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 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this season? Here’s the latest outlook, projections, and rankings for the Memphis Grizzlies Shooting Guard.
Should You Draft Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in Fantasy Basketball?
Which Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will show up this season? Will it be the reliable 3-and-D wing who won two NBA championships while shooting above 40% from 3 as a key contributor on the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers? Or will it be the version we saw last season with the Orlando Magic when his 3-point percentage dipped to 34.2%? The Memphis Grizzlies are hoping he can have a strong bounce-back campaign after acquiring the 32-year-old as part of the Desmond Bane trade with Orlando.
This wouldn’t be the first time that KCP has shot poorly one season and then bounced back the following year. In 2018-19, his 3-point percentage dropped from 38.3% to 34.7%, and then he shot 38.5% the following year. In five of his last six seasons, he has shot at least 38.5% from long range, so it seems like a solid bet that last year was a one-off. He has also hinted that his struggles stemmed from the Magic’s offense, which finished with the worst 3-point percentage (31.8%) in the last nine NBA seasons, so a change of scenery could be exactly what he needs.
Caldwell-Pope is still an elite perimeter defender, and it seems he’ll have every opportunity to thrive in Memphis as the team’s starting shooting guard. He doesn’t have as high of a ceiling as some other players late in fantasy drafts, but if you believe in his bounce-back potential, he can be a solid depth piece in fantasy leagues.
Looking for more fantasy basketball outlooks? Head over to our NBA landing page for analysis on 200 players.
What Are Caldwell-Pope’s Fantasy Basketball Projections This Season?
Based on our proprietary metrics here at PFSN, we project Caldwell-Pope to score 1,453.0 fantasy points this season, with him averaging 9.6 points per game.
This includes 3.3 field goals per game, 2.0 three-pointers per game, 1.1 free throws per game, 2.2 rebounds per game, 1.7 assists per game, 1.2 steals per game, and 0.5 blocks per game.
Where Does Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Rank in the Upcoming Fantasy Basketball Season?
Caldwell-Pope is ranked 138th overall and 32nd at his position. The five players ranked ahead of him overall include Brook Lopez, VJ Edgecombe, Kevin Huerter, Jared McCain, and Joel Embiid.
The five players ranked behind him overall include Derik Queen, Tyus Jones, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Black, and Paul George.
The five players ranked ahead of him at his position include Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Gradey Dick, Edgecombe, and Huerter.
The five players ranked behind him at his position include Dejounte Murray, Malik Monk, Devin Vassell, Brandin Podziemski, and Klay Thompson.
