Below are André Snellings' Central Division player profiles for the 2018-19 season.
For all other player outlooks, click here.
For sortable player projections, click here.
Click on a team to view their player profiles below:
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks
Chicago Bulls
LaVine was brought to the Chicago Bulls to be a primary scoring threat, but he was injured when he signed and didn't recover enough to play until the end of the season. He worked himself back into some semblance of shape but never approached the 18.9 PPG (45.9 FG%, 83.6 FT%), 3.4 RPG, 3.0 APG and 2.6 3PG that he averaged in 37.2 minutes the season prior in Minnesota. LaVine should be closer to full-speed entering this season, but he could face more competition for playing time from new additions on the wing, including projected small forward Jabari Parker and first-round draft pick Chandler Hutchison. If LaVine can recreate his production from Minnesota, he has top-50 upside in both points-based and roto leagues.
Dunn, like Zach LaVine, came over to the Bulls from the Minnesota Timberwolves while dealing with ongoing injuries. Dunn was able to play 52 games for the Bulls last season, starting 43 of them, and produce career highs across the board in his sophomore season. This season, returned to health, he is expected to join with LaVine to preview the Bulls' backcourt of the future. Dunn has a lot of production upside from what he has shown, which gives him top-50 upside in both points-based and roto leagues.
Markkanen had a very impressive rookie season, knocking down 145 3-pointers while turning in strong averages of 15.2 PPG (43.4 FG%, 84.3 FT%) and 7.5 RPG. Markkanen clearly established himself as a potential franchise player and could be in for a big sophomore season as the primary option on a young squad. If he makes a leap, he has top-25 upside in roto leagues and top-40 in points. However, he likely will miss at least the first few weeks of the season due to an elbow injury.
Jabari Parker
Parker returned from yet another major knee injury last season, but in his absence, teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton firmly established themselves as the primary options for the Milwaukee Bucks. Parker worked his way back to health in a role off the bench that seemingly raised tensions between him and the coaching staff. In the offseason, he joined the Bulls as presumably their new starting small forward. Parker is a proven scorer at the NBA level, having averaged 20.1 PPG (49.0 FG%, 74.3 FT%) with 6.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.3 3PG and 1.0 SPG in 33.9 MPG in the 2016-17 season before his injury. If he can approach or surpass that level of production in Chicago, it would give him top-75 upside in fantasy leagues.
Portis started two games at power forward last season and averaged 18.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.5 SPG in those two contests. Unfortunately for him, he is firmly behind Lauri Markkanen for that job (once Markkanen recovers from his elbow injury) and is no better than third in the center pecking order behind Robin Lopez and lottery draft pick Wendell Carter Jr. The bottom line is that Porter's upside is capped, with last season's 13.2 PPG (47.1 FG%, 76.9 FT%), 6.8 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.1 3PG near the upper limit of his capability. These numbers are worth fantasy consideration, but they wouldn't make him a sure starter in either format.
Wendell Carter Jr.
Carter was another rookie standout in the Las Vegas Summer League, displaying a versatile offensive game and a stout defensive repertoire that caused several observers to peg him as a potential Rookie of the Year candidate. It isn't clear whether the Bulls intend to start him from the outset or work him in behind Robin Lopez, but if he gets the minutes, Carter has nightly double-double potential with good peripheral categories that could make him a useful fantasy starter.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Love was once a top-five fantasy producer, during the 2013-14 season, before he joined LeBron James in Cleveland. With James now gone to the Lakers, Love will once again have the opportunity to account for much more of his team's offense. It is unclear whether he still has the physical talent to average 26.1 PPG (45.7 FG%, 82.1 FT%), 12.5 RPG, 4.4 APG, 2.5 3PG and 0.8 SPG the way he did in his last season with the Timberwolves, but he has that upside, which gives him clear top-10 fantasy upside and likely a healthy floor of top 20 in both points-based and roto leagues.
Sexton was clearly an aggressive scorer this summer in the Las Vegas Summer League, but it was less clear that he could consistently run an offense or knock down a 3-point shot. The Cavs would need him to do both at a high level for him to be given the keys to the franchise the way many believe he will, but another possibility is that he spends quite a bit of time out there with Jordan Clarkson or George Hill. That would allow Sexton to concentrate on his aggressive drives on offense and simplify the game, which could be the best possibility for him to reach the top-100 upside that he possesses in roto and points-based leagues.
Nance was a strong role player with starter upside with the Lakers before his trade to the Cavaliers last season, but once in Cleveland, he seemed to be asked to play in a more formal, less explosive manner that never seemed to fit. With LeBron James gone and the Cavaliers in rebuild, it is possible that a young player with upside such as Nance could be given more freedom to once again produce fantasy-starter-caliber numbers. Until then, though, he remains a fringe draft candidate in all formats.
Korver has made a career out of shooting 3-pointers that, in recent years, were set up by LeBron James. That made his looks more open but likely limited the number of those looks to an extent. With James gone, Korver might not get as many wide-open looks, but he might have the chance to add a few more shots. That is unlikely to be enough volume for use in points-based leagues, but a strong 3-point shooter is always worth keeping on the radar in roto leagues.
Jordan Clarkson
Clarkson showed himself to be capable of explosive scoring outbursts during his early years with the Lakers, but the Lakers' drafting of D'Angelo Russell and later Clarkson's relegation to off-ball shooter in Cleveland limited his volume. With LeBron James gone, the Cavaliers have a scoring and ballhandling vacuum that Clarkson could help fill. He is capable of scoring in the upper teens, with solid peripheral categories if he approaches starter minutes, even if those minutes come off the bench, which makes him a fantasy draft target with starter upside in most formats.
George Hill
Hill was once a full-time lead guard, but last season, he devolved into more of a 3-point specialist even before coming to Cleveland. He is still capable of playing near-starter minutes and knocking down shots, but it is unclear whether he can run a team and create offense for his teammates. It seems likely that Hill will spend time on the court with more dynamic guards such as Colin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, which would free Hill up to take and make 3-pointers at a high clip while limiting his scoring and assist volume. He is viable in roto leagues but less so in points-based leagues.
Thompson has never been a volume scorer, but in the two seasons before LeBron James returned to Cleveland, he was a nightly double-double threat while playing more than 30 MPG. There is a production and responsibility vacuum in Cleveland with LeBron gone, and if Thompson still has the ability, he will likely be given the opportunity to reclaim that previous level of production. If so, he'd be a startable fantasy option in most formats.
Hood was in the midst of a career-best campaign in Utah last season before he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who tried to fit him into a pure off-ball shooter role that didn't seem to work out. However, with LeBron James gone this season, the Cavaliers have a scoring vacuum Hood could help to fill. He was averaging 16.8 PPG with 2.6 3PG in 27.8 MPG with the Jazz last season, and he has the ability to match or surpass those numbers if he gets starting minutes for the Cavaliers this season. Hood has more value in roto leagues than points, as he doesn't produce much volume in any other counting categories, but you can feel good about Hood as a flier in the late or even late-mid rounds in points leagues.
Detroit Pistons
Drummond started last season with a display of passing (3.6 APG) and free throw shooting (63.0 FT%) before the All-Star Break that was far beyond anything he had ever shown as a pro. He slowed in both categories down the stretch, but while the shooting could have been a fatigue issue, it seemed that the trade for another passing big man in Blake Griffin might have limited Drummond's assist opportunities. Still, he enters this season as a dominant rebounder and plus scorer, defender and passer for a big man. Drummond has top-15 upside in points-based leagues but a lower ceiling in roto due to his still poor free throw percentage.
Blake Griffin
Griffin was traded to the Pistons in the middle of last season and saw his scoring (19.8 PPG) and rebounding (6.6 RPG) decline while his assists (6.2 APG) went up. Andre Drummond vacuums rebounds, leaving few for Griffin, and questions surrounding the Pistons' coaching change and Griffin's always fragile health make him more of a top-40 than a top-25 prospect in points and roto fantasy formats.
Jackson has lost much of the past two seasons to injury and has not recaptured the magic of his 2015-16 season, when he scored 18.8 PPG and dished 6.2 APG. The Pistons will be coached this season by Dwayne Casey, who ran a point-guard-friendly system in Toronto, and if Jackson is fully healthy, he could be in for a bit of a bounce back. As it stands, he is a mid-to-late target with upside in both roto and points-based leagues.
Johnson started 50 of the 69 games he played last season but has yet to really distinguish himself at the pro level. He struggles with his shot (career 37.0 FG%) and doesn't yet have the volume in any other category to prove himself draft-worthy in fantasy leagues, but he still has upside as a 22-year-old with a likely starting role.
Kennard has the unfortunate distinction of being drafted with the pick before Rookie of the Year runner-up Donovan Mitchell in 2017, and as of yet, his numbers have not warranted that honor. That said, he is a knock-down shooter who made 41.5 percent of his 3-pointers as a rookie, and if he can win a starting job as a sophomore, his shot will put him on the radar in roto leagues, even if his volume makes him a weaker points-based prospect.
Indiana Pacers
Oladipo joined the Pacers last season in a perfect storm between his own development and the opportunity to take charge of a franchise, and he capitalized in a big way with monster personal bests in every counting category: 23.1 PPG (47.7 FG%, 79.9 FT%), 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.4 SPG, 2.1 3PG and even 0.8 BPG. At 26 years old, he is approaching his physical peak as a player, and should be in for another similarly strong season with top-20 upside in points-based and possibly top-10 upside in roto leagues.
Turner entered last season with swelling expectations that he was ready to make the superstar leap. Instead, injuries and cold play led to a bit of regression. His 2016-17 sophomore campaign remains Turner's best season to date, and he does have the ability to edge up closer to 20-10 status in points and rebounds with strong blocks, steals, percentages and even 3-pointers in the mix. If he hits that best-case, he is also a top-20 roto and points-based talent, but based on last season, he currently slots in as more of a top-50 draft prospect.
Evans was well on his way to a career-best performance last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, but the team's struggles and desire to develop young players led to him being shut down prematurely. During the offseason, he signed with the Pacers. Evans still came very close last season to averaging 20/5/5 in points, rebounds and assists with plus 3-pointer and steal contributions as well. However, in Indiana, his skill set is potentially redundant with Victor Oladipo in the lead role, and it isn't clear whether he'll be featured enough to reach his potential. As such, he enters the season as a top-100 prospect in fantasy leagues even though he has top-50 talent.
Sabonis was considered by many to be the "throw-in" player in the swap of Paul George for Victor Oladipo, but Sabonis showed last season that he has strong upside that he is starting to realize. He played only 24.5 MPG last season, but his per-36 numbers were an impressive 17.1 PP36 (51.4 FG%, 75.0 FT%), 11.4 RP36, 3.0 AP36, 0.8 SP36, 0.7 3-pointers/36 and 0.6 BP36. With the natural improvement of a third season as a 22-year-old player and a larger minute allotment, Sabonis could be in for another leap this season into the top 50 of both roto and points-based leagues.
Bogdanovic is coming off the best season of his career, but his improvements were more marginal and opportunity-based than transformational. He has been basically the same player for four straight seasons, and this season, he projects for another campaign scoring in the mid-teens with strong shooting percentages and about two treys per game. This could be worthy of a top-100 ranking in roto leagues and at least makes him worthy of draft consideration in points-based leagues.
Young is a consistent veteran entering his 12th NBA season at age 30, and as his role hasn't noticeably changed, his projections this season look very similar to his production for the past two seasons. The one wild card is the play of the Pacers' young big men and Tyreke Evans; if all three play well, it could relegate Young to something more like sixth-man minutes than starter minutes and limit his volume. As is, he projects as a borderline fantasy starter in roto leagues and a potentially draftable bench/flex option in points-based leagues.
Collison is the incumbent solid point guard on a young team with aspirations to become a contender, good for a consistent low double-digit scoring with around five assists, a few rebound and just over one 3-pointer and a steal in around 30 minutes per game. However, Victor Oladipo and Tyreke Evans are both ball-dominant wing players who could eat into his opportunities, and rookie first-round pick Aaron Holiday is thought highly enough that he could potentially challenge for more playing time. Collison remains a draftable borderline flex entity in both roto and points-based leagues, but there is some risk of a falloff.
Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo is very likely the most physically gifted player in the NBA, and he has improved almost exponentially in each of his five NBA seasons so far. He won the NBA Most Improved Player award in 2016-17, then followed that season up by raising his averages to career highs of 26.9 PPG (52.9 FG%) and 10.0 RPG with 4.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.4 BPG and 0.6 3PG as a sort of hybrid point-power-forward. Antetokounmpo is still only 23 years old, and if he has yet another quantum leap in him, then he would become by far the most productive player in the NBA this season. Antetokounmpo has also averaged more than 78 games played per season, a history of health that arguably finalizes his spot atop the rankings of both roto and points leagues going into this season.
Khris Middleton
Middleton bounced-back from an injury-shortened 2016-17 season with a career-best campaign last season, setting new personal bests in scoring (20.1 PPG, 46.5 FG%, 88.4 FT%), rebounds (5.2 RPG) and 3-pointers (1.8 3PG) while also contributing 5.2 RPG and 1.5 SPG. Middleton is the clear lieutenant to Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Bucks, an outside-in perimeter threat to complement Antetokounmpo's all-world interior game. Middleton is at his peak at 27 years old, and projects as an early-round draft pick in points leagues and an even earlier pick in roto.
Bledsoe had a bit of a down campaign during his first season in Milwaukee, but some of that could have been growing pains as he joined the team midseason without the chance to go through camp together. At his best, Bledsoe is an aggressive scoring lead guard who can get to the rim or knock down the 3-pointer at a good clip. He had to learn to navigate around Giannis Antetokounmpo as the main option who often initiated the offense, and while this might have lowered his scoring and assist volume, it also lead to a career-best 1.7 3PG and a five-year low of 2.9 TO. If Bledsoe has found his level coming into the new season, he could be in for a slightly better campaign and could outperform his early-mid-round fantasy draft outlook.
Brogdon was named Rookie of the Year in 2017 while playing mostly lead guard, but last season, he transitioned to more of a shooting guard role in a campaign that was limited by injury. Brogdon increased his scoring (13.0 PPG, 48.5 FG%, 88.2 FT%) as a sophomore, and as he settles into his shooting guard role, he could improve on his 1.3 3PG pace moving forward. Brogdon is more valuable in roto than in points leagues, where his lack of volume makes him a late-round draft prospect at best.
Lopez played last season with the Lakers after spending his entire previous career with the Nets, and he became essentially a stretch-5 as a 3-point-shooting role player. This season, he will join the Bucks, who are led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and his unstoppable dribble drives. This seems to be a perfect fit for Lopez, who will open up the floor and should get plenty of wide-open looks from behind the arc. Lopez's lack of volume makes him a late-round draft prospect in points leagues, but he could be worth late-middle round consideration in roto leagues.