In preparation for the 2016-17 Fantasy Basketball season, it's time to get to know some of the new guys in the player pool.  The 2015 draft brought in a massive influx of fantasy relevant NBA talent, from a burgeoning super-star at the top of the draft (Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns) to a hidden jewel in the middle of the 2nd round (Miami's Josh Richardson).  While this draft doesn't have as much guaranteed talent in the lottery, it does feature its own star at the top and a depth of intriguing players who could make an impact from out of the 2nd round.

Everyone knew Taurean Prince was on the Hawks radar before the draft, but they did not know that he would be selected with the 12th overall pick. Atlanta essentially traded Jeff Teague for Taurean Prince, which may look like a strange trade immediately, but Prince has the ability to become a great piece for a somewhat rebuilding team.

NBA Rookie Fantasy Profile: Taurean Prince

Position: SF

Team: Atlanta Hawks

Draft Spot: 1.12

Analysis: The Hawks wanted to give Dennis Schroder more opportunities to play this season, which resulted in them trading Jeff Teague. In that trade, they received the 12th overall pick from the Utah Jazz. Taurean Prince was one of the most mocked players to Atlanta before the draft, but he was generally penciled in to them at the 21st pick. Ultimately, they reached on Prince and made sure they got their guy with this pick.

Prince is a decently NBA ready prospect, but that doesn’t mean he is going to get minutes right off the bat for the Hawks. At best, he will come off the bench behind Kent Bazemore and Paul Millsap, but he may also start the season behind fellow rookie DeAndre Bembry. Prince is an ideal 3 and D player, and that’s essentially all he will be his rookie season.

Prince can immediately contribute points, rebounds, and potentially defensive stats, but that isn’t the ceiling for his career. Prince is long and has good passing skills for his size. Eventually, he may be able to contribute in every category, although he will likely never be an elite fantasy option because of his lack of ability to create his own shot. With that being said, Prince continued to get better throughout his four years at Baylor, and it isn’t out of the question that he could become a great fantasy option in a few years.

Bottom Line: If given playing time, he could immediately produce some points, rebounds, 3PM, and steals. Could struggle with minutes and efficiency, though. Likely not worth a pick in standard leagues, but could be a late round flyer in deep leagues with a relatively NBA ready game.