Anfernee Simons

After three years of toiling in a bench role for the Trail Blazers, Simons finally graduated to a starting job midway through 2021-22 and took advantage of the opportunity, averaging 23.4 points, 5.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds over 35.5 minutes per game in a 27-game stretch before a knee injury prematurely ended his campaign. Simons' efforts earned him a four-year, $100 million contract extension this offseason and position him for a consistently large role heading into 2022-23. Simons should pair with Damian Lillard to form the team's primary backcourt, though 2022 NBA Draft seventh overall pick Shaedon Sharpe also joins the mix. Simons also blossomed from a fantasy perspective last season, shooting 44.3 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from deep and 88.8 percent from the charity stripe while knocking down 3.1 three-point shots per contest (4.4 in the final 27). While he may not match his output with Lillard back and set to start on the ball, Simons should still see plenty of usage with CJ McCollum out of the picture. His multi-category contributions should be enough to make him an intriguing option in many draft formats.

In his third season, the Simons had nearly identical production as his sophomore season. Ironically, the Slam Dunk Champion's three-point shooting was the one thing that improved drastically, as he made 1.9 threes per game and shot 42.6 percent compared to 1.1 threes and a 33.2 percent clip in 2019-20. Simons figures to play a similar role this season as one of the first guards coming off the bench behind starters Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. As he only dished out 1.4 assists per game in his last two seasons, his fantasy relevance is limited unless he can drastically improve his playmaking skills.

The young guard saw returned for his second season with Portland and experienced substantial jumps in playing time and production in 2019-20. Simons averaged 8.3 points, 2.2 boards, 1.4 assists and 1.1 triples across 20.7 minutes - all career highs. Simons started four games and provided quality numbers across 35.0 minutes in those instances. This season, Simons is set up nicely to see similar playing time as the primary backup at point guard behind Damian Lillard. Portland's lack of depth at the position favors Simons, who figures to be a key part of the Blazers' second unit in 2020-21. He's unlikely to be a strong contributor across multiple categories, but if you're looking for scoring, Simons will probably carve out a role as an offensive spark off the bench, and he can be drafted in deeper fantasy leagues.

Simons' rookie season in 2018-19 season was pretty uneventful, as he was buried on the bench behind star guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum in addition to Evan Turner, who commonly operated as the team's backup point guard. He did, however, get extended minutes in the final game of the regular season when Portland rested most of its key players and gave Simons a starting nod. In that game, Simons put on an incredible performance, recording 37 points, six rebounds and nine assists in 48 minutes. He shot 7-of-11 from behind the arc and 13-of-21 from the field overall in that time. Now, with Turner being dealt to Atlanta this offseason and Simons having a year of NBA experience under his belt, the Trail Blazers appear to believe Simons is ready for a consistent role in the team's rotation. That role will likely still be fairly limited, as star point guard Damian Lillard rarely misses games and has consistently played over 35 minutes per game over the course of his career. But with Portland seemingly all-in on Simons as their primary backup to Lillard, the second-year player could carry some value in deeper leagues.

Simons was nabbed by the Trail Blazers with the 24th overall pick this past June, with the 19-year-old making the leap directly from Florida’s IMG Academy to the pro game. Simons looked impressive in Las Vegas Summer League play, averaging 11.0 points (on 43.0 percent shooting), 3.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal across 20.0 minutes over six games. Simons projects as capable of playing both guard spots at the NBA level and boasts a 6-foot-9 wingspan, but there doesn't appear to be much opportunity for him in the Trail Blazers’ backcourt this coming season. Consequently, a year of seasoning at the G-League level likely awaits, although a combination of accelerated development and injuries at the NBA level could potentially see him make his NBA regular-season debut at some point in the coming season.