Iman Shumpert

Despite expecting to remain in a small role off the bench during the 2016-17 season following the re-signing of J.R. Smith, a broken thumb ended up limiting Smith to just 41 games. That allowed Shumpert to take on more minutes than expected, even affording him 31 starts across the 76 games he played in. While Shumpert did see a larger workload, that didn't have a huge impact on his overall impact as a Fantasy player. Shumpert ended the year with averages of 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 25.5 minutes. He did, however, improve drastically with his three-points shot, going from 29.5 percent to 36 percent, while notching a career-high 1.2 three-pointers per game. Still, Shumpert was more of a defensive presence than anything, which limited his impact in Fantasy leagues. With the addition of Isaiah Thomas and Derrick Rose in the backcourt and the return of both J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver heading into the 2017-18 campaign, Shumpert's playing time is expected to dwindle. He'll continue to provide a defensive presence off the bench, but with less minutes, Shumpert's production should fall across the board.

Shumpert's impact has always been more qualitative than quantitative, but it was difficult to ignore his struggles last season, as he posted career lows in scoring, assists, steals, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage. While he was slowed by a groin injury that robbed him of the first 21 games of the season, Shumpert was never fully able to regain his form, and his inability to shoot the three ball at a consistent rate ultimately undermined his role off the bench. Despite the offensive woes, Shumpert remained one of the Cavaliers' top perimeter defenders, with his physicality and aggression playing a key role in Cleveland stifling the backcourts of Toronto and Golden State en route to the title. With a full offseason to get healthy, there's reason for optimism, though even at his peak, Shumpert's upside as a fantasy commodity has been pedestrian at best. With a career 39.3 percent mark from the field, Shumpert has never been an efficient scorer and won't handle the ball enough to rack up more than two or three assists per game. In the event that Cleveland doesn't re-sign J.R. Smith, Shumpert could be set for an increased role, but if Smith returns, Shumpert will again have to settle for coming off the bench as a defensive specialist.

Coming into the 2014-15 season, the Cavaliers had little in the way of perimeter defenders other than LeBron James. The team appeared to solve at least part of the problem with the acquisition of Shumpert from the Knicks in early January. Although the 25-year-old was out with a shoulder injury at the time of the trade, his return added depth, intensity, and the ability to knock down a few three-pointers. Despite coming off the bench in Cleveland after starting as a Knick, Shumpert's season-long numbers (8.0 points, 41 percent from the field, 67 percent from the line, 1.1 three-pointers, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks) were remarkably consistent between the two teams. He handled the ball and shot a bit more in New York, but the differences were slight. Injuries to the Cavaliers during the playoffs pushed Shumpert into the starting lineup. He had four games of four three-pointers against the Bulls and Hawks. Coming into the new season, it looks as if the starting shooting guard spot is Shumpert's to lose. If he can improve his three-point stroke (just 34 percent over his career), the former first-round pick could crack fantasy lineups in more than the deepest of leagues.

Entering his fourth year in the NBA, Shumpert has deflected trade rumors ever since tearing his ACL in 2011-12 but has remained the Knicks' starting shooting guard for the better part of the past two seasons. In 74 games and 58 starts last season, Shumpert averaged just 6.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals while playing 27 minutes per game. More concerning for a shooting guard, Shumpert converted just 38 percent of his field goal attempts, and his three-point rate dropped to merely 33 percent last season. However, under new president Phil Jackson and coach Derek Fisher, Shumpert should evoke confidence from improved job security, as he is clearly the Knicks' best defensive player now that Tyson Chandler has departed. Knowing that, Shumpert is projected to start next to the defensively deficient Jose Calderon in New York's backcourt. That being said, teammates J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway are more gifted offensive talents that could push Shumpert to start if he stumbles out of the gates. Nonetheless, Shumpert's ability to play multiple wing positions figures to earn him significant playing time in Fisher's rotation, but he'll need to prove he's more than a defensive stopper to merit fantasy consideration outside of deeper leagues.

Shumpert missed the start of last season while recovering from a torn ACL and struggled when he returned as he only averaged 6.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. However, Shumpert is a very good perimeter defender, something the Knicks sorely need. After a normal offseason and being even further removed from knee surgery, Shumpert could be in store for a resurgence this season. The one negative is that he'll have J.R. Smith behind him, cutting into his playing time significantly. Even if he doesn't see the kind of playing time a starter would traditionally see, he should still be a solid source of steals and three-pointers.

Shumpert is recovering from ACL surgery and isn’t likely to play until January. Even when he does return, it may take him even longer to return to full strength. He averaged 11.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals as a rookie last season and is highly thought of within the organization. He could provide fantasy owners with solid value when he gets healthy, but it will take some patience to wait for his return.

Nominally a point guard at Georgia Tech, Shumpert is likely to see time at both guard spots and even small forward for the Knicks. He has very good size (6-5, 220) for the backcourt and is an excellent athlete, with the potential to develop into a stopper on the perimeter. All indications are that Mike D’Antoni will find Shumpert a regular spot in the rotation; he could emerge as a sneaky source of steals this year.