Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (glute) was ruled out for the remainder of Wednesday's game against Detroit after suffering a left glute contusion in the first half. He logged 14 minutes and finished with three points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal before being sidelined. The injury halts his recent surge, as he had delivered back-to-back 22-point outings with six three-pointers in each. Should he miss Friday, Jared McCain becomes a viable streaming target after posting 20 points and four three pointers in 30 minutes last game.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (neck) will play on Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks. Due to neck soreness, his day at the office was limited to only five minutes on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers, but the Thunder have not included Joe on Monday's injury report. Joe mostly provides outside shooting for the defending champions, averaging 2.6 makes from downtown with a career-high 42.4 efficiency. He has a good matchup on Monday, as Atlanta gives up the 11th-most three-point attempts in the league.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Isaiah Joe (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against San Antonio, marking his fourth straight absence with a left knee contusion. With Joe sidelined, wing minutes are spread across Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and Aaron Wiggins, limiting appeal to deeper formats. Wallace has the cleanest fantasy profile thanks to defensive production, while Mitchell's assist juice plays best in deeper leagues. Joe averaged 9.8 points in 18.5 minutes over his last five, hitting 50.0 percent from the field.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (knee) won't be available on Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns. He will sit out a third consecutive game due to a left knee contusion. Joe's absence from the lineup increases playing opportunities for Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and Aaron Wiggins. Mitchell and Wiggins have produced solid numbers all year, although the former disappointed many fantasy managers in the last game against the Utah Jazz. Mitchell filled in for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (elbow) in the starting unit but finished with only seven points and four rebounds.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (knee) has been upgraded to available for Thursday night's home game against Washington. The veteran guard had been dealing with a left knee contusion that had forced him to miss the first five games of the season, but he'll be ready for his season debut on Thursday. Joe could have a relatively large role in the offense with both Jalen Williams (wrist) and Chet Holmgren (back) already ruled out for this matchup. He can be a streaky scorer, especially from long range. Last year, he averaged a career-high 10.2 points per game along with 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.6 steals in 21.7 minutes per game. With all the other players who are injured, getting Joe back in the mix could be very important for the Thunder, and Joe can be a fringe contributor in season-long fantasy leagues as well as a solid bargain DFS consideration when he's fully healthy.

Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Isaiah Joe (knee) will have his season debut further delayed, as the team has ruled him out for Monday's road contest against the Dallas Mavericks. Joe hasn't yet fully recovered from a left knee contusion. With Alex Caruso (concussion) and Jalen Williams (wrist) also on the shelf, Ajay Mitchell has enjoyed a special start to the campaign, with Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace playing significant roles in the rotation as well. All three will once again be solid fantasy options on Monday night.

Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Isaiah Joe (knee) is not ready to join the action on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers. The 26-year-old sniper is nursing a knee contusion at the start of the season. Jalen Williams (wrist) and Alex Caruso (concussion) also won't play, and Aaron Wiggins (knee) is questionable for Thursday's matchup, along with Luguentz Dort (ankle). As a result, the Thunder rotation could look very different. Players like Aaron Wiggins and Ajay Mitchell will be expected to step up and contribute more than usual.

Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Isaiah Joe (knee) will miss Tuesday's season-opening matchup against the Houston Rockets. He has failed to shake off a knee injury, which Joe sustained during the preseason. With Joe on the shelf, the Thunder are forced to start the season without a skilled three-point sniper. Last season, Joe sank 41.2 percent of his three-point shots on 6.3 attempts per game, averaging a career-high 10.2 points. Joe's absence means that players like Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins will have a chance to step up and contribute more against Houston.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (back) has been cleared to play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. The talented sniper has missed a couple of games due to back soreness. Joe is averaging 9.4 points in his fifth NBA season, shooting 40 percent from downtown. The Grizzlies give up the fifth-most three-point attempts in the league, making this an attractive matchup for Joe.

Oklahoma City Thunder guardIsaiah Joe(back) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Houston Rockets due to a back injury. Monday's contest will be the second straight game Joe has been out of action. The 25-year-old has been averaging 9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 20.6 minutes across 54 games this season. With Joe out,Cason WallaceandAaron Wiggins will see expanded roles and could be solid fantasy contributors this evening.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (knee) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to right knee soreness. Joe has been a streaky contributor, recently posting a three-game stretch with 12 or more points before cooling off with just three points in his last outing. He plays a key depth role for the Thunder, and his absence could lead to increased minutes for Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins off the bench.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (illness) will miss Thursday night's game against the Mavericks as the Thunder finish their back-to-back with a home game. This will be Joe's second straight game on the sideline after scoring 24 points on Sunday in a win over the Nets. Without Joe, Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso should continue to get more work in the backcourt. Wallace has been especially effective lately and is coming off a big game against the Jazz on Wednesday night when he racked up 13 points, four rebounds, and an assist in 36 minutes. Aaron Wiggins has scored double-digit points in three straight games as well and will also get more usage with Joe sidelined.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (illness) will not suit up for Wednesday's meeting with Utah. He is a late scratch for the contest due to an illness. Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins will have a chance to pick up extra shifts with Joe unavailable, while Jaylin Williams will be moved to the starting unit. The 22-year-old has averaged 10.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over three previous starts this season. This should be another productive evening for Williams, as only Washington gives up more fantasy points to centers than Utah.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (calf) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs due to a left calf contusion. The 25-year-old will miss the first half of the Thunder's back-to-back set as he recovers from the injury. Joe, who is averaging 9.0 points per game across 14 appearances this season, is considered doubtful for Wednesday's home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. Aaron Wiggins may see increased playing time in his absence.

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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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe led the team in scoring for a second game in a row Sunday versus Sacramento, finishing a 124-115 loss with 24 points on 6-for-11 shooting. He was 4-for-8 with the three-ball and padded his tally at the free-throw line with an 8-for-11 effort. Across 28 minutes of action, Joe also registered three assists. The 23-year-old has proven himself as a very good shooter, and he's earned extra opportunities in recent games due to the absence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle). Joe has picked up back-to-back starts, and across the whole season, he's now averaging 19.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists as a starter, with 48.5 percent shooting from deep.

Free-agent guard Isaiah Joe will sign a multi-year contract with OKC. Joe has spent his entire two-year career in Philly, where he averaged only 3.7 points and 1.0 rebounds in 96 games. While the 23-year-old has a great deal of potential, he's still far from being a day-to-day fantasy producer. However, Joe is someone to keep stashed in dynasty formats, and his 34.9% career shooting from deep gives him some value in category formats, even more so if he receives minutes for his new team.

The Philadelphia 76ers waived guard Isaiah Joe on Thursday. The former second-round pick seemed to be gaining traction in head coach Doc Rivers' rotation until this preseason. Last year, he averaged 3.6 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.6 assists on 35% shooting overall and 33.3% from deep. As a three-and-D guard, his numbers left a lot to be desired. Reports coming from the Sixers camp, however, seemed to show that he was getting better and in line for more minutes. Now he'll be on the market for any team looking to boost their shooting. Fantasy managers shouldn't have Joe on their radar right now, even in deeper leagues.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Isaiah Joe (shoulder) lasted only eight minutes before exiting Sunday's loss to Brooklyn with a right shoulder injury. It was a tough break for Philly, especially since he's looked so good throughout the Summer League. It's unknown if the 23-year-old will be seen again in Vegas. However, Joe has played well enough to earn a more prominent role in the rotation in 2022-23. He's someone to watch and is worth a late-round pick in fantasy drafts heading into October.

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Seth Curry (ankle) has been ruled out for Friday's contest vs. the Clippers, paving the way for Isaiah Joe to slide into the starting five for the first time this season. Curry has battled ankle soreness as of late, which may have contributed to back-to-back single-digit scoring efforts on the heels of a 12-game stretch where he averaged 17.8 PPG and scored in double figures on every occasion. His absence should funnel higher usage toward Furkan Korkmaz, but Joe will have an intriguing DFS case in his own right; in his lone prior career start, he collected 13 points and four rebounds across a 45-minute showing. Curry's next chance to return comes Sunday against San Antonio.