Evan Mobley

After a standout rookie campaign, Mobley came into the 2022-23 season viewed as a potential breakout candidate. While he was able to increase his production across multiple categories, it was viewed by many as a slightly underwhelming season. He rounded out as the 53rd-ranked player in standard leagues, averaging 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. The arrival of Donovan Mitchell cut into Mobley's offensive opportunities, seeing him play as the third or even fourth option at times. He was outstanding on the defensive end of the floor, even garnering some attention in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. Many will be hoping his third season is going to bring with it increased range on the offensive end. He has the makings of someone who could develop a reliable mid-range game, as well as the ability to step out beyond the perimeter from time to time, though his 67.4 free-throw percentage is discouraging. The Cavaliers will be looking to make amends after a poor showing in the postseason. Mobley will be key to making that work, ensuring a solidified role for many years to come. He will likely be available in the fourth round of most drafts, with the upside to possibly crack the top 35 should things go his way.

The No. 3 overall pick last season, Mobley put together an excellent rookie campaign. He was voted to First Team All-Rookie and came in second place in one of the closest Rookie of the Year award races in recent memory -- Scottie Barnes claimed the award. Mobley got out of the gates strong and was consistent month over month. Overall, he saw 33.8 minutes per game and averaged 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 blocks and 0.8 steals. That was good for rank 75 in per-game fantasy production. Mobley's shooting efficiency (51/66/25) was a mixed bag, but clearing the 50 percent mark as a rookie is encouraging. He took just 1.3 three-point attempts per game, but improving in that area will be important while playing alongside a traditional center like Jarrett Allen. It will be more important for fantasy managers if Mobley can improve his efficiency from the charity stripe. He shot 69.4 percent on freebies during his lone season at USC compared to 66.3 percent as a rookie, so there's room for improvement, but it seems unlikely he'll be great in that area. The strongest part of Mobley's game is his defense. He's a great rim protector but also has the coordination and footspeed to hang on the perimeter against guards and wings. He also showed some passing ability, but he'll only handle the ball so much with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell running the show. This season, fantasy managers have a right to be optimistic and select Mobley much earlier than he ranked last season. It's important to keep in mind that his rebounding and shot-blocking upside -- while great in the long term -- is a bit capped for next season given the presence of Allen on the inside, as he's a more traditional rebounding and shot-blocking big himself. But Mobley still has an opportunity to improve in that area, and with some offensive strides, he could quickly turn into one of the better two-way bigs in the game.

Easily the most-talented big man in the draft, Mobley will step in as a starter for the Cavs from Day 1. While Cleveland retained Jarrett Allen in free agency, the two bigs represent the frontcourt of the future, with Mobley's floor-spacing ability likely to land him at the power forward spot for the foreseeable future. Right now, Mobley is more comfortable in the mid-range than from three (30% 3PT as a freshman at USC last season), but he has a smooth jumper that should improve as he develops. Playing alongside Allen could sap some of Mobley's upside as a rebounder, but he's a much better passer than Allen, and his 2.9 blocks per game at USC suggest that it could be his most-valuable stat category when it comes to fantasy basketball. Cleveland's sign-and-trade deal for Lauri Markkanen will complicate Mobley's development. The Cavs gave up Larry Nance for Markkanen and signed him to a four year deal, so clearly Cleveland is committed to both Markkanen and Mobley. How the minutes are divided amongst those two and Kevin Love at the four will be very interesting. Love has stated he has no interest in a buy out. Like all rookies, expect Mobley to go through some ups and downs, but he'll likely come off the board in the later-middle-rounds of most fantasy drafts.