X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Donovan Mitchell: The Ascent of the Don

After Gordon Hayward decided to sign with the Boston Celtics over the summer, a great deal of uncertainty loomed for the Utah Jazz and their future. Rudy Gobert is a menacing rim protector and tenacious rebounder, however he is far from being a polished offensive player.

Who would they rely on when they need buckets down the stretch of close games? Rodney Hood? Ricky Rubio? The only notable move the Jazz made in the offseason was drafting dynamic guard Donovan Mitchell out of Louisville.

You can catch me on Twitter @ryango00. I'll be retweeting my columns from time to time so don't hesitate to leave me a direct message if you wanna ask anything!

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

The Ascent of the Don

After an impressive summer league play and an even more impressive start to the season, the Jazz might just have found a silver lining to the departure of their former star player. For two seasons at Louisville, Mitchell led the Cardinals in scoring, steals, three-point field goals, and minutes per game. Impressively, he is posting similar stat lines in his rookie season with the Jazz and doing so without much expectations. He has already established himself as their most lethal offensive weapon.

He is no slouch on the other end as well. After 25 games, he is averaging 1.4 steals per game just behind starting point guard Ricky Rubio and veteran Thabo Sefolosha, another defensive ace. What is even more impressive is that he has shown the ability to be a floor general for the Jazz taking over point guard duties in the November 17 game against the Brooklyn Nets when Rubio was sidelined with an Achilles injury. It was his first game as a pro to start at point guard. He had 8 assists in the loss.

Mitchell struggled out of the gate early on. In October, he averaged only 9.3 points on 33% shooting, while shooting an abysmal 29% from distance. However, the great thing about Mitchell is that he never shy away from taking shots and has been given the green light to shoot. He has steadily improved in particular with his efficiency and will continue to improve as he adjusts to the pace of play. In November, he saw his scoring spike up to 18.1 points on 41% shooting to keep the defense honest while making 38% of his threes and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. In the first three games in December, Mitchell is averaging 31 points on a blistering 53% shooting from the field. In this stretch, his usage rate, threes, and steals have also gone up. This is not surprising, because he is fast, athletic, can get to the rim with ease, and has a sweet outside stroke. I know it’s a stretch, but he reminds me of a young Dwyane Wade with better range.

It is a safe assumption to make that Mitchell was not drafted in many leagues this season. He isn’t a highly touted rookie like Markelle Fultz or Jayson Tatum, so he wasn’t worth the risk and a roster spot even in a lot of keeper leagues once upon a time. Chances are you needed a replacement early on because injuries have been so rampant this season and you nonchalantly picked Mitchell up without much expectations. You probably also dropped him a few games after because his efficiency back in October was too much of a burden and regretted it when he started to stuff the stat sheet on a regular basis.

Mitchell only hurts you in two categories: FG% and turnovers. As a matter of fact, his turnovers (2.4 a game) are forgivable because he has the ball in his hands a lot as a shot maker and distributor. His FG% should ascend to around 45% by the end of the season given his fluid stroke and finishing ability, however you must consider that he is responsible for almost 30% of the Jazz’s possessions and you should expect that to only increase. This is uncharted territory for a rookie, so he is not at fault.

It makes sense because the Jazz lack players that can create their own shot. You might argue Hood, but he is streaky and has been wildly inconsistent this season. Mitchell has to carry that offensive responsibility and create opportunities for his teammates at the same time. This means that while he will make a lot of shots, he will also miss a bunch. Nonetheless, his style of play and increasing usage rate makes him fantasy friendly from the get go. He is a complete player and is rosterable in any league regardless of setting. His value increases even more in keeper/dynasty leagues obviously because of his limitless star potential.

We can expect Mitchell to be drafted somewhere in the early to mid-rounds in standard leagues redrafts now, but his value gets a boost for teams punting FG% and turnovers. If your team build is punt FG%, a reasonable offer would be to trade a player like Myles Turner in exchange for Mitchell if you can afford to give up some rebounds and blocks. Turner shoots around 48% from the field this season but he would be more valuable in other team builds. Usually in a punt FG% team, there is an abundance of guards and forwards that can play multiple positions and provide across the board stats, so Mitchell will be a great fit. In return, you will gain in points, threes, assists, and steals.

A lot of people expected him to be a 3 and D specialist coming out of college but he has turned out to be way more than that. Points and threes are easy to find in the wire but what sets him apart especially as a rookie are his assist and defensive numbers, and even flirting with the potential of getting a block every now and then.

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis

 

NBA DFS Premium Subscription

Get a free trial of our powerful NBA Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Cheat Sheets, and NBA Lineup Optimizer & Generator with daily matchup projections.

Win more. Try the most advanced lineup optimizer in daily fantasy basketball.

Sign Up Now!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tanner Bibee3 hours ago

Throws 5 2/3 Shutout Frames
Daniel Schneemann3 hours ago

Homers, Draws Three Walks
Wilyer Abreu3 hours ago

Draws Three Walks
Aaron Judge4 hours ago

Goes Deep Again
Isaiah Hartenstein4 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jaylin Williams4 hours ago

Could Miss Monday's Game
Jazz Chisholm Jr.4 hours ago

Jazz Chisholm Blasts Two More Homers
Chet Holmgren4 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Jonathan India4 hours ago

Hit In Head By Pitch
Jonathan Kuminga4 hours ago

Won't Return On Sunday
LeBron James4 hours ago

Expected To Suit Up Monday
Zach Wilson5 hours ago

Still Views Himself As A Starter
New York Giants6 hours ago

Victor Dimukeje Signs With Giants
Dallas Cowboys6 hours ago

Brian Schottenheimer Optimistic About Deal With Micah Parsons
Tyler Soderstrom6 hours ago

Hits Another Homer
Luke Jackson6 hours ago

Records Second Save
Jacob deGrom6 hours ago

Throws Five Scoreless Innings
Nathaniel Lowe7 hours ago

Collects Three Hits
Mitchell Parker7 hours ago

Has Strong Outing Against Phillies
Trea Turner7 hours ago

Likely Out Until Wednesday
J.T. Realmuto7 hours ago

Expected To Play On Monday
Lane Hutson7 hours ago

Continues Special Campaign With Hat Trick Of Assists
Trae Young7 hours ago

Playing Versus Milwaukee
Anfernee Simons7 hours ago

Cleared For Action Versus The Knicks
Giannis Antetokounmpo8 hours ago

Available On Sunday Night
Nick Suzuki8 hours ago

Notches Three Points In Sunday's Win
Robby Fabbri8 hours ago

Not Expected To Return This Season
Jacob Trouba8 hours ago

Could Be An Option Sunday
Jalen Brunson8 hours ago

Cleared For Basketball Activities
Jordan Staal8 hours ago

Will Not Play On Sunday
Manny Machado8 hours ago

Ready To Go On Sunday
Jerami Grant8 hours ago

Out Again On Sunday
Evgeni Malkin8 hours ago

Out Against Senators
Taj Bradley8 hours ago

Records Seven Strikeouts
Ryan Walker8 hours ago

Dealing With Back Issue
Camilo Doval9 hours ago

Notches Save On Sunday
Tobias Harris9 hours ago

Probable Versus Minnesota
Heliot Ramos9 hours ago

Blasts Homer In Win
Justin Fields9 hours ago

Aaron Glenn Thinks Justin Fields Is Ready To Break Out
Tomoyuki Sugano9 hours ago

Exits Due To Cramping
Michael Busch9 hours ago

Sitting Out On Sunday
Dennis Schröder9 hours ago

Dennis Schroder Expected To Face The Timberwolves
Cade Cunningham9 hours ago

Doubtful For Sunday Night
Mark Williams9 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus The Pels
Dak Prescott9 hours ago

"Doing Great" In Rehab From Hamstring Surgery
Jacksonville Jaguars10 hours ago

Fred Johnson Signs With Jacksonville
Tennessee Titans10 hours ago

Titans Still Entertaining Calls For No. 1 Overall Pick
Esteury Ruiz10 hours ago

Designated For Assignment
Karel Vejmelka11 hours ago

Makes 17th Consecutive Start Sunday
Arvid Soderblom11 hours ago

Tries To End Four-Game Skid Sunday
Alec Martinez11 hours ago

Misses Fourth Consecutive Game
Robert Bortuzzo11 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Olli Määttä11 hours ago

Olli Maatta Considered A Game-Time Call Sunday
Logan Thompson11 hours ago

Starts Against Sabres Sunday
Rasmus Dahlin11 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Cameron Payne12 hours ago

Ruled Out On Sunday
Miles McBride12 hours ago

Remains Out On Sunday
Scoot Henderson12 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Brandon Aiyuk12 hours ago

Deadline Coming For Brandon Aiyuk
Anfernee Simons12 hours ago

May Miss Sunday's Game
Ty Jerome12 hours ago

Out Again On Sunday
Kawhi Leonard12 hours ago

Sitting On Sunday Afternoon
Josh Berry16 hours ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano16 hours ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece16 hours ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott16 hours ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell17 hours ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney17 hours ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Leon Draisaitl17 hours ago

Leads The Way In Return
Artemi Panarin17 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
Jake Oettinger17 hours ago

Earns Fifth Straight Victory
Mikko Rantanen17 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Saturday
SJ18 hours ago

Jimmy Schuldt Injured On Saturday
Colton Sissons18 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Denny Hamlin18 hours ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Austin Cindric18 hours ago

Martinsville Is Austin Cindric's Best Short Track
Kyle Busch18 hours ago

Short-Track Performance At Richard Childress Racing Is Pretty Dire
Brad Keselowski18 hours ago

If Brad Keselowski Has Any Speed Whatsoever, He's A Killer DFS Option
Noah Gragson18 hours ago

Teammates Will Likely Outrun Him On Sunday
Michael McDowell18 hours ago

Martinsville One Of Michael McDowell's Worst Tracks
Ricky Stenhouse Jr18 hours ago

. Consistently Slow At Martinsville
Erik Jones18 hours ago

Has Worst Qualifying Run At A Track That Already Wasn't His Best
John Hunter Nemechek18 hours ago

Has Fastest Legacy Car, But That's Not Saying A Lot
Riley Herbst18 hours ago

Unlikely To Gain Enough Positions To Justify DFS Play
Cody Ware18 hours ago

Unlikely To Contend At Martinsville
Burt Myers18 hours ago

Southern Modified Legend Burt Myers Makes Cup Series Debut At Martinsville
NASCAR22 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Has Speed At Martinsville This Weekend
Kyle Larson22 hours ago

Should Kyle Larson Be Underestimated As A Favorite At Martinsville?
William Byron22 hours ago

Is Likely To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Dereck Lively II1 day ago

Ruled Out Versus Chicago
Chicago Bears1 day ago

Doug Kramer Jr. Re-Signs With Chicago
Washington Commanders1 day ago

Foster Sarell Inks One-Year Contract With Washington
Miami Dolphins1 day ago

Willie Gay Jr. Heading To Miami
Seattle Seahawks1 day ago

D'Anthony Bell Signs With Seattle
Nikita Zadorov1 day ago

Set To Rejoin Bruins Lineup Saturday
Chandler Stephenson1 day ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Houston Texans1 day ago

Texans Sign E.J. Speed To One-Year Deal
Buffalo Bills2 days ago

Bills, Christian Benford Reach Agreement On Four-Year Extension
Detroit Lions2 days ago

Lions Re-Sign Kayode Awosika
Irvin Charles2 days ago

Jets Re-Sign Irvin Charles
Green Bay Packers2 days ago

Kristian Welch Signs With Green Bay
Pittsburgh Steelers2 days ago

Jeremiah Moon Heading To Pittsburgh
Teagan Quitoriano2 days ago

Falcons Sign Teagan Quitoriano
2 days ago

Tetairoa McMillan Scheduled To Visit With Panthers
Baltimore Ravens2 days ago

Ravens Reach Three-Year Contract Extension With John Harbaugh
Steve Erceg3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres3 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum3 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira3 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
David Martinez3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas3 days ago

Set To Open Up UFC Mexico City Main Card
Ronaldo Rodríguez3 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Jhonattan Vegas4 days ago

Not A Good Play At Houston Open
Gary Woodland4 days ago

A Dark-Horse Candidate At Houston Open
Nick Taylor4 days ago

Keep An Eye On Nick Taylor At Houston Open
Mackenzie Hughes4 days ago

Avoid Mackenzie Hughes At Houston Open
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Looking To Rebound At Houston Open
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Returns To Houston Looking For Year's First Victory
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Making Additional Start At Houston Open To Prepare For Augusta
Doug Ghim5 days ago

Looking For Iron Form In Houston
Aaron Rai5 days ago

Keep An Eye On Aaron Rai At Houston Open
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Build On Recent History At Memorial Park
Harry Hall5 days ago

Looking For Consistency At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Harris English5 days ago

Looking To Build Off Solid Finish At The PLAYERS
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

A Risky Option At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Alex Smalley5 days ago

A Strong Play At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Michael Kim5 days ago

Bounces Back At Valspar Championship
PGA5 days ago

Sungjae Im Looking For Bounce-Back Performance At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Austin Eckroat5 days ago

A Player To Avoid At Texas Children's Houston Open
PGA5 days ago

Nico Echavarria A Volatile Option At Texas Children's Houston Open
Joe Highsmith5 days ago

Continues Post-Win Success And Is Looking For More In Houston
Adam Hadwin5 days ago

Far From Good Form As He Heads To Texas
Ben Griffin6 days ago

Looking For Consistency At Houston Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]


Bhaysul Tuten - NFL Draft Prospects, Rookie Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Single QB

The 2025 NFL Combine has now been completed, so it's worth doing another mock draft to see where everyone stands after the league's pre-draft testing event. Overall, there were a few surprises, but the order of many players will remain the same. The mental domain of the original rankings, which have been fairly set in […]


Rashid Shaheed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Later-Career Breakout Candidates

Typically, most NFL players break out in the early parts of their careers. Between the ages of 20 and 25 is when you expect to see the majority of players have their first big season. Some waste no time and put together excellent years while they're rookies, while some need more time to develop. These […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

HuThe NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Marvin Mims Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued Draft Targets For Every AFC Team

Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. Much will change over the next several months, including the rest of free agency, the NFL Draft, and training camp. However, it’s never too early to look at potential sleeper candidates and undervalued draft targets for next season. Therefore, let’s look at […]


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Worst NFL Contracts: Seven Overpaid, Overvalued Players For 2025

Free agency is in full swing, and teams are handing out big contracts left, right, and center. Myles Garrett became the highest-paid non-QB just a few weeks ago, and Ja'Marr Chase broke that record almost instantly! But big contracts aren't always a success; just ask these teams. These teams had high hopes when they spent […]


Tank Bigsby - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Dynasty Sleepers - Undervalued Running Backs For 2025

Getting ahead of the game is the name of the game in any game, especially if that game happens to be dynasty fantasy football and you want to find underrated running backs to add to your rosters. The shelf life for many RBs isn't very long in the NFL, so it's a position you want […]