11 games, a ton of fantasy impacts and the Warriors finally won a game. Just another Monday night in the NBA. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here!
Pistons 96, Pacers 94 – Outside of Andre Drummond the Pistons box score was pretty brutal. But my man, Luke Kennard, did come through with 14 points, three boards, four assists and three 3-pointers in 31 minutes. He’s mostly just a points and threes guy, but he’s been reliable and consistent thus far and I’m going to stick with him. And then our guy Christian Wood went nuts with 19 points, 12 rebounds, a block and three 3-pointers. I started him in DFS against some buddies right when the season started and he laid a dud, causing them to ask ‘who?’ But Blake Griffin’s out indefinitely and Wood has played well in his last two. He’s worth a look.
There wasn’t really anything to learn from the Pacers last night, unless Domantas Sabonis (21 & 14) is still available in your 8-man league.
Knicks 105, Bulls 98– Guess who I cut last night? Bobby Portis. He got some revenge on the Bulls (and me) with 28 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and four 3-pointers on 10-of-14 shooting. He’s had 11 boards in two straight and he fully exploded tonight. I don’t know if he’s going to be able to play well consistently, but he’s worth grabbing until we find out. Elfrid Payton went down with a calf injury and Dennis Smith Jr. was out for personal reasons, so Frank Ntilikina took his 22 minutes and flushed them down the toilet: 0-for-6, zero points, two assists, three turnovers. Get well soon, Elf. If Payton will miss multiple games, I’ll probably cut him. If he may be back for next one, I’ll probably keep him. Otto Porter is being load managed by the Bulls due to hip issues and is off to a horrid start. He’s too good to drop, but he’s almost too bad to start right now.[[ad:athena]]
For the Bulls, Wendell Carter Jr. went off for 20 & 10 with three blocks and a steal, and if he can stay healthy, he’s going to be a beast. Tomas Satoransky was rough, hitting 1-of-5 shots for two points and five dimes. Zach LaVine’s dominating the ball, Coby White is coming along, and Sato’s been a bust so far. If you feel the need to move on, I won’t stop you. Thaddeus Young’s on a lot of my wires and he had 15 points, four boards and a couple 3-pointers. He’s probably worth using on four-game weeks, despite the greatness of starter Lauri Markkanen.
Raptors 104, Magic 95– All five Raps starters were in double digits and Serge Ibaka just missed a double-double off the bench, thanks to 3-of-10 shooting. Just make sure Fred VanVleet (big line) and OG Anunoby (12 points, 8 boards, 5 steals, 2 blocks, 2 3-pointers) aren’t sitting on your wire (hint: they shouldn’t be).
For the Magic, it’s pretty simple. Jonathan Isaac finally broke out (career-high 24 points, 7 boards, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 5 3-pointers), Evan Fournier scored 18, Aaron Gordon (1-of-6 shooting) and Nikola Vucevic (1-of-13) were awful, and Markelle Fultz easily outplayed starter D.J. Augustin. Fultz, the former No. 1 pick, got more run than DJA and it could only be a matter of time before Fultz overtakes him as the starter. He’s a hold/pickup. Terrence Ross didn’t play great (1-of-8 3-pointers), but he’s getting minutes and still has three more games this week, making him worth a look in deeper leagues. Gordon’s really struggled (7-of-24 shooting this season) and the emergence of Isaac probably isn’t going to help. I think I’d wait for him to blow up and then try to sell high.
Sixers 105, Hawks 103– Joel Embiid sealed the win with a couple big free throws and posted a monster line. Apparently his ankle is fine. Al Horford had just five points worth of revenge on the Hawks in one of the night’s best games, but the five starters are the only Sixers worth owning right now.
Trae Young celebrated his Player of the Week Award with another monster night but hit just 7-of-20 shots and committed seven turnovers. He’s making the Hawks one of the more exciting teams to watch and I’m thrilled I drafted him everywhere I could. De’Andre Hunter was nice with 14 points, nine rebounds, a steal and two 3-pointers, but somehow had the ball in his hands with the game on the line and took a shaky shot. He’s worth grabbing in many leagues. Cam Reddish is starting, but isn’t a fantasy guy just yet, while there’s not a lot to love about the Hawks bench, at least in fantasy. Alex Len has been brutal. Go pick up Richaun Holmes or Portis if they’re sitting out there. Kevin Huerter is back but hasn’t been able to flirt with fantasy value yet and I’m glad I’m not sitting on him.
Bucks 129, Cavaliers 112– All five Bucks starters hit double digits and I recently added Wesley Matthews in a deep league. He had 14 points, a couple threes and a steal, which is about all you can hope for. Pat Connaughton and George Hill scored 17 and 19 points, respectively, but I don’t trust either of them due to their inconsistency off the bench.
For the Cavs, Cedi Osman had 10 points and two 3-pointers, and I moved on from him after his one-point dud a couple nights ago. No regrets, yet. Collin Sexton continues to be more scorer than point guard and Darius Garland might just be a lesser version of Sexton. But I still like both guys. Tristan Thompson is sitting on some waiver wires and went off again with 17 points and 13 boards. He’s as vanilla as centers come, but he’s playing very well right now and should be owned. Jordan Clarkson scored 17 with a couple 3-pointers and has played well in two straight. I don’t love him, but he’s worth a look. And despite coming off the bench, Larry Nance (15 & 8, 2 3-pointers, 2 blocks) should be owned everywhere.
Rockets 116, Thunder 112– P.J. Tucker has quietly scored 16 or 17 in each of his three games with plenty of boards, steals and 3-pointers (12). Make sure he’s not sitting out there in your league. Danuel House had nine points, five boards and a 3-pointer on an off-shooting night and is worth a deep-league look. Ignore the Rockets’ bench and you don’t need me to tell you about James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Clint Capela.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making us look good and went off for 22 points, nine boards, four assists, two 3-pointers and zero turnovers, despite hitting just 8-of-21 shots. He’d been struggling at the line this season but made all four of his FTs last night, which was nice to see. I turned down an offer of Ben Simmons for him tonight, which felt weird. But we were all in on SGA coming into the season and he’s completely lived up to the hype thus far. Dennis Schroder was sitting on some waiver wires but you’ll have to hurry. He’s averaging 22 points, 6.5 boards, 6.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.5 3-pointers over his last two games. Run, don’t walk, to get him. Nerlens Noel scored 15 with three rebounds and two steals last night. Just put him on your radar in case he gets going. Starting shooting guard Terrance Ferguson might be the most useless fantasy starter in the league. He’ll have his moments but is generally an afterthought in the OKC offense.
Warriors 134, Pelicans 123– Well what do you know? The Warriors won their first game on Monday! D’Angelo Russell (24-7-8), Stephen Curry (26 & 11) and Draymond Green (16-17-10 triple-double) finally did what they’re supposed to do, and the Warriors got a win as a result. Glenn Robinson III started and had 12 points, nine boards, a steal and a block in 31 minutes, and Jordan Poole started and scored 13 minutes. GRob3 intrigues me and if he continues to start and get those minutes, he could be a solid deep-league pickup. I’m not feeling Poole yet. Damion Lee came off the bench and went off for 23 points, 11 boards and four 3-pointers in 28 minutes. He hadn’t done anything prior, so this could be a fluke. Just put him on your radar but keep in mind he could see a boost with Jacob Evans suffering an adductor injury last night. I’ve seen Eric Paschall and Omari Spellman get scooped off some wires in deep leagues, but I have trust issues with both of them. And Marquese Chriss got sent back to the bench and fully disappeared, finishing with four points in eight minutes. If you’ve never owned Chriss before, welcome to your worst nightmare. He had 10 points, four boards, three dimes, and four steals a night earlier, when he started and played 23 minutes. He’s the ultimate fantasy adventure that will usually let you down.
Brandon Ingram continues to roll and had another huge stat line, J.J. Redick continues to confuse and hit just 1-of-10 shots, and Josh Hart had another solid stat line and should be owned. Derrick Favors was out with a sore knee, so Jahlil Okafor started and lasted just 12 minutes with six points, five boards, a steal and a block. He’s worth keeping an eye on if Favors is going to miss more time. As for Favors, I’m fine with dropping or holding, depending on your situation. He’s off to a slow start but should be good in New Orleans before it’s all said and done. The bench was interesting last night as Kenrich Williams (16 points, 3 steals, 1 block, 3 3-pointers), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (15 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal and 2 3-pointers) and Jaxson Hayes (19 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 9-of-11 shooting) all went off. Guess who just dropped NAW? Me. Alexander-Walker should be owned, and Williams and Hayes need to be on your radar. Especially with Favors and Zion Williams currently on the shelf. Nicolo Melli played just 12 minutes and it’s probably time to move on. I can’t believe Redick was that bad with Jrue Holiday sitting and nursing his sore knee.
Spurs 113, Blazers 110– Bryn Forbes is worth a look and had 14 points, seven boards and two 3-pointers. He’s scored between 14 and 20 points in his three games and is rebounding and hitting 3-pointers. Dejounte Murray isn’t a scoring dynamo but is filling the stat sheet, despite being on a minutes limit. Once that’s over, look out, but also keep in mind he’s likely to miss a game later this week when the Spurs play back-to-back on Thur/Fri. Derrick White (21 points, 5 boards, 3 assists) was great and Patty Mills had 12 points, three assists, a steal and three 3-pointers off the bench. White has steadily been coming on so give him a look going forward.
For the Blazers, Rodney Hood came back to earth, Anthony Tolliver started for Zach Collins (shoulder), Hassan Whiteside struggled, and Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum went off. Tolliver had five points, 10 boards, a steal and a 3-pointer, and is worth a deep-league look as long as Collins is out. We’re still waiting for Collins’ MRI results. The guy I thought might step up in Collins’ absence was Kent Bazemore, but he hit just 1-of-9 shots for three points before fouling out. He still played 24 minutes and blocked three shots, and I still think he’ll be worth owning, especially if Collins is going to miss time. Anfernee Simons, Mario Hezonja and Skal Labissiere all got a boost in Zach’s absence, but I like Baze and Tolliver a little better.
Nuggets 101, Kings 94– The Nuggets box score was pretty uneventful outside of Jamal Murray and Gary Harris both playing well, while Mason Plumley came off the bench for 10 points, seven boards, three assists and a block. The five starters are the guys you want to own in Denver, while Jerami Grant will be a hot pickup on nights when Paul Millsap is resting. Millsap was mysteriously quiet last night, so hopefully he’s OK.
The Kings got a nice line from starter De’Aaron Fox, while Buddy Hield hit just 2-of-13 shots on the night. Both guys are banged up, but they’ll be fine. This is a nice buy-low moment on Hield. My guy Nemanja Bjelica has a four-game week and started it off with 12 points, six boards, three dimes, a steal, three blocks and four 3-pointers. Which is exactly why I stuck with him for this week. Starter Dewayne Dedmon was nearly invisible, prompting Richaun Holmes to step up and go off for 24 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks on 10-of-14 shooting. He’d done next to nothing prior to Monday night, but this was an attention grabber. I say pick him up, especially given Dedmon’s struggles and a possible promotion coming for Richaun. Harrison Barnes is super boring, but also still worth owning.
Jazz 96, Suns 95– Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell went crazy in the one-point win, while Mike Conley’s slow start to the season got even slower. He missed all seven shots and scored one point. I’m not sure if it’s playing alongside Mitchell that’s killing him, but his shooting and stat lines have been pretty atrocious. He’s too good to cut and is an interesting buy-low target if you don’t own him. He simply has to get better. Joe Ingles is making me mad due to his slow start and he hit just 1-of-6 shots for three points last night. Gross. But he also hit a 3-pointer and had nine rebounds, five assists and a steal. Jingles has a really fantasy-friendly game and chances are he gets it turned around. If you have to drop him, make sure it’s for a sure thing.
Kelly Oubre’s great start to the season continued on Monday and Devin Booker (21 points) and Ricky Rubio (10-10-8) were great. Aron Baynes had 12 points, one rebound and three 3-pointers before fouling out. He hit all four of his shots, so it feels like his line should have been better than it was. I’m just going to hold him. Dario Saric, coming off a promising double-double on Saturday, disappeared with four points in 21 minutes. I’m going to blame it on the Utah defense. Frank Kaminsky hit just 3-of-11 shots off the bench for 10 points, eight boards, three assists, a steal, a block and two 3-pointers. I’m also hanging onto him with Deandre Ayton’s suspension. The bench star of the night was backup point guard Jevon Carter, who had 15 points, four boards, three assists, two steals and three 3-pointers, one of which came at a crucial juncture in the game. I somehow ended up with him in my 30-team lineup this week, so I was thrilled. He’s hit 10 3- pointers with five steals and a slew of rebounds and assists through four games. He’s certainly worth a look in most leagues until he cools down.
Clippers 111, Hornets 96– Patrick Patterson is starting for the Clippers and my 30-team league, but he’s not worth owning in almost any other league. Ivica Zubac got loose for seven points, six boards and a career-high five blocks, and he’s coming on. He has 30 points, 21 rebounds and 8 blocks over his last three games. Landry Shamet got loose for 16 points and four 3-pointers but has been inconsistent to start the season. I’d rather take a flier on Alexander-Walker. And as usual, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell played more like starters than bench guys. And yes, Kawhi Leonard went off again.
For the Hornets, Cody Zeller posted his third straight double-double, putting him in must-own territory. The kids (Miles Bridges, P.J. Washington and Dwayne Bacon) all started and did just enough to keep them on fantasy teams, while Terry Rozier filled the stat sheet in every column with 17 points and a bunch of goodies. Devonte’ Graham bounced back with 14 points, a career-high 12 assists, a block and two 3-pointers off the bench for his first double-double, and should be owned at this point, while Malik Monk scored 15 off the bench. That one looks like a fluke.
Good luck on Tuesday night!
