Below are André Snellings' Atlantic Division player profiles for the 2018-19 season.
For all other player outlooks, click here.
For sortable player projections, click here.
Click on a team to view their player profiles below:
Philadelphia 76ers
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
New York Knicks
Toronto Raptors
Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid managed to play only 31 total games during his first three seasons in the NBA, but he showed such magnificent potential in those few games that he entered last season as a tantalizing prospect. He delivered on that promise, playing in 63 games and producing a monster stat line of 22.9 PPG (48.3 FG percentage, 76.9 FT percentage), 11.0 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.8 BPG, 1.0 3PG and 0.6 SPG. If not for injury concerns, Embiid would project as a clear top-10 player in the league in both formats. Those concerns might be enough to drop him to the second round of fantasy drafts, but no further, as he still has such high per-game upside.
Simmons flirted with averaging a triple-double in his first season of action, notching 15.8 PPG (54.5 FG percentage, 56.0 FT percentage) with 8.2 PG, 8.1 RPG, 1.7 SPG and 0.9 BPG in 33.7 MPG. And he accomplished all of that with a broken jump shot that no one respected, which makes it even more amazing. If he improves his jumper at all, he becomes almost unstoppable as a player, and he played 81 games as a rookie to assuage any injury concerns people might have had after he sat out his first season. Simmons is a potential first-round pick in points leagues, and though his free throw percentage hurts him, he's still an early-round pick in that format as well.
Saric was expected to take a bit of a step back in primacy with both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons healthy, but he still turned in a stronger sophomore campaign with averages of 14.6 PPG (45.3 FG percentage, 86.0 FT percentage), 6.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 2.0 3PG and 0.7 SPG. Saric's ability to stretch the floor makes him an ideal complement to his two more talented teammates, and his still-developing game is enough to make him a mid-round pick with upside in fantasy drafts.
Fultz followed in the new 76ers tradition of high draft picks sitting most/all of their first seasons, as he missed all but 14 games with a shoulder injury that required him to completely remake his shooting form on the fly as a rookie. Fultz's shot was so off that many criticized him as having the yips, though wiser heads have suggested that this was a natural part of his rehab/form-reconstruction process. Fultz enters this season as essentially a rookie, and though he might have to fight for starter minutes, he has all of the potential of a former No. 1 overall pick and projects to a late-mid-round fantasy pick with a lot of upside.
Covington is a much more valuable player to the Philadelphia 76ers than he is a fantasy producer, as his outstanding defense isn't fully reflected in the box scores. With that said, his unique combination of 2.5 3PG, 1.7 SPG and 0.8 BPG still make him a valuable roto commodity. On the other hand, his lack of volume, with only 12.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG, makes him at best a late-round draft prospect in points leagues.
Redick is coming off the best scoring season of his 12-year NBA career, during which he averaged 17.1 PPG (46.0 FG percentage, 90.4 FT percentage) with 3.0 APG, 2.5 RPG and 2.8 3PG. His shooting is a necessity for a 76ers team that is led by Ben Simmons. However, with Markelle Fultz healthy and in need of minutes, it's possible that Redick's role shrinks this season. He will still be a startable commodity in roto leagues, where his 3-point shooting is valuable, but in points leagues that rely on volume, Redick projects as borderline undraftable.
Chandler proved himself to be a professional scorer with shooting range during his tenure with the Denver Nuggets, but last season, his shot opportunities dried up as the Nuggets fielded a team full of good scorers. Chandler joined the 76ers this season, and his combo-forward capabilities could benefit the team, but he finds himself behind several talented players on the depth chart, which renders him likely undrafted but worthy of attention as a free agent with upside this season.
Boston Celtics
Irving was in the midst of his second straight career-best season when he suffered a season-ending injury after 60 games. He had already established himself as the leading producer among the Celtics' group of talented youngsters, and he was a borderline MVP candidate with averages of 24.4 PPG (49.1 FG%, 88.9 FT%), 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals and a career-best 2.8 3-pointers on 40.8 percent shooting behind the arc. This season, Irving returns to a team that proved itself capable of upping its production in his absence, and fellow All-Star Gordon Hayward will also be returning from injury. That could limit Irving's volume a bit, but he should remain the primary offensive option, and increased efficiency could make him even more valuable in roto leagues than his likely top-25 spot in points-based.
Gordon Hayward
Hayward's first season as a Celtic ended in gruesome fashion, with a broken leg after only five minutes. Hayward rehabbed all season, sometimes publicly, and is expected to return this season at full speed. Before joining the C's, he was an All-Star for the Jazz, with strong averages of 21.9 PPG (47.1 FG%, 84.4 FT%), 5.4 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.0 SPG and 2.0 3PG on 39.8 percent from behind the arc in his last full season. His volume will likely be depressed on such a deep and talented Celtics squad, but his high efficiency should keep him a top-50 option in both roto and points-based leagues.
Horford has been the most consistently productive Celtics player for years, and that continued last season, with another strong all-around performance that included 12.9 PPG (48.9 FG%, 78.3 FT%), 7.4 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.3 3PG on 42.9 percent from behind the arc, 1.1 BPG and 0.6 SPG. His game contributes to every roto category, and his ability to initiate the offense takes pressure off Kyrie Irving and allows Horford to remain a strong presence even if his teammates limit his scoring upside. He enters this season as a solid top-25 roto option and a potential top-25 points-based option.
Tatum turned in a regular season that got him mention as a Rookie of the Year candidate, then upped his performance in the playoffs to arguably become the team leader with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward out. He has high expectations as a sophomore, though with all of his talented teammates healthy, he might have to play more power forward to get his playing time. Tatum is a natural scorer with the size and athletic ability to produce rebounding and defensive numbers, and his postseason averages of 18.5 PPG (47.1 FG%, 84.5 FT%) are well within his capabilities if he gets enough shots. He has clear top-50 upside in roto leagues, though volume might push him down in the top 75 in points-based leagues.
Brown proved himself to be capable of explosive scoring outbursts as a sophomore after not playing much as a rookie, and he revved up his output during 18 playoff games to the tune of 18.0 PPG (46.6 FG%, 64.0 FT%), 4.8 RPG, 2.4 3-pointers (39.3 percent), 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks in 32.4 MPG. He did this despite playing through injury, but with all of the Celtics healthy this season, there might be too many mouths to feed for him to approach those numbers again. His scoring and 3-point potential give him top-75 status in roto leagues, but lack of volume and versatility makes him more top-100 in points-based leagues.
Rozier stepped in for the injured Kyrie Irving in the postseason and proved that he can lead a contending team with playoff averages of 16.5 PPG (40.6 FG%, 82.1 FT%), 5.7 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG and 2.7 3PG. With Irving back, Rozier moves back to his sixth-man role, but he has shown the ability even in that role to generate top-150 volume in points-based leagues, and his 1.9 3PG on the season gives him clear top-75 upside in roto leagues.
Smart is a better real-life player than fantasy producer, as he is a lockdown perimeter defender and emotional spark plug who doesn't show up in the stat sheet. That said, he is capable of averaging double-digit points with solid contributions in assists, rebounds, 3-pointers and steals and is thus worthy of top-150 rankings in both points-based and roto leagues entering this season.
Brooklyn Nets
Russell's first season with the Nets was spoiled by a knee injury that sidelined him for much of the season, and even when he was able to return, he played quite a bit off the bench. Nevertheless, he averaged 15.5 PPG with 5.2 APG and 3.9 RPG despite a career-low 25.7 MPG. This season, Russell should be fully healthy and the obvious offensive focal point for the Nets, which could vault him into 20/5/5 territory and a spot in the top 50 of both points-based and roto formats.
Hollis-Jefferson got a larger opportunity last season, starting 59 of 68 games and upping his averages to 13.9 PPG (47.2 FG%, 78.8 FT%), 6.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.7 BPG in 28.3 MPG. Still only 23 years old, Hollis-Jefferson has upside to continue to improve, especially as a shooter. His free throw percentage has increased every season, going from 71.2 percent as a rookie to 78.9 percent last season. If this improved shooting translates to a more diverse offensive game, perhaps even improved shooting from behind the arc, RHJ has top-75 fantasy upside in Year 4.
Carroll bounced back last season after two injury-filled campaigns in Toronto and produced career highs with 13.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 2.0 3PG. Carroll's shooting from the field and his ability to generate steals are still significantly down from his previous peaks in Atlanta, and if he regains them this season, it would give him the upside to move into the top 75 in roto leagues, though his general lack of volume makes top 100 his best case in points-based leagues.
Last season, Dinwiddie took advantage of the extra opportunity afforded him by injuries to D'Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin to have the best season of his career, with personal bests across the board of 12.6 PPG, 6.6 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.8 3PG and 0.9 SPG in 28.8 MPG. His role this season is likely to shrink with Russell healthy, but Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert will vie for sixth-man duties as offensive guards off the bench. Dinwiddie has top-100 upside in roto leagues if he continues to knock down the 3-pointer at a high clip, though his lack of volume caps his points-based value at top 150.
Allen showed a lot of promise as a 19-year old rookie last season, with the length and athleticism to suggest good things for him as a sophomore and the starting center for the Nets. His per-36-minute numbers last season were an encouraging 14.7 PP36 (58.9 FG%, 77.6 FT%), 9.7 RP36 and 2.2 BP36. He produced those numbers in only 20 MPG, but this season he should see enough minutes to show whether he can scale up his production with more playing time. If he can, he has borderline top-50 upside in fantasy leagues.
Caris LeVert
LeVert found a comfort zone as a producer off the bench last season, averaging significantly better numbers in 61 games as a reserve (12.4 PPG [45.2 FG%, 38.0 3FG%], 4.3 APG and 1.2 3-pointers in 25.9 MPG) than he did in his 10 starts (10.0 PPG [33.6 FG%, 20.0 3FG%], 3.6 APG and 0.9 3-pointers in 28.2 MPG). He should reprise that sixth-man role this season, battling with Spencer Dinwiddie to be the leading producer for the second unit. His lack of volume limits him in points-based leagues, but if he can improve on his 1.2 3PG and 1.2 SPG that he averaged off the bench last season, he has top-100 upside in roto leagues.
Crabbe set new career marks across the board last season, his first in Brooklyn, with averages of 13.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.6 APG and 0.5 BPG. His most impressive stat was his 3-point shot, as he knocked down 2.7 3PG to vault him into top-75 range in roto leagues, though his lack of volume makes him more top-150 range in points-based leagues.
New York Knicks
Kanter improved across the board last season, turning in career-best marks of 11.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.5 BPG, 0.5 SPG, 59.2 FG% and 84.8 FT% while scoring a respectable 14.1 PPG. He became the most stable option on the team when Kristaps Porzingis got injured, and enters this season with the expectation that he will take advantage of his increased opportunity and build upon last season's successes. Kanter's modest numbers in blocks, steals and 3-pointers limit his roto upside, but he projects to a solid early-to-midround draft pick in points leagues.
Hardaway signed a controversially large contract with the Knicks last offseason and responded with the best scoring campaign of his career. He picked it up more after Kristaps Porzingis got injured, averaging 18.9 PPG (43.8 FG%, 88.5 FT%) with 3.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 2.4 3PG and 1.0 SPG in 20 games after the All-Star break. Hardaway enters this season as the primary veteran scoring option on the team, and with his category-specific production, he projects as a better roto option than his late-midround valuation in points leagues.
Kristaps Porzingis
Porzingis was in the midst of his best NBA campaign when tore his left ACL, ending his season after 44 games. Porzingis' injury had an initial timetable of 10-12 months absent, but in April, there were conflicting reports, as Knicks owner James Dolan said that Porzingis could return any time "from December to him being out for the season." The Knicks are expected to be cautious with their franchise big man, though there is a sentiment that they need him to return and produce at some point this season in order to entice potential free agents next offseason. But with his anticipated attenuated schedule, Porzingis projects as not being draft-worthy, though he could be a draft-and-stash candidate in leagues with large enough rosters or IR slots.
Burke had never really lived up to his draft status and was out of the NBA for the start of last season, but he dominated the G-League and ended up getting a call from the Knicks. Burke took advantage of this opportunity to outperform all of the other would-be point guards on the Knicks, averaging 15.9 PPG (49.4 FG%, 65.1 FT%) with 5.8 APG and 1.3 3PG during his last 23 outings of the season. Burke enters this season with expectations that he could challenge for a starting spot. If he earns one, he projects as a late-midround draft pick in fantasy leagues.
Knox was the Knicks' lottery draft pick this year, and though he was booed on draft night, he responded with an impressive performance in the Las Vegas Summer League that has many believing that he could be a go-to scorer for the team even as a rookie. Knox has excellent size and good athletic ability for a wing, capable of playing combo forward in certain circumstances, and his projected volume scoring and solid rebounding make him a borderline top-100 prospect in points leagues.
Hezonja was the fifth overall selection in the 2015 NBA draft, and he signed a one-year deal with the Knicks this offseason as a low-risk move to bring in more talent. Hezonja is coming off his best season as a pro, during which he averaged 9.6 PPG (44.2 FG%, 81.9 FT%), 3.7 RPG, 1.2 3PG and 1.1 SPG in 22.1 MPG. Hezonja will battle with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee for minutes, but if the Knicks decide to feature him as part of a youth movement, he would make for a late-round draft prospect with upside in most formats.
Courtney Lee
Lee posted his typical solid-but-unspectacular numbers last season, scoring 12.0 PPG (45.4 FG%, 91.9 FT%) with 2.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.5 3PG and 1.1 SPG in 30.4 MPG. If he maintains his starter status, then he would project to similar numbers this season, but he will be 33 years old when the season starts on an otherwise young, rebuilding team. Lee could, therefore, lose playing time to younger options like Mario Hezonja or even Frank Ntilikina, which makes him difficult to draft in points leagues, though he could be worth a potential late-round flier in roto leagues.
Frank Ntilikina
Ntilikina was the Knicks' lottery pick in the 2017 draft; at the time, an 18-year-old lead guard from France with great physical tools but little experience. As a rookie, Ntilikina seemed to have trouble running an offense and was more comfortable off the ball, which led to the Knicks bringing in more veteran point guard options like Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay. Presumably, Ntilikina will get more chances to run the team as a sophomore, but he seemingly projects more as a combo guard than a point guard this season. He has a lot to prove and a lot of developing to do, but his upside makes him perhaps worthy of a late-round flier in fantasy drafts.
Toronto Raptors
Leonard was one of the best producers in the NBA for two straight seasons in San Antonio before the injury-filled, mutual-trust-destroying nightmare of last season resulted in his being traded to the Raptors this offseason. There are two pertinent questions: Is Leonard healthy, and has he bought into playing for the Raptors? If the answer to both questions is yes, Leonard should fit seamlessly into the void left by previous leading scorer DeMar DeRozan and could very easily improve on the 25.5 PPG (48.5 FG%, 88.0 FT%), 5.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.0 3PG, 1.8 SPG and 0.7 BPG he produced during the 2016-17 seasons at age 25. That would vault him back up into top-five status in roto and top-10 status in points-based leagues.
Lowry had the best scoring season of his career during the 2016-17 campaign, averaging 22.4 PPG (46.4 FG%, 81.9 FT%) to go with 7.0 APG, 4.8 RPG, 3.2 3PG, 1.5 SPG and 2.9 TO in 37.4 MPG. His minutes (32.2 MPG), scoring (16.2 PPG), field goal percentage (42.7 FG%), steals (1.1 SPG) and turnovers (2.3 TO) all dropped significantly last season, which also correlated with then-teammate DeMar DeRozan handling the ball more and turning in career-highs in both assists (5.2 APG) and assist percentage (25.0 percent). DeRozan has since been replaced by Kahwi Leonard, who doesn't handle the ball as much, which means that Lowry should once again be the primary ball handler and offense creator for the Raptors. While he is a bit older, set to turn 33 in March, he still has top-20 potential in both roto and points-based leagues if he returns to his 2016-17 levels.
Valanciunas was one of the most productive centers in the NBA last season, when he was on the court, with per-36 minute averages of 20.4 PP36 (56.8 FG%, 80.6 FT%), 13.8 RP36, 1.7 AP36, 1.4 BP36, 0.6 SP36 and 0.6 3P36 that would translate to his being a borderline top-10 option in both roto and points-based leagues. However, his production was curtailed by playing a career-low 22.4 MPG last season due to a combination of the league going smaller, the Raptors having a deep pool of useful big men, and his relatively weak defense leading to the Raptors allowing 4.0 fewer points per 100 possessions with Valanciunas on the bench than with him in the game. However, this season, talented young backup Jakob Poeltl has been traded away and replacement Greg Monroe is even less defensively inclined than Valunciunas. Plus, with two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard now on the squad and a crew of strong defensive perimeter players as support, Valanciunas' defense may be less of an issue. And if he continues to develop his 3-point shot after making 40.5 percent of the career-best 74 that he took a season ago, Valanciunas could maybe earn the playing time to start delivering on the promise of his per-minute numbers and vault up into top-50 roto and points-based status.
VanVleet burst onto the scene last season as a sophomore, becoming a fan favorite as the spark-plug point guard off the bench for the best second unit in the NBA. He averaged 8.6 PPG (42.6 FG%, 83.2 FT%) with 3.2 APG, 2.4 RPG, 1.4 3PG and 0.9 SPG in only 20 MPG. Because he is stuck behind an All-Star in Kyle Lowry, VanVleet's productivity has a cap on it. However, Lowry will be 33 years old before the season is over, and if VanVleet gets starter minutes, he looks capable of producing top-100 fantasy production in his third season.
Ibaka's days as a top-20 (roto) shot-blocking specialist seem to be over, as he has steadily declined from leading the NBA with 3.7 BPG during the 2011-12 season to a career-low 1.3 BPG last season. Despite that, Ibaka has maintained value in roto leagues by being a big man capable of averaging more than 1.5 3PG to give him a second strong category. Throw in that he is still a comfortable double-digit scoring threat who can average more than 6.0 RPG and good shooting percentages from both the field and the line, and Ibaka is still a top-50 roto prospect and top 100 in points-based games.
Siakam is another young member of the Raptors' second unit who has youth-based upside but a capped ceiling due to the presence of veterans in front of him. Siakam has a lot of physical similarities to Serge Ibaka, but his defensive contributions tend more toward steals (1.3 SP36) than blocks (0.9 BP36). He is developing a 3-point shot (132 attempts last season) but has a lot of room to improve (22.0 3FG%). Even behind Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas on the depth chart, if Siakam can approach a full steal, 3-pointer and block per game, then he'd be worthy of top-100 roto consideration even if he lacks the volume for points-based starting consideration.