Fantasy Fallout: Biyombo's upside capped in crowded Magic frontcourt
Here are the fantasy implications of free agent center Bismack Biyombo signing with the Orlando Magic:
In Biyombo's fifth NBA season, his first and only with the Raptors, he had what was easily a breakout campaign, one that transformed him from first round disappointment to the recipient of a reported four-year, $72 million contract.
Though he primarily featured as a reserve, in 22 games as a starter during the regular season, Biyombo averaged 12.2 rebounds, 7.2 points and two blocks. His rebound rate of 20 per cent ranked a narrow second to former teammate Jonas Valanciunas, and 11th overall among players who appeared in at least 50 games.
In 10 playoff starts, he upped his scoring slightly, averaging 8.2 points, 11 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. Over the third and fourth games of the Eastern Conference Finals, Biyombo pulled down a whopping 40 rebounds, helping the Raptors even a series they'd ultimately lose to the Cavaliers.
Rebounds and blocks are as important as any other fantasy categories, but it doesn't appear that the ex-Hornet will get a chance to see if he can maintain a starter's workload. Orlando has an extremely crowded frontcourt, led by center Nikola Vucevic (18.2 points, 8.9 rebounds in 2015-16) and newly-acquired power forward Serge Ibaka (12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds with the Thunder last season). Add 6-foot-9 third-year pro Aaron Gordon to the mix, and Biyombo is just one of many big men vying for minutes.
It's possible that more moves are coming from the Magic, but as it stands now, Biyombo looks like he'll reprise his Raptors role of backup center, albeit at a much higher compensation level. A potential trade of Vucevic would leave the frontcourt extremely deprived of scoring, as neither Biyombo nor Ibaka are capable of carrying the same offensive load as Vucevic.
While excitement over his playoff showing may lead to the 23-year-old Biyombo being taken in the later rounds of 2016-17 fantasy drafts, he's not worth picking up unless he's ultimately declared a starter. He's better served as an impact in-season waiver wire claim in the event of an injury to either Vucevic or Ibaka. Last season's overall averages of 5.5 points, eight rebounds and 1.6 blocks don't make him a fantasy asset in all but the deepest of leagues.