Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko (illness) has no timetable to return as he continues to ramp up to full practice. The 23-year-old has been out since the Summer League due to a unspecified respiratory issue. It doesn't sound like Koloko is close to returning to the court. His absence won't have a huge impact on the Raptors rotation. Koloko only averaged 13.8 minutes per game last season. Fantasy managers can continue to ignore him as it doesn't seem like Koloko is going to play anytime soon.

Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko (illness) has been ruled out for another game ahead of Monday's meeting with Washington. He hasn't been in the lineup at all this season as he continues to battle a respiratory issue and will miss a 10th straight game on Monday. Koloko had 3.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13.8 minutes off the Raptors bench during his rookie year last season. It's unlikely his role will change in 2023-24 once he is available for selection again. Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher are the first bigs off the pine for Toronto, but there aren't a lot of minutes available behind Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl, and it makes it difficult for them to have an impact in fantasy basketball.

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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Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko won't be at the team's training camp and has been ruled out indefinitely with respiratory issues. This is quite worrisome news, as Koloko already missed the Summer League with the same problem. The Cameroon-born seven-footer debuted in the NBA last season, posting 3.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13.8 minutes. Health troubles limited Koloko to 58 appearances in his rookie campaign, and it's unfortunate that he is dealing with another issue ahead of his second year.

Toronto Raptors shooting guard/small forward Gary Trent Jr. and center Christian Koloko have been elevated to the starting lineup for Friday's contest against the Suns. With Fred VanVleet (back) unavailable, Toronto will look to shuffle its starting group after having Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam serve as de facto point guards Thursday. While Trent will garner sizable DFS appeal in his own right, Malachi Flynn should also receive some attention after 30 productive minutes. Koloko's value hasn't differed much as a starter, although his oRTG has been significantly higher when coming off the bench (146, vs. 96 as a starter).

Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko received the starting nod since Pascal Siakam is out with an injury. The rookie turned in a big defensive game as he blocked six shots while adding 11 points, seven boards, and two assists on 4-for-8 shooting. Slowly but surely, the 22-year-old is showing his defensive potential. Especially on a team like the Raptors, he fits in perfectly. As of right now, he's only worth adding in deeper leagues or dynasty formats.

Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko will move into the starting five for Monday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. The 22-year-old will draw the start here with Fred VanVleet (back) landing on the sideline. Koloko didn't bring much to the table during his last start. He finished with two points, two rebounds, and two assists in 18 minutes of action. Precious Achiuwa, Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes should all see increased playing time with Vanvleet on the sideline. Barnes and Siakam are already must-start players, while Achiuwa should have decent value and Koloko can be ignored.

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]

Center Christian Koloko agreed to a three-year, $5.24 million contract with Toronto. The team selected the 22-year-old in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft after suiting up for the Arizona Wildcats at the collegiate level. The Raptors lack quality depth underneath the rim, so if Koloko plays his cards right, he could work his way into the rotation. While his redraft value is low, managers in dynasty formats should consider stashing him, although it may take him a few years to do anything meaningful on the fantasy end.