Tyler Herro

Herro made significant strides in his third season, netting him the 2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year award. He reached career highs in nearly all metrics. The 22-year-old averaged 20.7 points on 45/40/87 shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 32.6 minutes. He also set a new career-high single-game scoring performance with 35 points against the Hornets. Miami wasn't shy about leaning on him as the leader of the bench unit, as his 28.8 percent usage rate (18th in the league) would suggest. The fantasy result was Herro ranking 66th in per-game value. With Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry aging and prone to rest days and injury, fantasy managers should feel confident targeting the young and rising Herro. He'll boast a major production boost when one or both of Lowry and Butler miss games, and he's entrenched as a high-usage offensive option even when the pair are available. Combine Herro's potential for boosted stats with an assumed improvement, and he will go off the board much earlier than last season's rank. He will have trouble reaching elite levels due to his current role and lack of defensive stats, but the Kentucky product is a high-floor option in the early-to-mid rounds of drafts.

After an impressive playoff run in the bubble during the 2020 playoffs as a rookie, Herro was viewed as having plenty of upside as a sophomore last season. While he did improve, it wasn't the leap forward that fantasy managers expected. Herro ranked 131st in per-game production last season behind 15.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 30.3 minutes. There are encouraging signs of growth if you know where to look. He decreased his mid-range jumpers, replacing them with more shots at the rim, and he improved as a finisher at the basket. He also increased his vision significantly, jumping from 3.9 assists per 100 possessions to 5.6 assists per 100 possessions while keeping his turnovers nearly stagnant. Heading into 2021-22, Herro should practically be locked into minutes in the high-20s, and he should continue to occupy a sixth-man role. However, there are conflicting factors when considering Herro's potential production. He's 21 years old, has stepped up in the postseason and is making improvements. But, the Heat got significantly better in the offseason -- adding Kyle Lowry and retaining Victor Oladipo -- meaning Herro won't need to score 15 points every night for the Heat to win. He's someone that fantasy managers in dynasty leagues should feel good about long-term, but Herro might not be a great option this season. It's fair to expect him to be drafted inside the top 100, but that's far from a guarantee to pay off.

Herro is heading into his sophomore NBA season with considerable momentum after a rookie campaign in which he averaged 13.5 points, 2.1 threes and 4.1 rebounds despite making only eight starts. Adding to the hype, he elevated his play when the postseason rolled around, averaging 16.0 points during the Heat's run to the NBA Finals. Whether he opens games on the court or not, it's clear that the Heat will give Herro all the playing time he can handle. The Kentucky product is a natural scorer who's sharp from both three-point range (38.9 percent) and the free-throw line (87.0 percent), which should have fantasy managers salivating at the prospect of increased opportunity. His fantasy value is capped to some degree by his relative lack of secondary stats outside the shooting categories, but at just 20 years old, Herro has plenty of room to grow his game. Expect a scoring spike driven by plenty of threes, with some boards and steals as a bonus.

Herro was selected No. 13 overall in the 2019 draft after an impressive freshman season with Kentucky. He snuck into the lottery behind a strong NCAA Tournament, and he could land the starting job at shooting guard as a rookie with Miami. Herro flashed at the Las Vegas Summer League with his all-around play, averaging 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals in four appearances. The lanky two-guard can be impactful on both ends of the court, with his solid defense and ability to get to the rim and shoot the three-ball at a respectable clip (35.5 percent last season) on offense. The pure scorer should have no problem securing a healthy allotment of minutes in a rotation that could use help scoring outside of Jimmy Butler. He won't face much competition for playing time from the current members of the Heat backcourt outside of Dion Waiters.