The Atlanta Hawks have acquired guard/forward Corey Kispert (hamstring) from the Washington Wizards. The franchise decided to part ways with its star man, Trae Young, and found a landing spot for him in D.C. Guard CJ McCollum also moved to Atlanta as part of the deal. Kisper has made all of his 311 career appearances with the Wizards, averaging 10.9 points on 38.3 percent three-point shooting. Injuries have limited Kispert's impact this season; through 19 appearances, he's averaged 9.2 points in 19.5 minutes per game. From a fantasy perspective, the trade doesn't change much for Kispert, as his role in Atlanta will likely mirror what he had in Washington.

Washington Wizards guard/forward Corey Kispert (hamstring) will not be ready to return when the Wizards take on the Bucks on Wednesday. It has been a rough few months for Kispert, who missed 10 games with a thumb injury and then played only 13 minutes before leaving with hamstring tightness in his first game back. This will be his fourth straight game sidelined with his new injury, but the 26-year-old remains day-to-day. While he's out, Justin Champagnie and Tre Johnson should continue to get more minutes and usage, especially on Wednesday, when Kyshawn George (hip) is also out.

Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (hamstring) has landed back on the injury report and is listed as out for Friday night's game against the Toronto Raptors. Kispert had missed 10 games with a thumb injury but was pulled on Tuesday after just 13 minutes of action on the floor with hamstring tightness. The 26-year-old should be considered day-to-day until we have further clarity on his hamstring. In his absence, expect Justin Champagnie to get more minutes off the bench at forward. Champagnie has grabbed nine or more rebounds in four of his last five games, providing value for those needing rebound production.

Washington Wizards guard/forward Corey Kispert (hamstring) was limited to 13 minutes in Tuesday's 126-109 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He couldn't finish the contest due to left hamstring tightness. This was Kispert's first appearance since sustaining a fractured thumb in late November. He notched nine points on 3-for-8 shooting and had three assists. While the injury doesn't appear to be serious, Kispert may have to take some more time off. Justin Champagnie and Tre Johnson could then get more work off the bench, especially if Bub Carrington (foot) also has to exit the lineup. He missed the final few minutes on Tuesday due to foot soreness.

Washington Wizards guard/forward Corey Kispert (thumb) has been cleared to return to action on Tuesday against the Charlotte Hornets. He has missed nearly a month due to a fractured right shoulder. Kispert has been used as a bench contributor this season, averaging 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 19.9 minutes. He is among Washington's best three-point shooters, nailing 40.3 percent of his attempts from deep. On Tuesday, it likely won't be raining threes in this matchup, as Charlotte allows the fourth-fewest three-point attempts in the league.

Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (thumb) exited Tuesday's NBA Cup win over the Atlanta Hawks. He did not return. The 26-year-old was well on his way to having his best game of the 2025 campaign before a right thumb injury ended his night after 24 minutes. He'd go on to finish with 19 points, three steals, and one block while shooting 4-for-8 from behind the three-point line. Kispert will presumably undergo further testing heading into Friday's matchup with the Indiana Pacers. If he ends up missing time, Justin Champagnie and Cam Whitmore could see more work, with one potentially entering the starting lineup.

Washington Wizards guard/forwardCorey Kispert(thumb) will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after undergoing successful surgery on his left thumb Tuesday. The 26-year-old is expected to be ready for the start of next season after suffering a ligament tear in his left thumb Saturday against Denver. Kispert made 61 appearances for the Wizards in the 2024-25 campaign, posting averages of 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across 26.3 minutes per contest. Bub CarringtonandAJ Johnsonlook set to receive more playing time with Kispert on the shelf.

Washington Wizards guard/forward Corey Kispert (thumb) will be sidelined for at least two games. After injuring his left thumb during Saturday's defeat against the Denver Nuggets, Kispert has returned to Washington for an examination by team doctors. The Wizards will finish a seven-game road trip this week, facing the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night before heading to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Bub Carrington and AJ Johnson look set to receive more playing time off the bench with Kispert out.

Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Denver Nuggets due to a left ankle sprain. This will mark his second consecutive game missed. With multiple players on the injury list, younger players like Carlton Carrington, Johnny Davis, and Jared Butler are expected to see increased playing time. Kispert has been averaging 27.8 minutes per game, so there will be plenty of minutes available for others to step up. His next chance to return is set for Sunday's matchup against Memphis.

Washington Wizards guard/forward Corey Kispert (ankle) will miss his first game of the season on Thursday against Dallas. He has been ruled out with a left ankle sprain, joining Kyle Kuzma (ribs) and Kyshawn George (ankle) on the shelf. These three have all averaged at least 26 minutes of action per game this season. This leaves a lot of minutes to be filled for the rest of the gang. Carlton Carrington and Jared Butler should getter a bigger workload on Thursday, with Johnny Davis also in the mix for an expanded role.

Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert will remain in DC for the foreseeable future after agreeing on a new contract extension. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Kispert signed a four-year deal worth $54 million on Monday afternoon. The 25-year-old was the team's 15th-overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and has been a very consistent role player for them over the past three years. Throughout his time in Washington so far, he's averaged 10.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.0 threes per game. He posted a career-high 13.4 points per game last season as well.

Washington Wizards guard/forward Corey Kispert will be in the starting five for Wednesday's matchup against the Magic. He's replacing Marvin Bagley III (back) in the first unit. This will be only the third start of the year for Kispert. He's previously put up 15.0 points in 30.5 minutes as a starter, grabbing 2.0 rebounds and dishing out 3.5 assists. The 25-year-old has been in good form recently and boosted his scoring production to 17.3 points last month. The matchup with Orlando has suited him superbly this season, as Kispert has shot a sizzling 56.3 percent from downtown to average 14.3 points in three games.

Washington Wizards guard/forward Corey Kispert (illness) will be available on Tuesday against Golden State. He has shaken off a questionable tag and will return from a one-game absence. Kispert has a chance to play a larger role on offense Tuesday due to the absence of Deni Avdija (heel). He's been playing his best basketball of the season in February, putting up 20-plus points in five of his last nine appearances.

Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (illness) is questionable for Tuesday's game versus Golden State. He didn't play on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers because of a non-COVID-related illness. But if the 24-year-old returns on Tuesday evening, he has a place in most fantasy lineups. There's also a chance Kispert will start if Deni Avdija (heel) misses a third consecutive game, which will only elevate his fantasy ceiling even more.

Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (ankle) is dealing with a left ankle sprain and has been listed as questionable for the Monday night contest against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 24-year-old hasn't had to miss much time in his first two seasons and has only missed one game so far due to the ankle issue. The good thing is that he seems to be trending in the right direction leading into the new week. If Kispert has to remain sidelined, Bilal Coulibaly and Delon Wright would be solid streaming options for managers in desperate need of substitutions.

Washington Wizards guard Corey Kispert (ankle) wasn't active for Friday's matchup with the Miami Heat. He sprained his left ankle during the loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. The injury didn't look good when it happened. However, Josh Robbins of The Athletic gave fantasy managers a positive update by reporting Kispert "avoided a severe sprain." The 24-year-old is coming off a quality season, finishing the 2022-23 campaign by averaging 11.0 points and shooting 42.4% from deep. He is expected to improve on those numbers this season. But the swelling in Kispert's ankle needs to subside before he even thinks about getting back on the floor, meaning he'll likely miss a few more games moving ahead.

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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Washington Wizards guard Corey Kispert (back) is available and starting against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Kispert was questionable with lower back soreness, but will play through it and should be in line for a higher usage rate. The Wizards are very shorthanded with Bradley Beal (hamstring), Kristaps Porzingis (ribs) and Daniel Gafford (ankle) all out.

Washington Wizards guard/forward Corey Kispert (back) is regarded as questionable for Wednesday's meeting with Chicago. He is dealing with lower back soreness and might have to step aside for a bit despite enjoying his best spell of the season. Kispert has started five of the past six games, and he's been a solid source for points and rebounds during the stretch. In 21 starts in total this season, the 23-year-old has contributed 10.0 points per game with 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Kispert's absence would result in Deni Avdija and Will Barton getting extended minutes, with the former definitely the more attractive fantasy option.

Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert will move into the starting five for Thursday's game against the Utah Jazz. The Wizards will be without Deni Avdija (back) who is sitting this game out due to a minor injury. This means that Will Barton will play off the bench, so Kispert will get more chances with the starting unit. The fact Kispert is starting makes him a more appealing option for Thursday's slate.