It’s the final weekend before the NBA regular season begins, which means you’re coming here for your fantasy basketball drafts.
Should you draft T.J. McConnell this season? Here’s the latest outlook, projections, and rankings for the Indiana Pacers Point Guard.
Should You Draft T.J. McConnell in Fantasy Basketball?
With Tyrese Haliburton expected to miss the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season, the Indiana Pacers will try to replace his production with a combination of Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell in the backcourt. Nembhard will start, but McConnell will play significant minutes as well.
Last season, McConnell averaged 9.1 points, 4.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 17.9 minutes per game. One red flag about McConnell’s 2024-25 stat line is that his shooting percentages dipped drastically. Three seasons ago, he posted 54.3/44.1/85.3 shooting splits, but last year he shot 51.9% from the field, 30.6% from 3, and 74.0% from the free-throw line. McConnell is a high-floor depth guard, but his upside is limited.
Devin Vassell, G/F, SAS
Last season, Devin Vassell averaged 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.5 3-pointers, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks on 44.3/36.8/79.2 shooting splits with the San Antonnio Spurs. The two-way wing is appealing in category formats given his ability to contribute across multiple categories such as scoring, 3s, and defensive stats, while limiting his turnovers.
Playing alongside Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper should create plenty of catch-and-shoot opportunities. Also, Vassell is just still just 25 years old, so there’s a chance that he tops last year’s stat line and shooting percentages if he takes the next step in his development. He isn’t going to break out and become a star, but in his current role with the Spurs he’s a very solid contributor whom you can grab around the 100th pick in drafts, which is great value considering his production.
Looking for more fantasy basketball outlooks? Head over to our NBA landing page for analysis on 200 players.
What Are McConnell’s Fantasy Basketball Projections This Season?
Based on our proprietary metrics here at PFSN, we project McConnell to score 2,161.8 fantasy points this season, with him averaging 12.0 points per game.
This includes 5.4 field goals per game, 0.3 three-pointers per game, 0.9 free throws per game, 3.2 rebounds per game, 6.5 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game, and 0.2 blocks per game.
Where Does T.J. McConnell Rank in the Upcoming Fantasy Basketball Season?
McConnell is ranked 151st overall and 33rd at his position. The five players ranked ahead of him overall include Lonzo Ball, Russell Westbrook, Tobias Harris, John Collins, and Malik Monk.
The five players ranked behind him overall include Devin Vassell, Andrew Nembhard, Jaden McDaniels, Isaiah Collier, and Bobby Portis.
The five players ranked ahead of him at his position include Tyus Jones, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Black, Ball, and Westbrook.
The five players ranked behind him at his position include Nembhard, Collier, Egor Demin, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Kris Dunn.
