Deandre Ayton

Last year was a maturation process for Ayton, fueled by the experience and competitiveness of Chris Paul. Paul and Ayton developed a strong bond throughout the season, executing pick-and-rolls and alley-oops with aplomb, and Ayton finished the regular season with 33 double-doubles in 64 games. Paul continued to push Ayton throughout the season, and Ayton responded by exploding in the playoffs, increasing both his rebounds (from 10.5 to 11.8) and points (14.4 to 15.8) per game and displaying dominance on the offensive glass, with a total of 14 double-doubles in 22 playoff games. Fans could see Ayton's confidence and accountability build with each playoff series, leading to an increase in minutes (only Booker had more minutes for the Suns in the last two series) and allowing the team to expand their reliance on him. With the Paul-Ayton duo coming back together again this season and the trust Ayton has earned with his impressive play during the Suns' playoff run, we should expect Ayton to reach new levels on both offense and defense and reward fantasy managers as one of the top five all-around big men in the NBA and potentially worthy of a second-to-third round pick in fantasy.

Fantasy managers were burned by Ayton in 2019-20. After playing in the season-opener against the Kings, Ayton was handed a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA's Anti-Drug program for testing positive for a diuretic. However, he performed well upon his return, averaging 18.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 blocks from Jan. 1 onward. Ayton was efficient, hitting 54.9 percent of his field goal attempts and 76.1 percent of his free-throw tries -- the latter of which was a strong mark for a traditional big man. Heading in 2020-21, the 22-year-old will remain a building block for the Suns next to Devin Booker, as the franchise looks to make its first playoff appearance since 2009-10. He's already established himself as a double-double machine, and he also had 10 performances (out of a possible 38) last season with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Ayton's clearly on a track for All-Star buzz in 2020-21, and he'll likely be selected in most fantasy drafts around the early third round, if not sooner.

The No. 1 overall pick in 2018, Ayton became just the second player in NBA history 20 years old or younger to average at least 16 points and 10 rebounds on 55 percent shooting -- the other being Shaquille O'Neal. Ayton's impressive campaign was overshadowed by a great rookie class, namely Luka Doncic winning Rookie of the Year and Trae Young having a stellar second half of the season. Ayton did have some big games, however, racking up 39 double-doubles, including 21 games with at least 20 points and five performances with at least 15 rebounds. He's a traditional center, working in the pick-and-roll (135 dunks), post (58.1% on hook shots), and mid-range (34.6% on 127 attempts from 16 feet to the three-point line). While his jumpshooting needs to be more efficient, Ayton went a respectable 12-of-35 from three in college and is a good free-throw shooter (74.6 percent at a rookie), so it seems like that should develop over time. Ayton's defense also needs some work. It was a knock on him coming out of Arizona, and he blocked just 67 shots in 71 games last season. It's possible he's never a true impact player on that end of the floor, though he has the physical tools to get there if things click. All things considered, Ayton is one of the more promising young big men in the league, and fantasy owners should expect improvement heading into Year 2.

In his lone season at Arizona, Ayton was clearly one of the most dominant big men in the country, averaging a double-double of 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds. The 7-foot-1, 250-pounder added 1.9 blocks, consistently scaring off opposing players from attempting to get to the rim when he was in the game. Despite his size, Ayton has the athleticism and ability to run the floor in transition successfully, which should translate over well to a Suns team that played at the third-quickest pace in the NBA last season. He also has a solid jumper and showed he can knock down a three-pointer when necessary after posting a 34.3 percent clip from deep. All of those skills earned Ayton the No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft and he joins a Suns team that should give him every opportunity to excel right away. Concerns about his effort and motor do exist, but if Ayton does end up getting featured alongside superstar Devin Booker offensively, there's a chance he becomes a legitimate option for Fantasy owners to select in the middle rounds of most drafts. Ayton does occasionally rely on having strong facilitators that can set him up, so guys like Booker and potentially Brandon Knight could have a key part in making sure Ayton hits his upside, especially in pick-and-roll situations. While Ayton could struggle early on as a rookie transitioning to the NBA, he does have 20/10 potential on any given night if the Suns do feature him as expected. It's worth it to note that Ayton dominated summer league, averaging 14.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block.