Week 2 Schedule: Games Played
4 Games: BKN, CHI, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, MIA, MIN, NYK, ORL, PHI, SAS, UTA
3 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CLE, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIL, NOR, OKC, PHX, POR, TOR, WAS
2 Games: SAC
Week 2 Back-to-Backs:
Sunday (October 23rd)-Monday: MIN, POR, UTA
Monday-Tuesday: N/A
Tuesday-Wednesday: DET
Wednesday-Thursday: BKN, MIA
Thursday-Friday: N/A
Friday-Saturday: ATL, CHA, CHI, IND, MIL, PHI, UTA
Saturday-Sunday: DAL, GSW
Waiver Wire Pickups:
*To qualify for this list, players have to be available in over 60% of Yahoo Leagues. Players are listed in the order that I would prioritize them. The % rostered is accurate as of 10/20/2022.
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Jalen Duren (40%)- Other than Paolo Banchero, I can’t think of another rookie who impressed me more than Duren. Coming into the season, Duren was labeled “raw” and several beat writers expected him to start out in the G League… Yeah, that’s not happening. Isaiah Stewart did fine, but Duren was on another planet as he racked up 14 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and three blocks in 24 minutes.
JALEN DUREN GOT UP‼️ pic.twitter.com/bSgvzSYyn9
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 19, 2022
Duren does have some road blocks coming because coach Dwane Casey is basically Marvin Bagley‘s manager and Isaiah Livers will need some rotation minutes, but the Pistons have to be smart enough to realize that Duren NEEDS 25+ minutes. He brings rim protection, vertical spacing and an ability to run the floor like few his size can. Let’s add him everywhere and see how this plays out. Just beware of his FT%.
Walker Kessler (29%)- Foul trouble for Kelly Olynyk and Jarred Vanderbilt allowed us to get a much bigger look at Kessler than anticipated. Kessler finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal in 24 minutes, becoming the first player in history to double-double and shoot 100% in their rookie debut. And the scary part is that he didn’t even provide his usual protection. Remember, this is a guy who averaged 4.6 blocks in 25 minutes per game at Auburn. That is not a typo.
Vanderbilt isn’t going anywhere and played phenomenal, but he’s usually going to spend the bulk of his time at the four. That means Olynyk is the only thing standing in the rookie’s way. He probably won’t be reliable in the short term, but rostering Kessler is a forward-thinking move as he could swing matchups with his elite block rate in the second half of the season.
Trey Murphy III (16%)- When you look at the roster in New Orleans, the first thing that stands out is the lack of spacing. Trey Murphy III fixes that. Murphy III hit four 3-pointers for 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a block in 24 minutes of Wednesday’s season opener, showcasing his smooth and quick release. “Trey was great,” coach Willie Green said. “When he’s open, shoot the ball. Don’t hesitate, just be ready.”
Year 2 debut for TMIII 🔥
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 20, 2022
16 points (4-6 from 3)
9 boards
2 dimes
1 block#Pelicans | @treymurphy pic.twitter.com/HENqWLWiTP
Murphy III tried to warn the fantasy industry by leading the Pelicans in fantasy value during the preseason, averaging 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks and 3.5 triples in 24 minutes. If he can keep his minutes in the mid-20s, there’s a lot to like here.
Bruno Fernando (18%)- When it was announced that Bruno was starting ahead of Alperen Şengün, a lot of mouths dropped. But when Bruno actually took the floor, it suddenly made a lot more sense. The big man nearly triple-doubled, posting seven points with nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocks in 25 minutes. When asked about the decision, coach Stephen Silas cited his rebounding, rim protection and mobility in their up-tempo system. Bringing Sengun off the bench also allows the Rockets to manufacture touches for him and make him a focal point of the offense unlike when he shares the floor with Jalen Green. I’m taking a flier on Bruno everywhere for the mystery-box upside.
Daniel Gafford (22%)- Kristaps Porzingis “turned his left ankle as he and teammates were jumping around immediately after pregame introductions.” That is the most Porzingis thing ever. While he could absolutely be fine for Friday, it’s a reminder of just how fragile that guy is. As for Gafford, he had a strong season debut with 12 points, seven rebounds, one steal and one block in only 16 minutes. He could have standalone value as a specialist for FG%, rebounds and blocks as a reserve, but when Porzingis inevitably has to miss time, look out.
Grant Williams (22%)- Grant “bet on himself” by turning down an extension offer from the Celtics and looks ready to make another leap after an impressive finish to 2021-22. His debut went well, as he put up 15 points (2-of-3 FTs), one rebound, one assist, and three 3-pointers in 24 minutes. With Grant turning himself into a deadly 3-point shooter, the thing that will make or break his fantasy value is whether or not he improves his steal/block rates. Last season, Grant averaged 0.5 steals and 0.7 blocks in 24.4 minutes.
Nick Richards (11%)- Charlotte fans had to watch in sheer horror as Jalen Duren, the center they traded away on draft night, went absolutely bonkers vs. the Magic in his debut. Meanwhile, Mark Williams is currently the third-string center in Charlotte behind Mason Plumlee and Nick Richards. While I don’t understand why Plumlee is still a thing, at least Richards has some upside. He terrorized the Spurs on the glass, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes.
Royce O’Neale (18%)- The Nets have some reinforcements on the way in Joe Harris and Seth Curry, but Royce may be more important than both this season as one of the few reliable defenders on the entire roster. Royce ended up with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, two blocks, two triples and zero turnovers in his debut, playing a total of 34 minutes. That number is likely to come down, but Royce can do everything on the stat sheet and may offer late-round value for the entirety of the season. He is their new Bruce Brown with more stat-stuffing upside.
Max Strus (15%)- Victor Oladipo is cooked, sadly, as he can’t seem to get his body right. Strus is without a doubt the new sixth man in Miami, with coach Erik Spoelstra also saying he’ll be the only consistent part of the second unit. He won’t shoot the lights out every night like he did in the opener, but this is a guy who averages over four triples per 36 minutes over the past year. His upside in the other categories aren’t great, but he’s a solid specialist and at worst, a viable streamer.
Jalen Williams (27%)- An eye injury robbed us of Williams’ debut. He was one of the most impressive rookies at both Summer League and the preseason, showing an ability to facilitate the offense like a 10-year veteran. The most intriguing thing about Jalen is that he’s a hedge against all the studs in OKC such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, as everyone in the world is expecting to see some shady things this season in the race for Victor Wembanyama. If I had to predict who the silly-season hero will be down the road, Jalen is a leading contender.
UPDATE: Jalen underwent surgery for an orbital fracture and will miss at least 7-10 days. I’m more than happy to stash him in an I.R. slot in the meantime.
Tyus Jones (27%)- With Dillon Brooks (left thigh soreness) set to miss another game on Friday and possibly more, Tyus suddenly becomes very interesting. Jones had 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers in 25 minutes, spending some time alongside Ja Morant as well. Will he hold value when Brooks gets back? Probably not, but he’s worth a stream in the meantime. The same is likely true for John Konchar who had 12 points (4-of-11 FGs), 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and four 3-pointers.
Malik Beasley (17%)- Malik Beasley is not exciting in fantasy. He’s just not. He’s basically another Max Strus with a worse FG%. However, he’s going to get a ton of shots and most of them will be 3-pointers. The Jazz are hoping he lights it up so they can flip him for a draft pick, meaning the veteran will have the green light to shoot like he’s Dillon Brooks.
Grayson Allen (15%)- With Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton banged up to open the season, Allen could see minutes in the low 30s and we know exactly what he’s going to bring to the table. He played 32 minutes vs. the 76ers on Thursday, putting up 12 points, four assists, three rebounds and two triples on an off night by his standards. I think he could be a top-100 player until the Bucks are back to full strength which could be a few weeks.
Caleb Martin (8%)- Caleb’s season opener was nothing to write home about, but hey, he got the start at power forward and the minutes were there. Martin finished with seven points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a triple, only connecting on 3-of-9 shots.
Joshua Primo (7%)- Primo is not someone you have to add right now, but he should absolutely be thrown on your watch list. I’m not too worried about the position battle with Tre Jones, as I think we’re going to see plenty of lineups featuring both guys this season. Primo is one of the most intriguing youngsters on the roster and you could argue that he has higher upside than Tre even. He had 10 points, five assists, three rebounds and a block in 26 minutes of a game when he didn’t even play that well, so he’s someone I’m going to be keeping a close eye on. He’ll absolutely be a must-start player at some point this season, but it could be a bit.
Cam Reddish (17%)- Have I added Cam Reddish yet? No, as I learned my lesson last season when I picked him up and dropped him almost daily. He’s worth throwing on your watch list though, as he was one of the few Knicks who came to play in the season opener as he sparked a comeback that fell just short in overtime. Reddish finished with 22 points (9-of-15 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs) with five rebounds, three steals, one block, and three 3-pointers in 28 minutes, taking advantage of the absence of Quentin Grimes (foot). Let’s see if his explosion earned him a little extra trust from coach Tom Thibodeau.
Terence Davis (3%)- The Kings were without Keegan Murray in the season opener, allowing Davis to play a featured role off the bench. He outplayed both Davion Mitchell and Malik Monk, scoring 14 points with five rebounds, one assist, two steals, one block and two triples in 25 minutes. Davis was very impressive last season so we shouldn’t be too surprised, and there is reason to believe that he can keep his minutes up when Keegan returns because KZ Okpala is a total zero and the Kings are playing three guards a ton. He’s worth a flier in deeper formats.
Shaedon Sharpe (7%)- The 7th overall pick in the 2022 Draft had an outstanding debut for the Blazers. In only 16 minutes, he put up 12 points, two boards and one dime on top of shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. While Justise Winslow fared well as the sixth man, you have to think that Sharpe has the ability to overtake him for that role with his shot-creating ability. You probably won’t be able to rely on him every night in standard 12-team leagues, but he’s worth rostering in deeper formats and is a great stash at the end of benches.
Jeremy Sochan (5%)- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich doesn’t play rookies, but Victor Wembanyama changed the rules. Sochan played 27 minutes in the season, ending up with four points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. That’s obviously not an exciting fantasy line, but if the minutes are there then there is plenty of reason to watch the rookie going forward. He flashed plenty of upside at Baylor, averaging 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.7 blocks and 0.8 triples in 25 minutes per game.