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Statistics review
How does Zion Williamson compare to other players?
This section compares his stats to all players from the last three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player’s percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway up, the player is in the 50th percentile for that value and is considered average.
Effective Field Goal %
59.0%
Fantasy points per game
37.7
Fantasy points per minute
1.2
Historical ADP
Pelicans depth chart
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Current RotoWire articles with Zion Williamson More information
The brief moments we saw from Williamson were impressive. He showed he can be a dominant fantasy force in the 2020-21 season, averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 61.1 percent from the field. However, injuries were a problem. He only played 24 games in his rookie season, 61 in his second season and didn’t play at all last season. Late in the season, it appeared that he might have been healthy enough to play, and there was speculation that he might try to leave New Orleans at some point. Those concerns were put to rest when he signed a five-year, $231 maximum rookie contract this summer. With a lot of money on his hands, all signs point to him being ready to play come the start of the season. He will have the most talented group around him yet with Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas. There are many injury concerns that come with his signing and he could miss a game in back-to-back sets early in the season. However, if you want him, you’ll likely have to spend a second or third round pick to add him to your roster.
After a short but impressive rookie season, Williamson improved enough in his second year to make his first All-Star team. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick averaged 27.0 points on an absurd 61.1 percent shooting rate and added 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 33.2 minutes. That led to him ranking 50th in fantasy per game. There are still clear gaps in Williamson’s game – including his poor free throw shooting (69.8 percent on 8.7 attempts), subpar defense (0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks) and lack of a three-point shot (0.2 points at 29.4 percent). – but he is such a dominant scorer that these weaknesses hardly slow him down. Perhaps the biggest indicator of how unstoppable he can be is the fact that he was fouled on 22.5 percent of his shot attempts – the third-highest number last season among players who played at least 1,000 minutes, and well ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Williamson also improved throughout the year, and from mid-February his performances consistently reached new heights. For example, in a 25-game period from February 12 to April 11, Williamson averaged 29.5 points on 63.3 percent shooting, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists. He also had 21 games with at least 30 points, along with 14 double-doubles. The sky appears to be the limit for Williamson in the 2021-22 season. He’ll still share a decent portion of the offense with Brandon Ingram and new additions Devonte’ Graham and Jonas Valanciunas, but the franchise needs to focus on making sure Williamson is happy in his role. If he can improve modestly, particularly as a free throw shooter and defender, Williamson has clear upside in the second through third rounds, where he will likely be drafted.
Due to a torn meniscus he suffered in preseason, Williamson’s rookie debut was delayed until January 22 against the Spurs. He had a fantastic performance, scoring 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists in just 18 minutes. He played less than 30 minutes in the next four appearances but still averaged 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists. In the final 14 games before the offseason, Williamson played 31.4 minutes per game and averaged 18.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals. Williamson was unconvincing at the start of the bubble, but redeemed himself toward the end by averaging 24.0 points in 24.7 minutes in his last three appearances. As impressive as his rookie campaign was, it didn’t translate to fantasy. On a per-game basis across eight leagues, Williamson ranked just 91st and made strong contributions in points (22.5) and field goal percentage (58.3), but failed to excel elsewhere. He was particularly damaging on the free throw rate, making 7.4 attempts per game but only shooting 64.0 percent. That said, if Williamson can make modest improvements in all areas while also playing minutes closer to the mid-30s, he should be able to significantly increase his fantasy value despite obvious deficiencies in his game.
The Pelicans took no chances in the 2019 NBA Draft, selecting Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick. Williamson enters the league as one of the most hyped talents in recent memory – possibly since LeBron James in 2003. The Duke one-and-done averaged 22.6 points on an absurd 68.0 percent shooting percentage, 8 .9 rebounds and 2.1 assists and 1.8 blocks in 33 college games. Williamson will be the focus of the Pelicans’ mini-rebuild after Anthony Davis was traded to the Lakers. Williamson is virtually certain from Day 1, but his true position at the NBA level remains a mystery. At 285 pounds, Williamson has the bulk to play center, but his 6-foot-3 frame suggests he’s more of a forward. To make matters worse, Williamson’s jump shot is clearly a work in progress and the Pelicans may need to work on always lining up four floor spacers around him. What we do know is that he has the potential to be one of the best athletes we’ve ever seen on the hardwood, and there should be no shortage of gravity-defying dunks, blocks and rebounds. From a fantasy perspective, it seems safe to count on the rookie to rank high as a rebounder, defender and efficient inside scorer. The other things – the number of points, the passing game, the three-point shooting, the free throw rate – are unclear.
