Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov has been upgraded to active on Sunday and will suit up against the Utah Jazz. The rookie hasn't played since February 9 and hasn't consistently seen the floor enough to establish a cemented role in the rotation. Vezenkov may not see a lot of playing time right away since Trey Lyles also returns to action on Sunday. Since Malik Monk (knee) and Kevin Huerter (shoulder) are both out for an extended time, the rotation could look different each night depending on matchups. Vezenkov isn't recommended as a must-start in fantasy lineups at this moment.

Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) will not play against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. The 28-year-old has been nursing an ankle injury for over a month. His next opportunity to return is on Friday in a rematch with the Mavericks. He hasn't really been missed since his exit from the lineup, as he has averaged just 5.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists across 35 games this season.

Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) has been downgraded from questionable to out for Saturday's tilt against Orlando. The 28-year-old has been nursing an ankle injury for over a month but isn't still quite ready to make his comeback. His next opportunity to return comes on Monday versus Philadelphia. Vezenkov has only played a small part off the bench for the Kings and hasn't really been missed since his exit from the lineup. Saturday's outing promises to be a rough one for Sacramento's second unit, as Orlando is allowing the fewest bench points per game this season.

Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Thursday's game against the Washington Wizards. Despite practicing this week, Vezenkov isn't quite ready to get back on the court. The Kings are shorthanded already, which has forced Kessler Edwards into the starting five. Edwards will start on Thursday, but Keon Ellis playing off the bench actually offers better streaming appeal.

Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) is on the injury report as questionable ahead of Wednesday's matchup against Toronto. Vezenkov is nearing a return from a long-term absence, as he hasn't seen any action since Feb. 9 due to a right ankle sprain. With him averaging only 12.6 minutes across the season, Vezenkov hasn't had a big part to play with the Kings, but the current absence of Trey Lyles (knee) puts him in a position to see regular action. However, Vezenkov will still have a tough time getting enough minutes to be considered a viable fantasy option.

Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) is in danger of missing his seventh consecutive game after the team officially listed him as questionable against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. The 28-year-old hasn't exactly found a rhythm in his role with the team just yet and the more time he misses, the less of a chance he has to build back up into receiving more minutes on the floor. He's seen 12.7 minutes a night across 33 games so far this year which hasn't made him very fantasy-relevant in most leagues. If he gets downgraded to out again on Monday, Trey Lyles should continue to see the bulk of the backup forward minutes while the starters receive a heavy workload.

Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Saturday's game against the Chicago Bulls. Vezenkov was considered a game-time decision coming into this game due to a right ankle issue. The Kings have ultimately decided to have Vezenkov sit out this game. Kessler Edwards and Chris Duarte should have increased roles with Vezenkov on the sideline. Between the two, Duarte is the better streaming option for Saturday's slate.

Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) has been downgraded from questionable to out on Friday and will miss their contest against the Indiana Pacers. This will be his fifth consecutive game missed due to an ankle sprain and the Kings have gone 3-1 in his absence so far. Vezenkov's minutes haven't been very consistent, so he's only been fantasy-relevant in the deepest of leagues so far. While he remains sidelined, Trey Lyles should receive some extra minutes off of the bench, but he's a better streaming option in deep leagues.

Sacramento Kings power forward Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) will sit out at least a week of action, with the team announcing that he will be re-evaluated in 7-14 days. Vezenkov sprained his right ankle in Monday's matchup against Atlanta. His absence starts on Thursday versus Golden State. The Kings shouldn't miss Vezenkov much, as the former EuroLeague star has only been a bit-part player during his first year in the NBA. Vezenkov has averaged less than 13 minutes a game, posting 5.7 points and 2.6 rebounds.

Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) is available ahead of Monday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. The rookie forward will play after being listed as questionable ahead of this game. It has been difficult for Vezenkov to carve out a role for himself in the rotation. Trey Lyles has been playing well lately and is likely going to continue getting minutes. That being said, Vezenkov probably won't be worth streaming despite being active for this game.

Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (thumb) is available for Wednesday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings waited until the last second to announce that Vezenkov would be available for this game. Although, his presence probably isn't noteworthy considering he hasn't been a reliable contributor this season. He could see an extended look on Wednesday with Keegan Murray (back) sidelined. However, Trey Lyles (calf) is active, so Vezenkov might end up with a minimal 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, 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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Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov could have problems finding consistent playing time this upcoming season. Kings' head coach Mike Brown said on Tuesday that he's unsure if Vezenkov will be part of the rotation during the regular season. The reigning Euroleague MVP opted to join the Kings this offseason. However, he could have trouble finding minutes with Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes ahead of him on the depth chart. Vezenkov dropped 12 points in 11 minutes during Sunday's preseason opener. Possibly, Vezenkov plays well enough to earn himself minutes in the rotation, but fantasy managers probably won't want to gamble on him during draft day.