Detroit Pistons Fantasy Basketball Preview

New members of the second unit

While they didn’t add a huge name in free agency, Detroit improved their overall team by building up their bench. These three new players definitely deserve consideration in the Pistons fantasy basketball outlook even though their roles are still a little sketchy so early in the preseason.

Ish Smith: Smith is being slightly over-drafted at this early point in the preseason since some people may not realize he’s definitely the backup now. He flourished last year when he returned to Philadelphia. He ended up averaging 12.6 points and 6.5 assists on the season last year, but his role will likely be reduced now that he’ll be coming off the bench behind Reggie Jackson.

Smith is currently being drafted in the tenth round. I don’t think he’ll live up to that draft stock although he should still produce good points and assists off the bench. If you need point guard depth toward the end of your draft, he’s worth a look but he’ll be a bench option in Detroit if things go according to play.

Jon Leuer: Leuer is the other nice piece that the Pistons added to their second unit. The sixth-year player out of Wisconsin has shown the ability to produce solid lines when he has played enough minutes in stretches with the Grizzlies and Suns. Never in his career has he had consistent playing time for long enough to know how he would hold up long term, but as an option off the bench he represents good upside as a DFS bargain. In season-long leagues, he can be left on the waiver wire to star the season unless the situation changes.

Boban Marjanovic: The former-Spurs backup big man signed a three-year $21-million contract with the Pistons this offseason. He was extremely efficient when he did get time off the bench in San Antonio, but he probably won’t get enough minutes to be a fantasy factor this year unless injury strikes the Detroit big-man rotation.

Next: Depth Options