander-Walker, having now shot under 40 percent in two of his three seasons in the NBA. The Jazz are moving towards a rebuild, and on the surface, that could certainly be a good thing for Alexander-Walker. However, his lack of consistency on both ends of the floor has to be a factor in the decision-making process in Utah. Several players still sit ahead of him in the rotation, so he is well off the fantasy radar for now.

After a shaky rookie campaign, Alexander-Walker made significant strides last season and became a legitimate part of the rotation, though he was sidelined by a leg injury from early April through early May, limiting him to 46 appearances. Even with that being the case, he stepped up in a big way to close the season. In his final 15 appearances (10 starts), the sophomore averaged 16.7 points on 43/39/61 shooting, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 combined steals-plus-blocks. There are still noticeable flaws in the guard's offensive repertoire -- inconsistent three-point shooting, poor finishing ability, subpar passing -- but he's shown enough to be an intriguing deep-league and dynasty fantasy option. The Pelicans' rotation isn't exactly clear before the start of the 2021-22 season. It's possible Alexander-Walker starts, but he could also come off the bench in a sixth-man role. New Orleans' depth isn't especially talented, but there are plenty of other options Alexander-Walker will have to fight off for minutes, including Devonte' Graham, Tomas Satoransky, Kira Lewis, Garrett Temple, Josh Hart and rookie Trey Murphy. For that reason, it's hard to recommend him highly for standard fantasy leagues, though taking a flier with a late-round pick is reasonable.

The 2019 17th overall pick saw action in 47 games during his rookie campaign, but his first career start didn't come until New Orleans' final game in the Orlando bubble in mid-August. While Alexander-Walker acquitted himself very well in that contest - putting up 29 points, seven assists and a steal in 36 minutes - he averaged a modest 5.7 points, 1.9 assists and 1.8 rebounds across 12.6 minutes over 47 games overall while shooting just 36.8 percent overall. Alexander-Walker enters the 2020-21 campaign with a similarly modest fantasy outlook, as he remains relatively buried on the backcourt depth chart. The Pelicans acquired Eric Bledsoe via trade with the Bucks and drafted Kira Lewis with the 13th overall pick earlier in November. Bledsoe's arrival also relegates J.J. Redick to a second-unit role, leaving Alexander-Walker as the presumptive third or fourth option at each guard spot. Naturally, injuries in front of him could open up opportunity, but for the time being, Alexander-Walker may have a difficult time exceeding his rookie-season allotment of playing time by any appreciable margin.

Alexander-Walker's size and playmaking ability helped him be voted onto the 2018-19 All-ACC Third Team as a sophomore last season, and the Pelicans felt confident selecting him with the 17th overall pick in the 2019 Draft. The Virginia Tech product, in conference play, averaged 15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals. He was one of the big surprises of summer league, making the All-Tournament First Team with averages of 24.3 points (41.2 FG%, 40.6 3P%, 78.3 FT%), 6.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals in 30.4 minutes. While Lonzo Ball, Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick should occupy plenty of backcourt minutes, Alexander-Walker's 6-foot-5, 210-pound frame should allow him to play both guard spots, increasing his potential time on the court, especially since Ball and Holiday are multi-position players as well. Taking the rookie in fantasy drafts is risky given his less-than-ideal path to minutes, but it's difficult to ignore the upside he's shown.