RADIO
Jaxson Hayes 2019 Player Outlook
5 years agoDespite averaging just 23.3 minutes per game during his lone collegiate season at the University of Texas, Jaxson Hayes (No. 8 overall) was snatched up by the New Orleans Pelicans during a Draft night trade. Hayes now finds himself part of the new nucleus in New Orleans, which boasts a plethora of youthful talent. The 6-foot-11 big man will play the entirety of the 2019-20 regular season as a 19-year-old, which should temper fantasy expectations, especially for a player that averaged just 10 points and five rebounds per game last season. Where Hayes figures to draw legitimate fantasy consideration will be in category leagues, as the big man swatted 2.2 blocks per contest with the Longhorns. His best-case scenario for his rookie season seems to be that he develops along a similar trajectory as that of Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who was a shot-blocking machine from the get-go last year. It may not take Hayes long to hurdle Jahlil Okafor on the Pelicans’ depth chart, but veteran Derrick Favors figures to retain a stranglehold on the starting center spot for the foreseeable future.
