After being selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Poeltl didn't play a huge role during his rookie season, mostly serving as a deep reserve at center for the playoff bound Raptors. In 54 games, including four starts, Poeltl ended the year averaging 3.1 points and 3.1 rebounds across 11.6 minutes, while shooting 58.3 percent from the floor. The Raptors ended up re-signing Serge Ibaka this offseason and will also bring back Jonas Valanciunas, so there's not going to be a ton of minutes available for Poeltl in the frontcourt during his sophomore campaign. He's slated to battle Lucas Nogueira for rights to the backup center role, although if Nogueira's slow development continues in his fourth season, the Raptors could try and get Poeltl, the younger and higher upside option, even more run to see what he's capable of. Poeltl figures to see an increase in playing time, but it likely won't be enough to make him a viable Fantasy target in the majority of leagues.

The Raptors have historically coveted international players in the draft, so it wasn't overly surprising when they spent their ninth overall selection on Poeltl, an Austrian-born center who honed his craft at Utah for two seasons. A quick glance at the 7-foot-1 Poeltl may lead one to assume he's a typical plodding post player -- the kind the NBA game has been moving away from for several years. However, that assertion overlooks the finer points of the 20-year-old's game. Poeltl is an excellent passer; perhaps not on the level of fellow lottery picks Dragan Bender or Domantas Sabonis, but just a notch below those two in terms of passing big men in the entire draft class. This skill could allow him to occupy the same kind of role Mason Plumlee assumed last season with the Trail Blazers, in which he worked with the guards on dribble handoffs and complex perimeter schemes designed to get the wing scorers favorable matchups. Poeltl won’t be an elite rebounder or rim protector and in fact often struggled when matched up with those type of players in college, but he can average or better in those departments, and he has the all-around skills that few seven footers can claim. However, with Jonas Valanciunas under contract through the 2019-2020 season, it may take a while before Poeltl gets an extended chance to show the Raptors what he's fully capable of doing. He'll likely battle with Lucas Nogueira for top backup duties in the preseason, a role that won't afford the eventual winner many minutes.