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.

The Celtics won the 3rd overall pick in the lottery because of the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett deal with the Nets a few years ago. They weren't able to win a high enough pick to select the potential franchise player they were hoping for in Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, but the Celtics added an athletic wing with a ton of potential who is a strong fit in today's game.

NBA Rookie Fantasy Profile: Jaylen Brown

Position: SF/PF

Team: Boston Celtics

Draft Spot: 1.03

Analysis: Simmons and Ingram were seen as the top tier players in the NBA Draft. Once they were gone, the Celtics had the first pick of the second tier, which included around seven or eight players. Rumors were swirling on draft day that they would select Kris Dunn in order to make a trade for Jimmy Butler. Those rumors quickly died, though, when the Celtics drafted Jaylen Brown with the third overall pick in the draft.

Brown is a raw player that relies heavily on his athleticism on the court. He’s arguably the most athletic player in this year’s draft and has elite size for a wing. He has nearly a 7’ wingspan and he will make an immediate impact on defense with the ability to guard 1-4. He will have a difficult path to minutes early in his career, though, as the Celtics already have a glut of strong defensive players on the perimeter, including Jae Crowder, who is already really good at the wing/small-ball four role the Celtics are hoping Brown could some day fill.

Brown could occasionally get some run for his defense when Crowder is banged up or in foul trouble, but he isn't NBA ready at all on the offensive end, so he’ll likely struggle to stick on the court consistently. When he does, his fantasy numbers in categories except perhaps steals and rebounds will likely be ugly on a per minute basis. At the moment, he's such a poor shooter that he'll probably be a minus in both percentages, and would provide little to nothing in points, assists, and threes.

If he can learn to shoot and develop better touch around the basket, Brown's highest upside is to turn into a Kawhi Leonard type player in the NBA after a few years. There have been reports that he has been working on his jump shot and he has impressed teams in their meetings before the draft. Of course, it's easy to impress in workouts, and a much different matter to translate that into real games. The more likely outcome is he doesn't develop a knock down jump shot, but is a guy who can finish in traffic and be a solid slasher in the NBA who is a force in transition and who can hit the occasional corner three if left open. He’ll begin his career as a defensive minded player, but he has the potential to become a strong two-way player in the NBA a few years down the road.

Bottom Line: Unlikely to be a fantasy asset his rookie season with limited playing time and a raw offensive skills. Should not be drafted in standard re-draft leagues. Has the long-term potential to become elite in defensive categories, while being an above average offensive player. He’s a great dynasty pick if you can afford to have the patience to wait a few years for his talent to develop.