Gary Payton

After a season ruined by injury, Payton will be looking to get back on track after being traded back to Golden State from Portland midway through the 2022-23 season. In just 16.7 minutes per game, he averaged 4.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals, good enough for top-210 value. Assuming he is fit and ready to go, Payton is likely to see close to 20 minutes per night. He should remain an elite source of steals, while also providing an efficient yet unsexy offensive game. He will split guard minutes with Cory Joseph and Moses Moody, with all three having a strong claim to backup minutes. The Mitten is not someone managers need to concern themselves with on draft day, but rather monitor the situation moving forward, looking for streaming opportunities.

Payton composed a career year last season with the Warriors. He's been bouncing around the league after entering as a 23-year-old rookie in 2016-17 with Milwaukee before settling into the Golden State rotation last year, averaging 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 0.9 assists in 17.6 minutes across 71 appearances (16 starts). The standout piece of Payton's game is his defense, but he also plays within himself on offense, allowing him to shoot 61.6 percent from the field and a quality 35.8 percent from three on 1.7 attempts per game. He spent most of his time in the corners, cutting to the basket or hanging around in the dunker's spot. He took 54 percent of his shots at the rim (99th percentile for combo guards) and 20 percent of his shots from the corner (92nd percentile). Golden State didn't have enough space to play him in the rotation more often, but he was one of the best per-36-minute fantasy players in the NBA, ranking 45th in that metric, with his true per-game rank being 195th. During the offseason, Payton received a three-year, $28 million contract from the Trail Blazers. Payton should come off the bench again, but he figures to have an opportunity for more minutes and potentially a sixth-man role in the backcourt. Some of that will depend on how NBA-ready Shaedon Sharpe -- the No. 7 pick in the draft -- is to start the year. But it would be surprising for Payton not to see at least 20 minutes per game given how little depth Portland has and how much money the organization committed to him. Fantasy managers in standard leagues are taking a risk grabbing him with a final pick, but those in deep leagues should strongly consider adding Payton. If Damian Lillard or Anfernee Simons misses time, Payton should see increased minutes, and his steals production will be significant.

Payton appeared in 10 games for the Warriors last season, totaling 25 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, one assist and one block over 40 minutes. He should again be a depth option and defensive specialist for the Warriors in the backcourt. Barring something extreme and unforeseen, Payton won't be relevant in fantasy.