Below are André Snellings' Southeast 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:
Atlanta Hawks
Miami Heat
Orlando Magic
Washington Wizards
Charlotte Hornets
Atlanta Hawks
Dedmon got his first chance to shine last season, starting 46 of 62 games in his first season with the Hawks and averaging a near double-double with 10.0 PPG (52.4 FG%, 77.9 FT%) and 7.9 RPG. He added a 3-point shot to his repertoire, making 50 3-pointers on the season after having attempted (and missed) only one 3-pointer in his previous four seasons combined. Dedmon is the incumbent to start for the Hawks again, though he may have to fight off a challenge from newly signed Alex Len for minutes at the center position this season. If he plays a similar role to last season, he has top-100 upside in both points-based and roto leagues, but if his minutes and performance improve, he could slide into top-70 territory.
John Collins had an impressive rookie season at 20 years old, flirting with a double-double with 10.5 PPG (57.6 FG%, 71.5 FT%) and 7.3 RPG in only 24.1 MPG. He appears to have taken a big step forward this offseason, with one of the most impressive performances at the Las Vegas Summer League and could be poised to break out as a sophomore. The Hawks have a production vacuum with former leading scorer Dennis Schroder gone, and Collins appears to be a candidate to lead the team in scoring this season with top-30 upside in points-based leagues.
Trae Young led the NCAA in both points and assists last season as a freshman and is one of the most polarizing rookies in this class. He was traded on draft night for Luka Doncic, a player whom many expect to vie for Rookie of the Year honors, and then started slowly in his first couple of summer league games in Utah. However, once the action moved to Las Vegas, Young displayed the type of floor vision and passing ability that should allow him to be an impact distributor from the start while also eventually opening up scoring opportunities. He is considered a boom-or-bust prospect, but if he hits, he has top-75 upside in points-based leagues but could suffer slightly in roto leagues, where inefficiency and turnovers are more heavily penalized.
Prince took a big step as a sophomore last season, starting all 82 games and settling in as a solid scoring threat with a complete all-around game. Prince really improved his 3-point shot, knocking down 2.1 3PG on 38.5 percent from behind the arc, and he has more shooting/scoring upside for a Hawks team that lacks a clear go-to scorer this season. If Prince steps more fully into a primary role this season, he has top-75 upside in points-based leagues and perhaps top-50 upside in roto leagues that tend to heavily value long-range shooting.
Lin has bounced around the league and has had some trouble with injuries, but he also has a track record of being productive when he's on the court. It is unclear whether Lin will get as much playing time as he's used to, as Trae Young is the presumed starter, but Lin could still play solid minutes if he and Young show that they can play on the court at the same time. He seems likely to take a step back this season, likely falling into the top-150 range in both points-based and roto leagues, even if he manages to stay healthy.
Bazemore produced a very similar stat line for the third season in a row, and at age 29, seems to have plateaued as a producer for the Hawks. This could potentially hurt him a bit this season, as the Hawks are on a youth movement with two first-round draft picks in the backcourt and young forwards Taurean Prince and John Collins seemingly on the rise. Nevertheless, Bazemore has proved that he can be a double-digit scorer and average about 1.5 3PG and 1.5 SPG when given light starter minutes, so if he can hold that role, he can maintain his position right around the top-150 mark in both points-based and roto leagues.
Miami Heat
Whiteside was one of the more dominant interior presences in the NBA during the 2016-17 season and appeared to be the centerpiece for where the Miami Heat were going as a team. Unfortunately, a combination of injuries, trouble staying in shape and conflicts with Heat coaches about his optimal role brought Whiteside's production down last season and make his future prospects with the team murky. Whiteside is a traditional, throwback center in a time when many teams are going to more of a perimeter-based, face-up offense. If Whiteside can get start minutes, he still is capable of producing impact-level volume in points-based leagues. However, if he gets closer to the 25.3 MPG that he averaged last season, Whiteside could end up being more valuable in category-based leagues where his lack of volume might not be as damaging.
Dragic had a solid but slightly down season compared to some of his previous efforts. He played two fewer minutes than in 2016-17, and each of his major counting statistics subsequently dropped as well. Dragic is 32 years old, so it is unclear whether he just had a down season or whether that was a sign of him slowing down. However, he is still the primary offensive engine for the Heat and has shown enough ability to produce that he remains a top-50 prospect in points and roto formats and should go off the board in the first three or four rounds.
Richardson is the type of player who is more valuable in roto leagues than points formats, as he contributes modestly but positively in several categories but lacks the volume to make a points-based impact. Richardson has improved in each of his first three seasons, and his strong combination of defense and solid offense make him one of the more valuable wings on the Heat. He projects as a midround pick in roto leagues but more of a late-round prospect in points games.
Olynyk played a career-best 23.4 MPG last season, and that translated to career-best marks across the board with 11.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.4 3PG and 0.8 SPG. Olynyk has the face-up, perimeter style of play that more NBA teams are looking for in their big men. He got the chance to shine due to injuries to the Heat frontline, and he played well enough that he maintained a larger role even when everyone got healthy. He projects as a late-round draft pick in both points-based and roto fantasy leagues this season.
James is a perfect example of a jack-of-all-trades type -- or garbage man -- who can be sneaky valuable for fantasy basketball. Johnson has had a similar role for the Heat during the past two seasons, and he has responded with two-year averages of 11.8 PPG (49.0 FG%, 70.3 FT%), 4.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 3PG, 1.0 SPG and 0.9 BPG. This level of production, which he should be expected to roughly maintain this season, is enough to make him worthy of a late-to-mid-round pick in points-based drafts and a middle-round pick in rotisserie.
Johnson surprisingly regressed a bit last season after a strong campaign during the 2016-17 season, seeing small drops in scoring, assists, rebounds and steals, even as his shooting percentages and 3-pointers increased. Johnson just turned 26 years old this offseason, so he should still be getting better as he approaches his peak. Look for him to bounce back this season, and if so, he is a viable late-round draft pick in both points and roto leagues.
Injury ended Waiters' season after 30 games, just as a different set of injuries had limited him to only 46 games during the 2016-17 campaign. Health is therefore a major concern for Waiters, who, as of mid-September, still hasn't been physically cleared for full basketball training. On the positive side, Waiters has shown that when healthy, he is a plus-scorer with strong shooting ability from behind the arc and solid assist numbers. He is worth a late draft slot position as an injury risk who has solid upside.
Orlando Magic
Vucevic averaged 16.5 PPG (47.5 FG percentage, 81.9 FT percentage) with 9.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.1 BPG, 1.1 3PG and 1.0 SPG last season. The blocks, steals and 3-pointers were all career-best marks, and averaging at least one of each gave him unique value in roto leagues. The biggest demerit on Vucevic's upside is his injury history, as he missed 25 games last season and has missed at least 17 games in four of his seven NBA seasons. His production still nets him a top-50 projection in fantasy leagues, and if he stays healthy, he can outperform those projections.
Gordon had by far the best campaign of his career last season, setting new career-high marks in every counting stat with 17.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.0 3PG, 1.0 SPG and 0.8 BPG. He did struggle with injury, though, missing 24 games after having missed only six games total in his previous two seasons. If he can stay healthy, Gordon projects as the clear franchise centerpiece for the Magic this season and is worthy of an early-to-mid draft pick in both scoring formats.
Bamba was arguably the most physically gifted big man in this year's draft class, with size and length that make him a natural rim protector and shot-blocker. He also has developed a surprising shooting touch, as he was able to knock down a few 3-pointers during his tenure at the Las Vegas Summer League. However, Bamba was also very raw, flashing potential in Las Vegas but lacking in the production of some of his more NBA-ready draft mates. He projects as not quite draft-worthy but might be worth a late-round flier, especially in deeper roto leagues, where his potential blocked shots could be valuable.
Fournier's minutes have plateaued over the past three seasons, but his overall production has improved, and his 17.8 PPG (45.9 FG percentage, 86.7 FT percentage) with 3.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.2 3PG and 0.8 SPG represented several career-best marks. Fournier missed 25 games last season after missing 14 the season before and 24 games four seasons ago, making him a bit of an injury risk entering his seventh season. He still projects as a worthy draft pick in the late-middle rounds of roto leagues and a late-round pick in points leagues.
Augustin spent the first half of last season as a backup, the role he has played for most of the past six seasons, but after Elfrid Payton was traded, Augustin moved into the starting lineup and averaged 12.8 PPG (48.9 FG percentage, 88.9 FT percentage), 5.0 APG, 2.7 RPG, 1.9 3PG and 0.6 SPG in 25 games after the All-Star break. The Magic brought in Jerian Grant, who could challenge for point guard minutes, this offseason, but if Augustin holds the lead role, he could be worth a late-round pick in both roto and points formats.
Simmons came over to the Magic last offseason after two seasons as a backup with the Spurs and immediately set new career-best marks while playing starter minutes. Simmons averaged 13.9 PPG (46.5 FG percentage, 76.8 FT percentage) with 3.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 3PG and 0.8 SPG and is a slightly better roto prospect than his late-round draft projection in points leagues.
Isaac was the sixth overall pick in the 2017 draft, a long and athletic big man who needed to mature physically before he was ready for the NBA. He played only 27 games as a rookie but flashed his unique potential with 1.2 SPG, 1.1 BPG and 0.6 3PG in only 19.8 MPG. Isaac played well during the Las Vegas Summer League and appears ready for a larger role as a sophomore. He might not quite be draft-worthy in points leagues, but he's worth paying attention to in that format and might very well be worth a late-round flier in roto leagues.
Washington Wizards
Wall's 2016-17 campaign was the best season of his career, as he sported personal bests in scoring (23.1 PPG), assists (10.7 APG), field goal percentage (45.1 FG%) and steals (2.0 SPG). He also finished the season as a top-10 producer in both roto and points-based leagues. A series of injuries derailed the 2017-18 season, as his averages were down slightly across the board and he played only 41 games. Wall enters this season looking to bounce back, though with young teammates Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr. improving and new addition Dwight Howard manning the middle, it is possible that Wall could play better on the whole while still not quite reaching the scoring volume that he displayed two seasons ago.
Dwight Howard
Last season, Howard produced his best volume campaign since 2013-14 with averages of 16.6 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.6 BPG and 0.6 SPG in 81 games with the Charlotte Hornets. Some of the credit from this renaissance was because he was as healthy as he had been since before a series of back injuries seemed to limit him after he left the Orlando Magic. Howard now joins a talented Washington Wizards lineup that should allow him to play off of strong perimeter playmakers (perhaps helping improve on his 55.5 FG% from last season, his lowest since his sophomore season). Also he will be playing next to a stretch-4 in Markieff Morris, who should let him maximize his rebounding. However, his scoring volume could suffer slightly, limiting his points-based upside to just outside of the top 20 Don't forget he's still a career 56.6 percent free throw shooter, which caps his roto upside to near the bottom of the top 100.
Bradley Beal
Beal is approaching his athletic peak and is coming off two straight seasons during which he has averaged well over 20 points with strong peripheral contributions as well. Two seasons ago, playing next to a healthy John Wall, Beal set career-highs in scoring volume (23.1 PPG), field goal percentage (48.2 FG%) and 3-pointers (2.9 3PG on 40.4 percent from behind the arc). Last season, with Wall missing half of the games due to injury, Beal's scoring and averages dipped slightly, but he set career-highs with 4.5 APG, 4.4 RPG and 1.2 SPG, as he tried to carry the Wizards. Wall is now healthy and Beal continues to improve, so if he can combine the peaks of both of the last two seasons he's got top-20 upside in roto and top-30 in points-based leagues.
Otto Porter Jr.
Porter is coming off a season in which he set career highs with 14.7 PPG and 2.0 APG, matched his career highs in rebounds (6.4 RPG), steals (1.5 SPG) and blocks (0.5 BPG) while falling just short of his career highs with 1.8 3-pointers, 50.3 FG% and 82.8 FT%. He is also approaching his athletic peak and fits in as a do-everything guy on a team full of scoring talent. Porter's "garbageman" abilities give him top-20 upside in roto leagues and top-50 upside in points-based.
Markieff Morris
Morris entered last season injured, and though he recovered enough to play 73 games, his minutes (27.0 MPG), scoring volume (11.5 PPG) and rebound volume (5.6 RPG) all dipped solidly from his 2016-17 averages. If fully healthy, Morris could be in for a bounce-back campaign to get back to top-100 value next to a strong interior presence in Dwight Howard, who would allow Morris to thrive in the perimeter-based, face-up role that he prefers.
Charlotte Hornets
Walker is likely the greatest player in the history of this iteration of the Charlotte Hornets, but he also is the best player on a bad team and hears constant trade rumors associated with his name. Despite the rumors, he turned in another strong performance last season and has three straight seasons averaging 22.0 PPG (43.4 FG%, 85.3 FT%), 5.4 APG, 3.8 RPG, 2.7 3PG and 1.3 SPG with little variance. Right in the middle of his physical prime at age 28, Walker should be set for another similar season that puts him firmly in the top 25 of roto and top 50 of points-based rankings.
Batum, when healthy, has the type of all-around game that gives him top-25 upside as a roto prospect. In the two seasons before 2017-18, he averaged 15.0 PPG (41.4 FG%, 85.3 FT%), 6.2 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.9 3PG, 1.0 SPG and 0.5 BPG. Last season, he struggled through injuries that robbed him of 18 games and diminished his numbers across the board. If he returns to full health, he again has similar roto upside and top-40 points-based potential. With injury risk factored in, though, those rankings slide down in both formats.
Bridges was one of the most impressive rookies at the Las Vegas summer league, with otherworldly athletic ability that allowed him to grab rebounds at their highest points, produce poster-quality slam dunks and regularly electrify the crowd. Bridges has an NBA body and a strong defensive game, but to get regular minutes on the court, he'll have to show the ability to knock down the 3-point shot. If he does that, he could flirt with starter minutes and production as a rookie. If he can't find his shot, it could limit his upside. He will start the season as a borderline prospect in fantasy drafts, but he has fantasy starter upside.
Williams has been a per-minute metronome the past three seasons, but last season he played almost five fewer minutes per game than the season before, and that translated to lower scoring (9.5 PPG) and rebounding (4.7 RPG) numbers. His 1.6 3PG kept him relevant in roto leagues, but he'll need to get his volume back up to be worth much attention in points-based leagues.
Monk has explosive scoring ability, and based on his one game at the Las Vegas summer league, it was clear that the Hornets had him working on his scoring instead of continuing the experiment to convert him to a point guard. This could be potentially very good news for his fantasy output, as Monk averaged 17.7 PP36 and 3.5 3-pointers per 36 minutes as a rookie, and he could improve per minute while playing more as a sophomore. Monk is an exciting leaper with 3-point range, and the Hornets have a need for offense that could see him earn a bigger role this season and slide into roto- and points-based draft consideration.