Boston Celtics forward Oshae Brissett (illness) won't be available for Thursday's clash with the Knicks. The 25-year-old lands on the shelf with a non-COVID illness, as the team has downgraded Brissett from questionable to out. Brissett's absence means very little, as he has averaged only 7.8 minutes per game for the month. He will have his first opportunity to return on Friday versus Charlotte. Brissett might play a bigger role against the Hornets if Boston decides to rest some of its starters for the second leg of a back-to-back.

Boston Celtics forwards Sam Hauser and Oshae Brissett will join the starting lineup on Sunday against Washington. The two get a promotion to the first unit following injuries to Derrick White (hand) and Jaylen Brown (ankle). Brissett is starting for the first time this season, while Hauser will be rolling with starters for an eighth time in 2023-24. He's averaged 9.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in the role. The rest of the Boston bench could also get extended action in the game, as Washington sends out a short-handed squad that will likely struggle to keep pace with the Celtics.

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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Boston Celtics forward Oshae Brissett is currently dealing with a knee issue so he is withdrawing from Team Canada as a precaution. The 25-year-old was with the Pacers for the last three seasons and he averaged 6.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during the most recent season. He recently signed a two-year deal with the Celtics where he'll play a backup role in the frontcourt after they made their big trade to bring in Kristaps Porzingis.

Free-agent forward Oshae Brissett agreed to a two-year deal with the Boston Celtics. The 25-year-old began his career in Toronto but is mainly known for his time in Indiana, where he spent the last three seasons. He finished his most recent season with the Pacers by averaging 6.1 points and 3.4 rebounds while logging 16.7 minutes per contest, primarily from off the bench. Brissett should have a similar role in Boston, although there's a chance he could see more minutes if the C's roster gets a facelift. Yet, he still won't see much attention from fantasy managers unless he becomes more productive.

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]

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 Indiana Pacers elected to pick up the $1.8 million team option on forward Oshae Brissett, so he will be back with the franchise this coming season. The 24-year-old has spent each of the last two seasons with the Pacers, and he's managed to be productive when he's earned sufficient minutes. While the Pacers were battered by injuries at the end of the 2021-22 season, Brissett took advantage. He averaged 17.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 three-pointers per game over his final five games.

In a somewhat surprising development, the Indiana Pacers will have Goga Bitadze (foot), Oshae Brissett (back) and Isaiah Jackson (head) all available for Friday night's game against the Boston Celtics. All three had been listed as questionable going into the day. Bitadze is the only player from the trio of big men who played in the team's last two games. Brissett has missed the last two contests with lower back soreness and Jackson has only played in one game since March 15, when he suffered a concussion. All three of these players are suddenly a bit risky for fantasy purposes, as is Jalen Smith, who has been regularly suiting up lately. Bitadze and Smith are the safest options, in that order. Brissett would be next. Jackson had been looking great in early March, but he's tough to trust in his return.

Indiana Pacers forward Oshae Brissett (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday night's game against the Denver Nuggets. This will be his second consecutive missed game. He is dealing with lower back soreness. Goga Bitadze (foot), meanwhile, has been made available for the game despite an earlier questionable tag. Bitadze and Jalen Smith will man the middle for the Pacers on Wednesday. Both players are great starts in season-long fantasy and in DFS for Wednesday's slate.

Indiana Pacers power forward Oshae Brissett (back) is a late scratch from Monday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks. Brissett hadn't appeared on the injury report going into Monday, but the team announced shortly before tip-off that he was out with a sore back. With center Isaiah Jackson (head) also out for the game, we should see a lot of action for Goga Bitadze (foot) and Jalen Smith. Both players are great streaming options and prime targets for DFS.

Indiana Pacers power forward Oshae Brissett (ankle) and center Goga Bitadze (foot) have been ruled out for Wednesday's contest against Orlando. Indiana's frontcourt will be extremely shorthanded with the duo joining Domantas Sabonis (health and safety protocols) on the sidelines. Isaiah Jackson delivered a breakout performance Monday (26 points, 10 rebounds) and is set to serve as one of the premier DFS options on the slate. Terry Taylor and Torrey Craig can also be viewed as upside plays due to the Pacers' limited frontcourt options. The next chance for Brissett or Bitadze to suit up comes Friday vs. the Bulls.

Indiana Pacers shooting guard/small forward Chris Duarte and power forward/center Oshae Brissett have been bumped into the starting five for Thursday's contest against the Rockets. The duo will be taking the spots of Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) and Domantas Sabonis (calf), with both having DFS appeal due to an anticipated increase in both minutes and offensive usage. Duarte has proven to be an adept scorer in his rookie campaign, having reached double digits in 11 of his last 13 outings; Brissett has averaged 13.3 points and 7.1 rebounds across 16 career starts. Caris LeVert and Brad Wanamaker also stand to have elevated roles with Brogdon out of the mix.