With preseason only weeks away, rosters are beginning to take shape across the league, thus beginning the rotational dance. Player roles and NBA playing time can be crucial when deciding on who to draft. Today I move onto the Southwest Division. I worked through the projected starting lineups for every team, but also considered the probable roles for bench players as well. I outline my projected playing time for each player, as well their likely ADP’s. Starters are typically going to have more value than the role players. However, a number of bench guys should still have value across most standard formats.
Keep in mind, this is where I have seen players going in mock drafts. The numbers do not necessarily reflect where I might have certain players ranked overall. For that, you can check out @adamking91‘s 2019-20 Fantasy Basketball Rankings!
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NBA Central Division Playing Time Projections
*The first players listed in each position are the projected starters.
Dallas Mavericks
| POSITION | PLAYER | PROJECTED MINUTES | DRAFT TARGET ZONE | TREND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | Delon Wright | 30-32 | 120-130 | Up |
| Jalen Brunson | 20-25 | 180+ | ||
| J.J. Barea | <15 | 160+ | Down | |
| SG | Luka Doncic | 33-35 | 20-30 | Up |
| Seth Curry | 20-25 | 140+ | Up | |
| Courtney Lee | <15 | 160+ | Down | |
| SF | Justin Jackson | 20-25 | 160+ | |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 25-30 | 130-140 | Down | |
| Dorian Finney-Smith | <15 | 160+ | ||
| PF | Kristaps Porzingis | 30-32 | 20-30 | Up |
| Maxi Kleber | 20-25 | 140-150 | Up | |
| C | Dwight Powell | 25-30 | 100-110 | Up |
| Boban Marjanovic | <15 | 160+ |
Houston Rockets
| POSITION | PLAYER | PROJECTED MINUTES | DRAFT TARGET ZONE | TREND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | Russell Westbrook | 35-37 | 25-30 | |
| Austin Rivers | 20-25 | 140-150 | ||
| Michael Frazier | <15 | 160+ | ||
| Shamorie Ponds | <15 | 160+ | ||
| SG | James Harden | 35-37 | 1-May | Down |
| Eric Gordon | 30-32 | 130-140 | Down | |
| Ben McLemore | 15-20 | 160+ | ||
| SF | Danuel House | 20-25 | 160+ | Up |
| Gerald Green | 15-20 | 160+ | ||
| PF | P.J. Tucker | 32-35 | 80-90 | |
| Gary Clark | <15 | 160+ | ||
| Anthony Bennett | <15 | 160+ | ||
| C | Clint Capela | 30-35 | 50-60 | |
| Tyson Chandler | 20-25 | 110-120 | ||
| Isaiah Hartenstein | <15 | 160+ |
Memphis Grizzlies
| POSITION | PLAYER | PROJECTED MINUTES | DRAFT TARGET ZONE | TREND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | Ja Morant | 30-35 | 65-75 | |
| Tyus Jones | 25-30 | Up | ||
| SG | Dillon Brooks | 20-25 | ||
| Grayson Allen | 15-20 | |||
| De'Anthony Melton | <15 | |||
| Andre Iguodala | 0 | |||
| SF | Jae Crowder | 20-25 | ||
| Bruno Caboclo | 20-25 | Up | ||
| Josh Jackson | 20-25 | |||
| Solomon Hill | <15 | |||
| PF | Jaren Jackson Jr. | 28-32 | 30-40 | Up |
| Kyle Anderson | 25-30 | |||
| Brandon Clarke | 20-25 | |||
| C | Jonas Valanciunas | 28-32 | 30-40 | Up |
New Orleans Pelicans
| POSITION | PLAYER | PROJECTED MINUTES | DRAFT TARGET ZONE | TREND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | Jrue Holiday | 30-35 | 1-Oct | Up |
| Frank Jackson | 20-25 | 160+ | ||
| SG | Lonzo Ball | 25-30 | 60-70 | Up |
| J.J. Redick | <15 | 130-140 | Down | |
| Josh Hart | 15-20 | 160+ | ||
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | <15 | 160+ | ||
| SF | Brandon Ingram | 25-30 | 80-90 | |
| E'Twaun Moore | 15-20 | 160+ | ||
| Darius Miller | <15 | 160+ | ||
| PF | Zion Williamson | 30-35 | 20-39 | |
| Nicolo Melli | <15 | 160+ | ||
| C | Derrick Favors | 27-31 | 55-65 | Up |
| Jahlil Okafor | 15-20 | 160+ | Up | |
| Jaxson Hayes | <15 | 160+ |
San Antonio Spurs
| POSITION | PLAYER | PROJECTED MINUTES | DRAFT TARGET ZONE | TREND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | Dejounte Murray | 25-30 | 80-90 | Up |
| Patty Mills | 20-25 | 140-150 | ||
| SG | Derrick White | 25-30 | 80-90 | Up |
| Marco Belinelli | <15 | 160+ | ||
| Bryn Forbes | 20-25 | 140-150 | ||
| Lonnie Walker | 15-20 | 160+ | ||
| Quinndary Weatherspoon | <15 | 160+ | ||
| SF | DeMar DeRozan | 30-35 | 30-40 | Down |
| Rudy Gay | 20-25 | 100-110 | Down | |
| Keldon Johnson | <15 | 160+ | ||
| PF | LaMarcus Aldridge | 30-35 | 20-30 | Down |
| DeMarre Carroll | 20-25 | 160+ | Down | |
| Trey Lyles | 15-20 | 160+ | ||
| Luka Samanic | <15 | 160+ |
Is Jason on track with his NBA playing time projections? Let him know in the comments below!
Jason is our newest source of knowledge for anything fantasy basketball related. Follow him on twitter @JasonBernard31 or hit us up @fantrax or @fantraxnba
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