2023 NBA Draft Class: Key Players to Watch in Fantasy
The 2023 NBA Draft class is walking into a contract year, and that usually means one thing for fantasy managers: volume, aggression and a little extra edge. Every first-rounder from that class is now extension-eligible, some already locked in, others still waiting for their number to come up. That uncertainty, that chase for a bigger deal, can turn good fantasy options into weekly ceiling-breakers in High Score formats.
Here are the names from that class who could turn contract pressure into fantasy profit.
Brandon Miller – Hornets’ new alpha in waiting
Currently ranked No. 42 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings
Charlotte has been stripped of star power. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges are gone, and with them go a mountain of usage and touches. Someone has to take those possessions. Brandon Miller looks ready to grab them with both hands.
The 23-year-old wing has already cleared 20 points per game in each of his last two seasons. That’s not empty scoring from a gunner on a bad team; it’s the profile of a player still growing into his game, now being pushed toward the top of the pecking order. With Kon Knueppel also stepping into a bigger role, Miller’s ball-handling and playmaking should spike as Charlotte searches for a new offensive identity.
His points should climb. So should his rebounds and assists. In a High Score format where you’re chasing explosions, not safe floors, a young wing who can drop one or two big nights every week is exactly the kind of player who tilts matchups. If the Hornets really are on the rise, Miller has every chance to become both their No. 1 scoring option and a fantasy star.
Keyonte George – Jazz floor general with something to prove
Currently ranked No. 60 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings
Keyonte George broke through last season. Twenty-three-point-six points per game. Six-point-one assists. A young guard stepping into the center of everything Utah wants to be.
The extension hasn’t landed yet. Talks have been reported, the deal hasn’t materialized. That kind of delay can sharpen a player’s focus. If it drags into the season, George will know every big night, every late-game possession, feeds into his next contract.
He’s already cemented as Utah’s starting point guard, and the Jazz look ready to push for the playoffs instead of drifting in the middle. That usually means heavier minutes for the lead guard. Surrounded by Jaren Jackson Jr., Darryn Peterson and Lauri Markkanen, George suddenly has serious finishing talent around him. That’s a recipe for another jump in assists — potentially a fourth straight season setting a new career high in that category.
For fantasy managers, this is a scarce position in the sixth-round range, attached to a young guard with clear runway and rising usage. That’s not just appealing. That’s the kind of pick that can stabilize your backcourt for the entire season.
Ausar Thompson – Defense on lock, offense ready to stretch
Currently ranked No. 82 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings
Ausar Thompson watched his twin brother Amen cash in with a rich five-year extension in Houston. His own leap in Detroit never came in quite the same way last season. The production didn’t pop, the payday hasn’t arrived.
But the runway is still there.
Detroit did not load up on scorers this offseason. Tobias Harris left for San Antonio, and the Pistons replaced him with John Collins, more finisher than offensive hub. That leaves a familiar opportunity: minutes, touches, and room for Thompson to grow as a scorer while his defense keeps him firmly in the rotation.
His on-ball pressure and versatility already guarantee him a role. What fantasy managers are buying in the eighth round is the upside that his offensive game finally catches up. In High Score formats, where a lack of 3-pointers doesn’t drag you down, his profile becomes even more attractive. You’re betting on athleticism, minutes, and a player with every reason to push for a bigger slice of the offense.
At that price, it’s a gamble worth taking.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. – From sixth man spark to Bucks’ mainstay
Currently ranked No. 100 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings
Jaime Jaquez Jr. spent last season doing all the little things off the bench in Miami — rebounding, cutting, defending, making the extra pass — and still found enough production to finish second in the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year race. That’s not easy in a Heat system that demands discipline before freedom.
Now he’s in Milwaukee, part of the package that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo out the door, and the context has flipped. This is his best chance yet to put up real numbers.
Jaquez Jr. averaged 28.3 minutes per game last season and came off the bench in 74 of 75 games. With the Bucks retooling, he enters camp as the favorite to start at small forward. Rebuilding teams still need someone to carry possessions, to take shots when the clock’s winding down. Jaquez Jr. has the game and the temperament to step into that vacuum.
For fantasy purposes, that shift from high-minute reserve to likely starter matters more than any narrative. He already showed he can stuff a box score in a limited role. With starter’s minutes on a team that needs his scoring, he suddenly moves from fringe option to a very live mid-to-late-round swing.
GG Jackson – Deep-league flier in a wide-open Grizzlies rotation
Currently unranked on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings
GG Jackson doesn’t have the same contract timeline as his classmates. As a second-round pick, he’s headed toward unrestricted free agency after the 2026-27 season, not restricted like the first-rounders. That freedom can be powerful motivation.
Memphis offers him a window. The Grizzlies’ rotation heading into training camp is wide open, and Jackson closed last season loudly. Over his final 23 games, he averaged 17.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in just 25.7 minutes per night — real production in limited time.
The path isn’t clear of competition. Jerami Grant and Cameron Boozer will both demand minutes at the forward spots. But the workload is there for all three to carve out meaningful roles, especially if Memphis leans into a more flexible, matchup-based rotation.
For now, Jackson is a name for deeper leagues, not standard formats. Yet if that late-season surge proves to be a preview rather than a blip, he’ll move quickly from watch-list curiosity to one of the more intriguing young scorers on the board.
Dereck Lively II – Forgotten big with efficient upside
Currently unranked on RotoWire’s top 150 overall points rankings
Dereck Lively II is easy to overlook after appearing in just seven games last season. Out of sight, out of mind. But he’s walking back into a situation in Dallas that could quietly turn him into a factor again.
The Mavericks are expected to split center minutes between Lively II and Daniel Gafford. Both have dealt with injuries, which means availability alone could decide who becomes the more valuable fantasy piece as the season wears on.
In very deep leagues, Lively II is worth a late look. In category formats where field-goal percentage carries real weight, he becomes even more interesting. His game naturally leans toward high-percentage finishes around the rim, and if he can stay on the floor, that efficiency can patch holes in otherwise guard-heavy builds.
For now, he sits on the fringes of drafts. But with both Dallas centers carrying injury histories, the big man who stays upright may end up being one of the more important under-the-radar additions as the season tightens and fantasy margins shrink.
Contract years, unsettled futures, expanded roles on teams in flux — the 2023 class walks into this season with plenty at stake. Fantasy managers willing to lean into that tension, rather than shy away from it, could find the edge that decides their leagues.
