Devin Booker vs. Klay Thompson

The veteran Klay Thompson is one of the greatest shooters we've ever seen. The younger Devin Booker is uber-talented and the leader on a team in need of scorers. Who is the better pick in roto fantasy drafts? Joe Kaiser and André Snellings debate:

Joe Kaiser: Aside from James Harden and up until recent years, Dwyane Wade, you will not find a more consistent shooting guard over the past decade in fantasy basketball than Klay Thompson. It helps that he has been able to avoid injuries, logging 77 games or more in all but two of his seasons in the league. That alone gives him an edge compared to a lot of other highly regarded two-guards.

In seven NBA seasons, the Warriors sharpshooter has made at least 40 percent of his 3-point attempts in every season, including a career-best 44 percent in 2017-18. Additionally, he has averaged 20 or more points per game in each of the past four seasons, even with the presence of Kevin Durant on the roster during the past two.

Looking at other numbers, Thompson can safely be counted on to play between 32-35 minutes per game, as he's done for six straight seasons, and while not a huge contributor in steals or blocks, he also doesn't turn it over much (1.7 TO per game during his career), which gives him an edge in leagues that include turnovers. He has averaged at least 3.1 rebounds for six years running and, while not a huge distributor, he's never dipped below 2.0 APG in any of his seven seasons.

His role and reputation as one of the best shooters the league has ever seen will not change in 2018-19. Thompson is still only 28 years old and though the addition of DeMarcus Cousins means another superstar to get the ball to on this star-studded team, Cousins isn't expected to return to the court until around December. Don't forget about Klay Thompson on draft day - his consistency can be exactly what your team needs to bring home the championship.

André Snellings: Booker is entering his fourth NBA season but is still only 21 years old. He has improved significantly, across the board, in each season. Last season, Booker set or tied career-highs in each of the eight traditional roto categories. He was roughly a 25/5/5 combo guard who also contributed nearly three 3-pointers per game. All-around performance at that level with that many 3-pointers is rare outside of the MVP tier, and Booker is still developing and should actually improve upon his numbers this season.

Health is the biggest question mark for Booker, as injuries limited him to only 54 games last season, and he had surgery on his right hand this offseason that could keep him out until just after the season begins. However, Booker played at least 76 games in two of his first three seasons, which indicates that he typically has the endurance to perform through an entire campaign. Once healed, Booker projects as an impact player who could slide a bit in drafts due to those injury concerns. If so, he'll have great value in any round after the second.

The Suns are a young team that plays at a fast pace with a shooting-friendly system that plays to Booker's strengths. Booker experimented with playing point guard last season; as of yet, the Suns lack an experienced starting-caliber point guard, which could lead to Booker reprising the experience.

The Suns also have a talented interior presence in rookie Deandre Ayton, who should give Booker an assist target and also help draw the defense in to give Booker better looks from the perimeter. This is a win-win for Booker, who has spent much of the last season-plus as the primary (if not only) offensive threat for the Suns.

While Booker has some injury question marks, he has top-10 roto upside that should be realizable if he can get and stay healthy. He is the unquestioned leader of a young offense with some explosive capabilities, and as a combo guard, he has upside to contribute strongly in points, assists, 3-pointers, free throw percentage and even rebounds from the guard position.

Despite the injury, Booker shapes up as one of the most exciting young producers in roto this season.