Ben Simmons

Simmons missed all of last season. He cited mental health issues as the reason he sat out while still a member of the 76ers, and once he was traded to the Nets for James Harden, a back issue kept him out for the remainder of the year. The back injury required surgery, but he'll reportedly be ready for the start of camp. It's understandable if fantasy managers are cautious this season when considering Simmons. His commitment to basketball is under fire, and he's in a new team environment surrounded by two high-usage stars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The last time we saw Simmons, he had his worst fantasy season, ranking 66th in per-game production behind averages of 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 32.4 minutes. He ranked an impressive 19th in 2019-20, largely due to his league-leading 2.1 steals. It seems fair to expect Simmons to have his worst fantasy season yet this year. Durant and Irving will be the primary options, and Simmons may end up in a more complementary role with fewer assists and points than ever. Optimists may think Simmons sees time at center and has a nice bounceback campaign with floor spacing around him -- maybe some more rebounds and blocks. It's simply hard to gauge what's in store for the 26-year-old, who is clearly at a crossroads in his career. At some point, it's worth the risk, but filling out a safe floor of players before gambling on Simmons is the smart call.

For a 25-year-old coming off of his third consecutive All-Star appearance, Simmons' stock couldn't be much lower. Thanks to an embarrassing flame-out in Round 2 against Atlanta -- a series in which Simmons had four single-digit scoring games and missed two-thirds of his free throws -- the former No. 1 overall pick finds himself at a career crossroads. As of late-August, he's still a member of the 76ers, but the team has not-so-secretly shopped him around to every GM who will take Daryl Morey's calls. Given how last season ended, it's hard to imagine Simmons isn't donning a new uniform by Opening Night, and there's a strong case to be made that a change of scenery would be in his best interest. For fantasy purposes, it's difficult to project what Simmons' season could look like before we know where he'll play. But he's been remarkably consistent through his first four years in the league, generating elite counting stats -- steals, in particular -- while killing fantasy managers at the free throw line and offering no three-pointers. Nevertheless, Simmons has three top-40 seasons and two top-30 seasons to his name, so if he eventually lands with a team willing to tailor itself around his strengths, Simmons could be set for a bounce-back.

Simmons continues to make incremental improvements to his game, and 2019-20 was a big year for him defensively. He averaged 2.1 steals and 0.6 blocks and was named to the All-Defensive First Team. Simmons' other averages of 16.4 points, 8.0 assists and 7.8 rebounds (six triple-doubles) helped him secure a Third-Team All-NBA selection, as well. Simmons was also able to improve his field-goal percentage (58.0) and free-throw percentage (62.1). Continuing to improve the latter will be crucial for Simmons to improve his upside as a fantasy asset past last season's rank of 19th (per-game, eight-category leagues). Simmons hit the first three-pointer of his career in 2019-20, but fantasy managers still shouldn't expect any real three-point production from him in 2020-21. There will be a new coach in place for the upcoming season, as coach Brett Brown was fired and replaced by Doc Rivers. That said, Simmons' role shouldn't change drastically, and we can still expect him to be the top option in Philadelphia with Joel Embiid.

Simmons backed up his 2017-18 Rookie of the Year award by making his first All-Star team in 2018-19. As a 6-foot-10 point guard with no shooting ability outside of the paint, he's one of the more unique players we've seen in recent history, and he's one of only 10 players in the three-point era to average at least 16 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal. Simmons naturally draws comparisons to Magic Johnson -- a tall, distributing point guard with limited shooting touch. That said, it remains to be seen what type of ceiling that type of player has in the modern NBA, where three-point shooting is emphasized. While Simmons didn't demonstrate much improvement from Year 1 to Year 2, he's already one of the best passers in the NBA and a dynamic finisher around the basket and in transition. That gives him a high floor moving forward, even if the fit between him and Joel Embiid is less than ideal. Heading into 2019-20, fantasy owners should not expect Simmons to develop a passable jumper (he was 2-for-25 from beyond 15 feet last season), but rather view that possibility as a bonus.

After missing the entire 2016-17 campaign after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons took the court for his highly-anticipated debut season. The 22-year-old missed just one game the entire year and helped take a very young roster to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Simmons' stuffing of the stat sheet made him an immediate hit in Fantasy leagues and he wound up averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.7 steals across 33.7 minutes. That placed him 6th in the league in assists and 10th in steals, while he also notched 12 triple-doubles. Simmons does have some work to do with his shot, as defenses were able to pack the lane at times knowing the young star doesn't have a developed three-point shot. He took just 11 total three-pointers for the entire year and failed to get a single one to fall, so that is certainly a spot where his game can grow. Simmons also finished with a brutal 56 percent clip from the free-throw line, another thing to consider for those negatively impacted in rotisserie Fantasy leagues. Despite the few drawbacks, Simmons' solid first season immediately puts him into consideration for a top-20 pick in most leagues ahead of Year 2. As previously mentioned, there's a few places where Simmons needs to improve, but his overall ability to fill up the box score and potential to put up a triple-double on any given night, should bring him off the board early in drafts. The Rookie of the Year award winner could also take another step forward offensively with an offseason to work on his game and it's also worth it to note that the Sixers didn't bring in anyone this summer that threatens any of Simmons' workload or usage.

Simmons missed all of 2016-17 after breaking his foot in camp. Though he was cleared for contact in time, he remained sidelined through 2017’s Summer League. He is expected to be available before the start of the season, though the 76ers injury updates on their franchise prospects can be suspect – throughout 2016-17, in both the cases of Simmons and Joel Embiid, many injury updates and recovery timetables released by the team later turned out to have understated the significance of their injuries. Even if fully healthy, foot injuries to big men are scary, and his draft stock may falter due to fears of reinjury. In his only year at LSU, Simmons showed his unusual versatility by averaging 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. The 6’10”, 240 pound player presents an unusual combination of skills, and it is therefore unclear what position he will end up playing most often at the NBA level. After being drafted as a power forward, the 76ers quickly announced that they would experiment with Simmons at point guard, as passing, vision, and playmaking are among his greatest strengths. However, the team then took point guard Markelle Fultz with the first overall selection in the 2017 draft. Additionally, while Simmons possesses the ball-handling and offensive leadership skills to be an option at point guard, he has a poor jump shot, a knack for rebounding, and he is the same size as many centers, including Al Horford and Clint Capela. Simmons is likely to see time at several positions, including small forward, in addition to point guard and power forward, as the 76ers try to determine where he fits best. Experimenting at different positions is good for his long-term growth, though it may cause inconsistencies in his night-to-night production. The 76ers have a realistic shot at the playoffs this season, which should lessen the extreme caution they have demonstrated over the past few seasons towards their elite prospects. Simmons should have opportunities to rack up significant minutes as part of a talented, complementary starting lineup that will likely feature Simmons, Fultz, Embiid, and J.J. Redick.

Since the 76ers decided to trade Andre Iguodala prior to the 2012-13 season and embrace a long-term rebuild, the team had failed to land the No. 1 overall pick in the previous three years, despite possessing a boatload of lottery picks. The organization's luck finally changed for the better in the 2016 NBA Draft, and the 76ers' brain trust needed little time to determine that Simmons was the player that they wanted to serve as the new face of the franchise. During his lone season at LSU, the Australian-born Simmons used his uncommon combination of size (6-foot-10, 240 pounds), athleticism and playmaking abilities to dominate the competition, averaging 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He was especially breathtaking in transition -- both while running the break and finishing -- and excelled at drawing contact and getting to the free-throw line. While Simmons' jumper remains suspect and some talent evaluators have questioned his effort and intensity on the defensive end, there's still reason to believe that his immense physical gifts can overcome those deficiencies. The rookie was immediately slated to open his career as the 76ers' starting power forward, but after fracturing his foot during training camp, it appears the start of his NBA career will be delayed. It's uncertain how long Simmons will be sidelined, but once he's cleared to play, he could face minute or game restrictions temporarily before the 76ers allow him to go full bore. As such, those considering drafting Simmons in single-season leagues will have to determine if they can withstand a potential long-term absence, though the uniquely skilled forward's value in dynasty formats shouldn't be altered by the injury. Over time, Simmons figures to see more minutes at running the offense as a point forward, as the 76ers already boast considerable frontcourt depth with the likes of Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric.