It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it?Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, the opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA. 

Introduction

I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2023 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2023-24 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.As I will frequently emphasize and reiterate: in 2023, there is very little difference between the vast majority of second-round draft picks and undrafted free agents--it always all comes down to the skillsets they possess, their capacity for growth, and the situations they've landed in.Seasons will be made and broken with early identification of the diamond-in-the-rough rookies. I used to list out the many examples from the past season in this introduction portion, but we are now in a beautiful era where there are just too many to count. There is also very little separating the featured players below and those dubbed "Honorable Mentions"--so put in the work and keep an eye out throughout the regular season for who is receiving and seizing their opportunities. 

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) will return on Wednesday against Portland after missing his previous six games due to knee soreness. With Caris LeVert (ankle) and Kevin Love (thumb) out, extra minutes will be up for grabs. However, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Wade won't see a full workload, so fantasy managers should consider Cedi Osman as a streaming option. Osman scored 23 points on Monday versus Atlanta and could be due for another solid fantasy outing.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) is expected to return on Wednesday against Portland after missing the last six games with a sore right knee. The 26-year-old has averaged 7.3 points while shooting 50% from deep in 22.8 minutes per game this season. However, with Caris LeVert (ankle) out and Kevin Love (thumb) questionable, Wade could see an uptick in production versus the Trail Blazers.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) is questionable for Sunday's meeting with Minnesota. Under normal circumstances, his availability wouldn't mean much for fantasy managers. However, considering Donovan Mitchell (ankle) and Jarrett Allen (ankle) are questionable, Wade could find himself back in the starting lineup. With that said, Kevin Love is still, by far, a better fantasy option, even if he plays less than Wade.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) has picked up a questionable tag only an hour and a half before the team is set to tip off their game against Golden State. He is dealing with right knee soreness. Wade doesn't carry a lot of fantasy value, but he's a versatile guy whom the Cavaliers can use in multiple situations and his absence would definitely be felt. He has averaged nearly 23 minutes a night for the season, so there will be a nice chunk of extra minutes available for the likes of Cedi Osman and Kevin Love if Wade can't go.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade will start on Wednesday against Orlando. Darius Garland (eye) remains out due to an eye laceration, so Wade will enter the starting five, with the underperforming Isaac Okoro heading back to the bench. The 25-year-old has averaged 8.3 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 57.1% from deep this season. However, Wade may easily exceed those numbers in his enhanced role.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it? Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA.Plus, I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games, or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2022 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence. ... [More]

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade has agreed to a three-year, $18.5 million contract extension. The 25-year-old wasn't a regular producer for the Cavaliers last season. However, throughout his 28 spot starts in 201-22, he averaged 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 37.5% from deep. With that said, Wade will likely get minutes during the year but isn't predicted to do much to benefit fantasy managers, although he may have some decent showings here and there.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it? Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA.Plus, I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games, or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2022 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence. ... [More]

The Cavaliers have exercised the team option of forward Dean Wade for 2022-23. Wade, who will earn nearly $2 million, has averaged 5.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists throughout his time in Cleveland. He did end up succumbing to a season-ending meniscus tear in his right knee, but he is expected to maintain a stable role in the rotation upon his return. However, that won't make the 25-year-old relevant from a fantasy standpoint. Yet, considering the likelihood the Cavs will deal with injuries this season, he may get some work and even start from time to time, making him a viable streaming candidate when needed.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) is expected to miss up to four weeks. He has a partial tear in his meniscus. However, there is optimism he will return before the end of the regular season. The Cavs are also hoping to get Jarrett Allen (finger) back by then. In the meantime, Evan Mobley and Lauri Markkanen will handle things underneath the rim, with Kevin Love also expected to continue to benefit.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Denver Nuggets. This marks the third game in a row that Wade has missed due to right knee soreness. His absence should keep Lamar Stevens in the starting lineup for right now. However, Stevens hasn't made much of an impact lately. That being said, Stevens can be ignored in most fantasy formats even with extended playing time.

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Dean Wade (knee) will miss his second straight game on Wednesday when the Cavs match up against the Philadelphia 76ers. Wade is dealing with right knee soreness. Lamar Stevens jumped into the starting five to replace Wade on Monday and he will likely be back there for Wednesday's game. However, he played just 13 minutes on Monday and didn't offer much for fantasy purposes. Wade has seen a lot of playing time over the past few months, but he hasn't done a ton with his minutes. He's been held to single-digits in scoring in eight of his last nine games.

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Dean Wade (knee) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Clippers due to a sore right knee. Lamar Stevens will shift into the starting five in place of Wade, although the return of both Caris LeVert (foot) and Lauri Markkanen (ankle) figures to give the Cavs something mirroring their normal rotation Monday. Wade has been a limited statistical contributor this season, averaging just 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game across 28 starts. Kevin Love could also be in line to snag a handful of added minutes while Wade is out of the mix, with his next chance to suit up coming Wednesday vs. Philadelphia.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) is questionable ahead of Monday's meeting against the Los Angeles Clippers. Wade holds a spot on the injury report because of right knee soreness, which isn't ideal considering Caris LeVert (foot) and Lauri Markkanen (ankle) carry the same designation. Nevertheless, depending on who is out, minutes may open up for Cedi Osman and Kevin Love, who each logged north of 30 minutes on Saturday night during the showdown against the Chicago Bulls.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (illness) has been ruled out for Monday's contest vs. the Knicks, paving the way for Dean Wade to slide into the starting five. Allen's absence comes amidst a stretch of having delivered double-digit rebounding numbers in each of his last five outings, four of which have been double-doubles. Wade's role has heavily fluctuated this season, although he has proven to be an adept DFS punt play when starting, averaging 7.4 points and 4.2 boards across 28.6 minutes in his 16 starts. Kevin Love and Evan Mobley stand to have elevated scoring and rebounding duties, particularly with the Knicks down their starting center in Mitchell Robinson (ankle). Allen's next chance to suit up comes Wednesday against Milwaukee.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (calf) is doubtful for Friday's outing against Washington. However, he likely won't suit up as he continues to deal with a right calf strain, so his anticipated absence will mark his fourth straight. With Cedi Osman (back) already ruled out, the door is open for Isaac Okoro to remain in the starting rotation and Lamar Stevens, who had 12 points and two blocks the other night against Miami, to be in the running for DFS GPP formats. However, it will likely remain business as usual, with Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen offensively leading the way versus the Wizards.

Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Cedi Osman (back) and power forward Dean Wade (calf) have been ruled out for Wednesday's game against Miami. Osman's absence will reach two games due to a sore back, while Wade's strained right calf will have him out for a third straight outing. Osman has developed into an integral marksman for the second unit, knocking down 2.5 triples per game, while shooting 43 percent from behind the arc. With Cleveland's frontcourt back to relative full health aside from Wade, he faces a muddled path to consistent playing time, and thereby, season-long fantasy relevance. The next chance for either to suit up comes Friday vs. the Wizards.

Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Cedi Osman (back) and power forward Dean Wade (calf) have both been ruled out for Monday's contest against Dallas. Osman returns to the sidelines after appearing in each of the Cavs' past two games, while Wade's absence will be extended to two straight outings. Osman has begun to percolate from behind the arc as of late, having averaged 3.8 made triples over his last four contests, in addition to shooting 43% percent from deep this season. While Wade spent nearly all of November in the starting five, his limited offensive role has kept him from season-long fantasy relevance. Without Osman and Wade in the mix Monday, Isaac Okoro and Kevin Love, respectively, stand to see larger roles.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (calf) is listed as doubtful for Monday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. He wasn't able to play on Saturday, but likely would've seen a reduced role with Evan Mobley returning. Wade had a few surprising games while Mobley was out, but appears safe to drop in basically all fantasy formats now. Possibly, Wade has some low-end appeal with Cedi Osman (back) questionable as well, but there's no long term value for him.