X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Spin: 2019 NBA Mock Draft (Part 3)

RotoBaller NBA expert Justin Carter continues his mock draft of the first round of the 2019 NBA draft from a fantasy perspective, rounding out the lottery with picks 15 through 30. Which NBA non-lottery rookies will have the biggest impact on fantasy basketball?

Welcome to the final part of RotoBaller's 2019 NBA mock draft, where I'll be looking at the non-lottery part of the first round.

Things get murkier here and paths to immediate NBA fantasy basketball impact get tough to judge, but there should still be some solid players in the mix who can help you in re-draft leagues and their NBA teams right off the bat.

Don't forget to check out the first and second parts if you haven't yet.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

GUYS TO CONSIDER: Bruno Fernando, KZ Okpala, Mflondu Kabengele, Luguentz Dort, Nicolas Claxton, Dylan Windler, Chuma Okeke, Jontay Porter

2019 NBA Mock Draft: Round 1 - Picks 15 through 30

15. Detroit Pistons: Nassir Little (F, North Carolina)

I've seen Little all over the place in mocks this year. A highly-touted prospect out of high school, he failed to crack double digits in scoring average at North Carolina and shot 26.9 percent from three.

Little's reportedly been showing improvement at workouts ahead of the draft and could be a late riser up draft boards, but I'm just not sure I see it. He doesn't have the size to be a guy who gets to the NBA and doesn't have an outside shot, because then he's basically stuck being an undersized four who isn't particularly helpful on defense aside from when he's crashing the boards. Detroit's a team that could fall in love with his upside, because they need an upside player, but I don't see his rookie year going very well.

16. Orlando Magic: Tyler Herro (G, Kentucky)

I was tempted to go with Bol Bol here because we know the Orlando Magic love size, but they might need to prioritize the ability to hit shots over the ability to be very tall.

In Herro, Orlando adds a strong shooter who can help a team that finished in the middle of the pack in long range shooting last year. With Terrence Ross a candidate to leave the Magic in free agency, Herro can step in and fill up some of the shot volume left behind by his departure. Herro's numbers from three weren't perfect last year with the Wildcats -- 35.5 percent on 4.6 attempts per game -- but his 93.5 percent shooting from the foul line is a reminder of just how good a shooter he is. Expect him to be a viable source of three pointers in fantasy leagues fairly quickly.

17. Atlanta Hawks: Keldon Johnson (F, Kentucky)

The Hawks got this pick from the Nets in the deal that also landed them Allen Crabbe, and while for the purposes of this mock, I'm ignoring the potential for picks to be traded...the Hawks have three first rounders and could definitely be looking to trade.'

But if they keep 17, Keldon Johnson makes sense for them. Johnson's NBA outlook is basically "three-and-D wing or bust," but his 38.1 percent mark from deep at Kentucky suggests he should be able to shoot at the next level. He'll be fine for the Hawks, who were third in the NBA in three-point attempts but just 16th in three-point field goal percentage.

18. Indiana Pacers: Nickeil Alexander-Walker (G, Virginia Tech)

The Pacers could use some guard depth, especially with Tyreke Evans currently banned from the league. They get that in Alexander-Walker.

He can shoot and defend, plus he's good enough as a passer to spend some time leading Indiana's bench units. Last year, he scored in the 88th percentile in transition and 82nd percentile on spot ups, and both of these are good signs for his ability to be Indiana's third guard. And with Victor Oladipo injury concerns, Alexander-Walker would find himself with some pretty immediate minutes and a sizable workload.

19. San Antonio Spurs: Kevin Porter Jr. (G, USC)

Porter didn't really show us enough in his one season at USC for us to get a great read on his ability to compete in the NBA, which is part of why I see him falling to 19. He can create his own shot, but I wouldn't trust him to create shots for others. He can put the ball on the floor and get to the hoop, but he also flashed some high-level efficiency from deep as a Trojan.

But he's also shown signs of being a little too careless as a shooter, of being the guy who just wants to take whatever shot he can get. That can hurt him in the NBA, as can his lack of consistency on the other end. He's going to have to work on shot selection, but Porter has the chance to be a very good third guard.

20. Boston Celtics: Bol Bol (C, Oregon)

Bol Bol has been one of those prospects whose outlook over the last year has swung around wildly, but what it comes down to is that he's very tall and can shoot from anywhere and those are two very important things in a prospect.

Bol Bol played just nine games last year, so we're working off a small sample, but across those nine games he shot 52 percent from three on 2.8 attempts per game. He also grabbed 9.6 rebounds per contest. It's not hard to see Bol as someone who grabs a lot of rebounds, shoots the ball well, and gives you more assists than you're used to from a center.

But defensively...yikes. I've seen a decent amount of talk on Twitter comparing Bol to last year's number-one overall pick, Deandre Ayton, on that end, as both guys have offensive skill sets that fit what the NBA is looking for in a center who can stretch out the floor, but both also struggled in college to be playable defensively. Bol's physical build might make it harder for him to end up being useful defensively, as he may just be too slow to properly defend at this level. His offensive game will get him on the floor, but he's still such a project on the other end that I'd expect G-League minutes in his first season.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Cameron Johnson (F, North Carolina)

The Thunder add a senior to the team with this pick, and grabbing NBA ready guys makes sense for a team with Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

Johnson's role in Oklahoma City, which would really be his role everywhere, will be to stay out past the arc and hit shots. The Thunder were the ninth-worst team by three-point field goal percentage last year and they could use a guy like Johnson in their wing rotation immediately.

22. Boston Celtics: Ty Jerome (G, Virginia)

So, the Celtics are obviously a bit in flux right now with Kyrie Irving likely heading out of Boston this Summer. Jerome would give them someone who can run the point, shoot, and generally avoids turning the ball over, and while his addition obviously doesn't make this team feel good about losing Irving, he can help bring some stability to the backcourt. Jerome would be a strong addition here and would likely be one of my fantasy sleepers come draft time.

23. Utah Jazz: Carsen Edwards (G, Purdue)

Is Edwards too short to be an off-ball guard? Maybe! Is he too much of a shooter to be a starting-caliber point guard? Maybe! Does he makes sense for the Jazz here? Maybe!

What Edwards would do in Utah is give the team a guard who can turn on the jets and fire the ball up to play off of Donovan Mitchell and whoever the starting point guard in Utah ends up being. He fits the profile of a Lou Williams type player, and Utah could use that. Might take some time to work him into the rotation, but keep an eye on him over the course of the season.

24. Philadelphia 76ers: Matisse Thybulle (F, Washington)

Sixers fans really want Thybulle. He's so good on the defensive end that you can kind of look past the fact that hie shooting numbers are a little meh, as he's improved inside the arc while seeing his three-point percentage steadily drop over the last couple of seasons.

But at pick 24, Philly's willing to pick him for that defensive upside -- his combination of rebounding, blocking, and stealing suggests he could end up as one of the NBA's top wing defenders -- and hope that he can knock down shots on a team where he won't be asked to handle much offensively. This seems like a thing that can work for the Sixers, but it might not be the best thing for fantasy teams that are looking for immediate impact.

25. Portland Trail Blazers: Goga Bitadze (C, Mega Bemax)

A lot of people who I really trust are very high on Bitadze. I haven't spent much time watching his tape, so I'm going to defer to them a little here, but I keep hearing that he's an inside-out scorer who can block a ton of shots, a guy who has a lot of ability to work in the post but can also pop out to the perimeter. He's got a lot of athleticism, which will help him fit into any team's defensive schemes, and he makes a lot of sense on a Trail Blazers team that has some need at center with Jusuf Nurkic injured and depth at the position being virtually non-existent. Not sure I'd be ready to call him a guy to target in re-draft leagues just yet, but I like what I've heard and the tape I've seen.

26. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bruno Fernando (C, Maryland)

Another center whose projections have been all over the place. He's a dunker on the offensive end, and having him as a lob threat can be a good way of helping make things easier on point guard Collin Sexton. He's also got some touch on his shot, which can help him reach his upside, but he's another guy whose defense is questionable enough that it's best to assume it takes some time for him to reach his potential.

27. Brooklyn Nets: Talen Horton-Tucker (G, Iowa State)

Another favorite of Draft Twitter, Horton-Tucker fits the "get guys with upside" model that the Nets have undertaken. Since they won't know for sure on the night of the draft if they're adding stars and rocketing into contention, I think they should go with the guy left on the board with the most star potential.

THT can finish at the basket and has great size, which will make him a big threat in transition. His shooting is a question mark, which is a big part of why he fell this far, but the Nets have done a good job getting a guy like Caris Levert transformed into a capable shooter, so it can happen with Horton-Tucker too. Will take some time, though.

28. Golden State Warriors: Grant Williams (F, Tennessee)

One of my Twitter buddies, Max Carlin, has Williams fourth on his board, in large part because of how much of an impact he can have defensively:

Offensively, Williams is an efficient post scorer, and he averaged 3.2 assists per game last year. He can also score in the midrange, and his touch suggests that he could even be a stretch four one day. Williams has a chance to be the full package for whatever team gets him, a better version of someone like P.J. Tucker.

29. San Antonio Spurs: KZ Okpala (F, Stanford)

Okpala is another prospect who NBA Twitter has all kinds of varying opinions on, but I'm of the opinion that his frame is too small for the kind of game he wants to play. Okpala wants to drive, but he's got to become more of a shooter, something that his college career suggests could happen. I wouldn't be betting on him being an impact player right away.

30. Milwaukee Bucks: Chuma Okeke (F, Auburn)

Defense. Passing. A 38.9 percent shooter from three in his two college seasons. The biggest knock on Okeke is that he's a bit of a tweener, but I'm pretty confident he'll be able to defend the four and play there on a full-time basis.

Okeke torn his ACL during the NCAA Tournament, though, and will miss a good chunk of his rookie year, making him not someone to consider for fantasy purposes.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Wyatt Langford

Activated, Playing on Saturday
Jay Huff

on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
Corey Heim

Does Not Qualify for Cup Race at Chicago Street Course
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade may not Happen Until "August, September"
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Houston Rockets

Jock Landale Waived by Rockets
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Considering Returning to Europe
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Jabari Walker

Signs Two-Way Deal With Sixers
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Byron Young

Still Improving?
Cody Simon

Jonathan Gannon has Been Impressed With Cody Simon
SirVocea Dennis

has Impressive Offseason
Trevor Penning

Could Still Have a Role in New Orleans
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Decline Recent Offer for Jonathan Kuminga
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner, Magic Agree to One-Year Deal
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
José Soriano

Jose Soriano Throws Gem Against Braves
Robbie Ray

Earns Ninth Win in Complete Game
T.J. Watt

Likely to Reset the Edge-Rush Market
George Springer

Blasts Two Homers, Drives in Four
James Wood

Goes Yard in Five-Hit Night
Bradley Beal

Suns Discussing Potential Buyout
Los Angeles Lakers

Jaxson Hayes Staying with the Lakers
NBA

Damian Lillard "Open" to Signing With a Team This Offseason
Max Muncy

Out at Least Six Weeks
Clarke Schmidt

Leaves Start with Forearm Tightness
Colson Montgomery

Promoted to the Major Leagues
Pittsburgh Steelers

Omar Khan, Steelers Agree to Three-Year Contract
Max Muncy

Goes on Injured List With Knee Bruise
Max Muncy

Out of Thursday's Lineup
James Wood

Joining Home Run Derby
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
Max Scherzer

Cleared to Start on Saturday
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
Kodai Senga

Could be "in Play" to Return Before All-Star Break
Chau Smith-Wade

Having Stellar Offseason
Ace Bailey

Inks Rookie Contract With Jazz
Divine Deablo

Could be the Quarterback of the Defense
Isaiah Rodgers

a Likely Starter for the Vikings
Jacob Monk

Sees Plenty of Work With Starters
Avonte Maddox

has Impressed Dan Campbell
Boston Celtics

Josh Minott Inks Deal With Celtics
Chicago Bears

Ruben Hyppolite Shows Notable Improvement
Sandro Mamukelashvili

Heading to Toronto
Daron Payne

Commanders Coaches Impressed With Daron Payne
Danny Gray

Makes Impression During Offseason Workouts
Jared McCain

Not on 76ers Summer League Roster
Dylan Harper

Unavailable for California Classic
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs with Islanders for Two Years
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal with Mammoth
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Ryan McLeod

Inks Four-Year Extension with Sabres
NAS

Predators Bring in Nick Perbix on Two-Year Deal
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
LA

Cody Ceci Moves to Los Angeles
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF