Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (illness) will suit up on Friday versus the Clippers. Williams is coming off a rough outing, scoring 13 points while shooting 4-for-14 from the field and 2-for-9 from downtown. He popped up on the injury report because of an illness. Fortunately, Brooklyn will have him in the lineup. With Cam Thomas (hamstring) done for the year, Williams has stepped things up offensively. Yet, with D'Angelo Russell and Cameron Johnson available, Williams isn't a lock to do anything meaningful for fantasy managers.

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (hamstring) received a questionable status for the matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. The fourth-year wing is experiencing some hamstring tightness which kept him out of their last game on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Martin took Williams' spot in the starting five against the Pacers and registered nine points, five assists, and four rebounds. Martin is a bit inconsistent as a streaming option, but if Williams can suit up, Martin's value will dip back down. Keon Johnson and Jalen Wilson serve as better options for fantasy managers looking to fill injury voids.

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (hamstring) won't play on Saturday versus the Indiana Pacers. He tied D'Angelo Russell for a team-high 22 points when these clubs met on Thursday night. However, Brooklyn won't have either player on the floor on Saturday night. Head Coach Jordi Fernandez indicated both are being held out for precautionary reasons and are considered day-to-day, meaning there's a chance they might play on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks. But as far as the rematch is concerned, Keon Johnson and Cameron Johnson could finish the night as Brooklyn's leading scorers. Tyrese Martin may also spend some time at the one, resulting in a bump in usage.

Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.comreports that Brooklyn Nets forwardZiaire Williams (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Wednesday's game against the Phoenix Suns. Williams will miss a second consecutive contest due to an ankle sprain he suffered on Sunday against the Thunder. With several players out of action for the Nets on Wednesday, players like Keon Johnson, Tosan Evbuomwan, Tyrese Martin, and Jalen Wilson will see an uptick in minutes on the floor and plenty of scoring opportunities.

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Tuesday's game against the New York Knicks. Williams has played in 10 straight games, but he appears to have picked up an ankle injury during Sunday's contest. As a result, Williams will sit out on Tuesday, but hopefully it'll only be a one-game absence for Williams. His absence should mean that Keon Johnson and Jalen Wilson see increased minutes in the rotation. Wilson should move into the starting five for at least one game which should give him increased streaming appeal for Tuesday's slate.

Brooklyn Nets guard Ziaire Williams (knee) has been sidelined for the last 12 games due to a left knee sprain, but he is not listed on the team's injury report for Thursday night against the Bucks. Williams hasn't played since December 1, so the 23-year-old may need some time to ramp up to a full workload, but the Nets could have available minutes on the wing after all their trades and roster shuffling. Noah Clowney (back) is also questionable for Thursday while Ben Simmons (injury management) is out, which could open up more time for Williams. After being traded from the Grizzlies to the Nets, Williams has averaged 8.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 steals in 21.9 minutes over 21 games for the Nets. His return could eventually take time away from Keon Johnson and Tyrese Martin.

According to Meghan Triplett of YES Network, Brooklyn Nets forwardZiaire Williams(knee) won't suit up against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Williams will miss his 12th straight game due to a left knee strain. However, he practiced on Tuesday with no restrictions, which set him up to potentially play against the Bucks on Thursday. Before his injury, the 23-year-old averaged 8.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 steals in 21.9 minutes across 21 games.

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (knee) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Indiana Pacers. The 23-year-old will miss his second consecutive game after sustaining a knee injury during Sunday's matchup with the Magic. Williams has been a reliable rotational piece for the Nets this season, averaging 21.8 minutes and 8.6 points per game. Tyrese Martin may see an increase in playing time as a result. Williams' next opportunity to return will be Sunday against the Bucks.

Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Ziaire Williams (knee) will not play on Monday against the Chicago Bulls. Williams sustained a left knee sprain late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Magic. The severity of the sprain is currently unknown. Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) and Ben Simmons (back) have also been ruled out. The 23-year-old Williams should also be considered questionable for Wednesday's game against the Pacers.

Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Ziaire Williams (foot) will suit up on Sunday versus Sacramento. A foot infection initially left him only as probable for the game, but it has now been confirmed that Williams is good to go. The 23-year-old has seen his minutes dip recently, but he's been a good contributor for the Nets, averaging 8.8 points and 4.3 rebounds for the campaign. Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) won't play on Sunday, opening the door for Williams to pick up extra shifts.

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (hip) is listed as probable for Tuesday's matchup against the Charlotte Hornets with right-hip tightness. The 23-year-old has yet to miss a game this season and is trending toward playing. Williams has been steadily improving, posting career-best averages of 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, along with standout performances like his 23-point effort against the Boston Celtics last week.

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies this off-season and has prepared to earn some more opportunities to be on the floor. The former 10th overall pick said that he felt like "a loose bird finally let out of his cage" when he was traded. He also went on to say that he felt trapped at times with the Grizzlies as he struggled to get on the floor that often throughout his three seasons with the team. While the Nets are in rebuild mode, Williams should receive plenty of opportunities to prove whether or not he deserves to be on the floor after they traded away Mikal Bridges and now have one of the younger teams around the league. In 150 total appearances (50 starts) for the Grizzlies, Williams averaged 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across 19.6 minutes per game.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Ziaire Williams (hip/back) is the second player on the team to be deemed unlikely to be back for the rest of this season. Teammate Derrick Rose (groin) is the other one who is likely to watch from the sidelines for the last couple of weeks as the Grizzlies shut down anyone who's not one hundred percent healthy. The third-year forward has already missed 22 games so far this year, so it's more beneficial to the team to let him rest until next season when they have a healthier roster. In the meantime, Lamar Stevens, Jake LaRavia, and Scottie Pippen Jr. will be better streaming options to finish out the season.

Memphis Grizzlies small forward Ziaire Williams (back) will be out for the rest of the month after the team announced that he would be re-evaluated in four weeks. The 22-year-old has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain of a hip flexor and his lower back. He was already forced to miss Monday's matchup against Brooklyn. Williams had made six consecutive starts with the Grizzlies before getting hurt. John Konchar took on the role of a starter without Williams on Monday, with Jake LaRavia also getting a big boost in playing time off the bench. Konchar tends to be quite anonymous on the court, but LaRavia is an interesting guy to monitor. He had a double-double in 29 minutes on Monday, and his recent efforts also include a 21-point outing versus Portland.

Memphis Grizzlies small forward Ziaire Williams (hip) won't play on Monday against Brooklyn. The 22-year-old was injured in the previous game against Portland and steps out of the lineup with a right hip flexor strain. Williams has played a significant role for the Grizzlies lately, starting in six consecutive games. He's shown flashes of good upside, averaging 10.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in 15 starts across the season. The Memphis rotation is more unpredictable than the weather, but the likes of Jake LaRavia, John Konchar, and Luke Kennard might get extra opportunities without Williams.

Memphis Grizzlies small forward Ziaire Williams (hand) is considered doubtful to face the Pelicans on Monday. He's been out for eight games with a left hand injury, and the chances of Williams returning on Monday don't appear to be high. Williams had a spell as a starter early in the campaign, but he's struggled for consistency. The 22-year-old has tallied 7.7 points and 3.4 rebounds across 18.8 minutes.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Ziaire Williams (hand) has been ruled out ahead of Thursday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Williams will miss his second game in a row due to left hand soreness. The Grizzlies are banged up at the moment, so the absence of Williams opens up significant playing time in the rotation. GG Jackson II is a candidate to see possibly 30 minutes off the bench on Thursday. Sadly, Jackson hasn't been too consistent, which makes him a risky streaming option for this one.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it?Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, the opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA. 

Introduction

I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2023 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2023-24 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.As I will frequently emphasize and reiterate: in 2023, there is very little difference between the vast majority of second-round draft picks and undrafted free agents--it always all comes down to the skillsets they possess, their capacity for growth, and the situations they've landed in.Seasons will be made and broken with early identification of the diamond-in-the-rough rookies. I used to list out the many examples from the past season in this introduction portion, but we are now in a beautiful era where there are just too many to count. There is also very little separating the featured players below and those dubbed "Honorable Mentions"--so put in the work and keep an eye out throughout the regular season for who is receiving and seizing their opportunities. 

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Memphis Grizzlies small forward Ziaire Williams has impressed head coach Taylor Jenkins with his work and could force his way into the starting lineup for the start of the year. The Grizzlies have a spot open in the unit due to Ja Morant's 25-game suspension, and Williams is battling for it with the likes of Luke Kennard and John Konchar. Jenkins has liked Williams' defensive efforts and how he uses his length and mobility. The 22-year-old is preparing for his third year in the league. He has so far played 99 games, making 35 starts. As a starter, Williams has averaged 10.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 25.9 minutes.

Memphis Grizzlies small forward Ziaire Williams (knee) is regarded as questionable for Thursday's contest against Cleveland. He is nursing a sore right knee and might need some time off after already playing Wednesday versus Portland. Williams had five points and one rebound in 19 minutes with a typical quiet performance. He's been averaging 18.8 minutes per game for the season but has done very little during his time on the court. Santi Aldama and David Roddy are in line for a few extra minutes off the bench if Williams isn't able to play.