Is Kyrie Irving a good NBA basketball fantasy pick? Projecting Mavericks star's 2023-24 returns

When it comes to being a highlight reel in the NBA, Kyrie Irving has dazzled fans with his incredible array of moves since he first arrived in the league. In his 12 seasons in the league, Irving has grown a lot as a scorer, a finisher and even a decision-maker.

One aspect of him that remains inconsistent is his health status. Coupled with his age, the Mavericks star is an interesting NBA basketball fantasy pick.

With that said, is Kyrie Irving a good NBA basketball fantasy pick? The short answer is no. According to RotoWire's Alex Barutha, Irving has struggled to remain healthy for more than 60 games in his past four seasons. It's also difficult to pinpoint how his consistency will turn out playing alongside Luka Doncic, coupled with his risk of injuries.

Additionally, he has missed two preseason games already due to groin soreness. He has been ruled "out indefinitely" as his status has not been improving and will need further evaluation before the season starts, as per NetsDaily.com's Alec Sturm.

During his 2023-24 preseason debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kyrie Irving dropped two points (1-of-6 shooting, including 0-of-2 from 3-point range) and two assists.

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Possible returns of drafting Kyrie Irving in 2023-24 NBA fantasy

In the scenario that one were to draft Kyrie Irving in NBA fantasy 2023-24, what are the possible returns from the Mavericks star? For starters, Irving remains one of the best scorers in the league at 31 years of age.

In the 20 games that Irving played with the Mavericks last season, he put up 27.0 points (51.0% shooting, including 39.2% from 3-point range), 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Irving is efficient from beyond the arc. Additionally, it is to be expected that there will be games where his offensive showing, along with Doncic's, will carry the Mavericks to victories. This is due to their roster lacking some offensive depth.

According to CBS Sports, Irving's three-year fantasy points average is at 42.7, with over 2,051 total points per season. Meanwhile, his projected fantasy points for the 2023-24 season is at 1,755 with 362 fantasy assists, as per Number Fire.

Additionally, Kyrie Irving has also continued to make important strides as a playmaker at the point guard position. Besides being recognized as a scoring point guard, he has been one of the more consistent facilitating guards in the NBA.

Irving is also entering the 2023-24 regular season after a three-year, $120,000,000 contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks.