76ers' Markelle Fultz: Will open season in bench role

Fultz will come off the bench to start the season, Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Analysis:

Despite being the No. 1 overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, Fultz was limited throughout the preseason schedule because of a couple of different injuries, so coach Brett Brown isn't ready to have his prized rookie run the offense quite yet. Instead, Fultz will be brought off the bench, with the hope of easing him into what eventually should be a big role. That likely means Jerryd Bayless will start ahead of him, though the Sixers haven't stated exactly who will take that top spot right away. Coming off the bench certainly doesn't help Fultz's value right out of the gate, and he may need some time to develop into a reliable fantasy option, so monitor his progress over the first few weeks of the season. Fultz was also able to practice in full on Sunday and should be good to go for Wednesday's preseason opener against the Wizards.