Rookies rarely provide fair value in Fantasy hoops drafts.

Because they enter the league as unknown quantities, their actual value is incredibly tough to pin down. You know they have potential and upside, and that's worth paying for. However, we also know that most rookies just aren't that good, with typically only a handful actually emerging as viable Fantasy contributors in any given season.

Let's take a look some of the rookies I think could be worth targeting this fall in drafts -- assuming the price doesn't get too crazy:

No. 2 pick Lonzo Ball, G, Lakers

What makes Ball so intriguing is also what makes him something of a question mark -- there just aren't many prospects like him. Statistically, he looks like a star, coming off a freshman season that saw him average 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game. It's the efficiency that really stands out with Ball, who shot 73.2 percent on 2-pointers and 41.2 percent on 3's, while picking up more than three times as many assists as turnovers.

He has just an 18.1 percent usage rate, shooting about as often as Chris Paul did when he was in college. There are questions about how Ball's shot will translate – an unorthodox shooting form and 67.3 percent mark at the free-throw line raise more than a few eyebrows – and he isn't nearly the kind of athlete the Jason Kidd comparisons suggest. Those red flags shouldn't be ignored, but the Lakers' decision to move D'Angelo Russell in a pure salary dump is a sign that they believe in Ball. They're throwing him out there without a safety net, and that should be enough to get him the numbers he needs to be a starting-caliber guard option. Ball could be what some were hoping Michael Carter-Williams might develop into after his rookie season.

No. 9 pick Dennis Smith Jr., G, Mavericks

Dennis Smith might not be the same caliber prospect as Ball, but the Mavericks have told everyone who will listen that he was the top player on their board.

He fills a position of great need for the Mavericks, and they also give him a nice soft landing spot. Dirk Nowitzki – coincidentally, the Mavericks' last No. 9 overall pick – isn't the superstar he once was, but he's still a heck of a pick-and-roll partner, as Yogi Ferrell's breakout last season can attest. With Seth Curry, Wesley Matthews, and Harrison Barnes likely set to flank Smith and Nowitzki in the starting lineup, he should have plenty of room to operate on the floor, making this a perfect landing spot for the young point guard. Smith had some trouble with turnovers (3.9 per game) at North Carolina State, but that's to be expected with a young point guard.

Efficiency may not be Smith's calling card from Day 1, but nobody landed in a better place to produce, and it shouldn't be a big surprise if he develops into a Fantasy star as soon as this season.  

No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, G, 76ers

The No. 1 pick is only No. 3? You can find nits to pick when it comes to Markelle Fultz's game, but that's not why two of his peers rank ahead of him. This all comes down to fit.

Fultz is, to be clear, an ideal fit for Philadelphia, but it's not clear Philadelphia is an ideal fit for his Fantasy prospects, given how they are expected to use not only Fultz, but last year's No. 1 overall pick, Ben Simmons. We didn't get to see Simmons play due to a foot injury, but we heard plenty about how he was, now and in the future, the 76ers' point guard. Fultz, of course, will defend the other team's point guard, and should get to do plenty of playmaking of his own, but Simmons is expected to be the guy setting up the offense.

Fultz still has a great opportunity here, but with assists at such a premium, there may be a ceiling on how much he can contribute next to Simmons. He should still be drafted as a starting guard, but don't be surprised if his production is a little underwhelming.

No. 5 pick De'Aaron Fox, G, Kings

De'Aaron Fox is in a very similar situation to Smith, landing with a team that desperately needs help at point guard. However, I like Smith's situation and current abilities just a bit more, at least for Fantasy. Fox struggled to make jumpers in college, and that can be a tough thing for a young point guard to overcome, especially if he doesn't have much help around him. Unfortunately, Skal Labissiere isn't quite Dirk when it comes to opening things up for those around him.

Fox has a great opportunity, coming off a freshman season at Kentucky that saw him average 22.6 points, 6.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, but there could be some growing pains along the way. Fox should get plenty of opportunities in Sacramento, and his upside is huge on a team whose current best point guard option under contract might be Garrett Temple. That alone should be enough to get him drafted in the No. 4 guard range.

No. 4 pick Josh Jackson, F, Suns

Josh Jackson shot 37.8 percent on 3-pointers in his lone season at Kansas, and if he can come even close to that in the NBA, he's a superstar. The jumper is a major concern, but Jackson did a lot else in college to dream on, with 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.8 blocks and assists per game. The Suns could stick with T.J. Warren's scoring tough in the starting lineup at small forward, but Jackson's the higher upside play, and he could be a Fantasy stud before long with his ability to contribute in so many different ways.

He's a bit old for a rookie – he's only four months younger than Suns' guard Devin Booker, heading into his third NBA season – and the jumper is a real concern. However, Jackson has enough upside to be worth drafting, especially on a young, up-tempo team that could give him a lot of opportunities to fill the box score up.

Don't forget about...

  • Ben Simmons.. Oh yeah, that guy. He's likely to be the top rookie this season, and the first off the board in nearly all formats. Don't be surprised if he's on a minutes limit and sitting out back-to-backs early on, but Simmons could be a regular triple-double threat, and he has plenty of defensive potential to boot.
  • Justin Jackson… Buddy Hield showed some potential last season, but this is still a Kings team in desperate need of a go-to scorer in the wake of the DeMarcus Cousins trade. Coming off a season that saw him average 18.3 points per game, while nailing 37.0 percent of his 3-pointers, Jackson could help carry some of the scoring load, even as a rookie.
  • Jarrett Allen… The Nets are seriously lacking in top-level talent, so they have to take risks in the draft. Allen is a risk as a raw big man, but he has the athleticism to be a serious contributor in rebounds and blocks, and could see 20-plus minutes per game as a rookie following the Brook Lopez trade. His competition is Timofey Mozgov, Andrew Nicholson, and Justin Hamilton… So, his competition is himself, and how ready he is.
  • T.J. Leaf… We don't know what the Pacers are going to look like this fall, but smart money has to be on them steering into rebuild mode with a Paul George trade. They could get long-term pieces back, but Leaf could have a chance to contribute right away as a floor-stretching frontcourt partner to Myles Turner. Don't be shocked if Leaf is starting on opening night.