Xavier Tillman

Tillman spent the regular season as a bench contributor for the Grizzlies in a smaller role that he logged as a rookie back in 2020-21. That is due mainly to rookie Ziaire Williams impressing the brass, earning a steady role, and carving out a small chunk of Tillman's action. Tillman did play slightly expanded minutes in the playoffs and started six straight games at one point, though that was primarily due to injuries and alignment tweaks. He enters his third campaign likely bound for a similar role as last season. However, he could be in line for an expanded role right away with Jaren Jackson recovering from a broken foot. His timetable is November-January, but his extensive injury history gives fantasy managers reason to believe he'll return closer to the New Year. From a fantasy perspective, Tillman could be somewhat interesting in deeper formats if he can add minutes and closes the gap on his efficiency from the field closer to the 55.9 percent mark he posted as a rookie after posting a measly 45.3 percent mark last season. Tillman's rookie season saw him rank 135th in fantasy production per 36 minutes and 194th overall, while his per-game rank of 240th lagged a bit behind. Still, that level could be palatable in deeper formats, provided he makes improvements.