Week 3 Schedule Grid:
4 Games: BKN, CHA, CHI, LAC, MEM, MIL, TOR, UTA, WAS
3 Games: ATL, BOS, CLE, DET, GSW, HOU, LAL, MIA, MIN, NOR, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SAC, SAS
2 Games: DAL, DEN, IND
Week 3 Back-to-Backs:
Sunday (Oct. 30)-Monday: DET, HOU, LAC, WAS
Monday-Tuesday: BKN
Tuesday-Wednesday: CHI, MIA
Wednesday-Thursday:
Thursday-Friday: GSW
Friday-Saturday: BOS, BKN, CHA, MIL, MIN, NOR, NYK, PHX, POR, SAS
Saturday-Sunday:
Waiver Wire Pickups:
*To qualify for this list, players have to be available in over 60% of Yahoo Leagues. Anyone that is not will be noted with a *. Players are listed in the order that I would prioritize them. The % rostered is accurate as of 10/28/2022. For NBA News and fantasy advice, find me on Twitter here!
*Bol Bol (55%)- I’m breaking the rules already, but we can’t not talk about Bol Bol after the week he just had. After opening the season with minutes in the teens, fantasy managers were excited to watch him but probably never imagined that he’d actually stick. And now he’s played 20+ minutes in two straight and has looked sensational on both ends of the floor.
Bol Bol with a new career high in points!
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 25, 2022
19 PTS (8/10 FG), 5 REB, 4 BLK in 20 MINS off the benchpic.twitter.com/0dFHwQDDC5
His block rate is truly unbelievable, as he’s swatting 5.4 shots per 36 minutes. And the scary part is that he hasn’t even found his rhythm from beyond the arc yet after Wendell Carter Jr. said he was the best shooter on the team. Bol Bol has been an 8th-rounder in 9-cat in only 17 minutes per game, so if his role keeps on climbing we could have our next fantasy unicorn.
Jaylen Nowell (23%)- Nowell was hyped all offseason by the Wolves as their new sixth man and he has certainly delivered, drawing praise for his microwave scoring ability. “He’s the best scorer on the team, by far,” Anthony Edwards said. “He’s incredible to watch. It’s must-see TV with him, for sure.” Nowell has been an 8th-rounder in 9-cat in only 21.8 minutes, averaging 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.8 triples on 47% from the field. The scary part? Nowell shot this well from the field all last season.
Jalen McDaniels (18%)- His brother Jaden has the fantasy industry drooling, but Jalen has been making some noise in Charlotte while nobody is watching. He’s coming off his best game of the season and has been a top-50 player in 9-cat so far with 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.0 blocks and 2.3 triples. He could absolutely stick in his new role as someone who can play all over the floor.
Tari Eason (35%)- Fantasy managers are dropping Eason left and right, so I’m scooping him up everywhere I can. The logjam at forward in Houston is obviously frustrating, but KJ Martin Jr.‘s days are numbered and Jae’Sean Tate isn’t on the same planet as the rookie. The minutes are coming though, so I’m going to urge you to be patient here.
The crazy thing is despite all the competition, Eason is STILL a 12th-rounder in 9-cat in 19.1 minutes. Good luck finding that upside elsewhere on your wire.
Grant Williams (34%)- Grant may be dropped in some leagues because of his suspension so be ready to pounce. If we ignore the game in which he was ejected, Grant would be sitting on season averages of 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 dimes, 1.3 blocks and 2.7 triples with absurd efficiency. And he doesn’t even have any steals in that sample size and we know they will come with how active he is defensively.
Jalen Duren (38%)- Duren is trending down after his monstrous season opener, but ups and downs are par for the course when you’re talking about the youngest player in the NBA. His minutes are still sitting above 20 per game, and if that holds, I think he will pay off as a hold if you can live with his ability to imitate Shaq at the free throw line. Through five games he’s sitting on averages of 8.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on 58% from the field.
Lonnie Walker (37%)- Lonnie has been one of the few bright spots for the Lakers this season, as he’s putting up late-round fantasy value as their starting SG with 15.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.0 triples in 32 minutes per game. Russell Westbrook could be on the move for failing to hit a jump shot in his last 100 games, so the big concern for Lonnie is whether the Lakers are able to snag a SG such as Buddy Hield from the Pacers.
Josh Richardson (15%)- Devin Vassell (knee) and Joshua Primo (glute) are both set to miss their second straight game on Friday, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Spurs are extra cautious with Vassell. Richardson is coming off a double-double and we know he can run an offense in a pinch. He’s not a long-term add unless we get bad news on the severity of Vassell’s knee, but Richardson will be a quality option until the Spurs are whole again.
Chris Boucher (24%)- Coach Nick Nurse actually talked up Boucher for once which isn’t nothing based on their rocky history. Boucher has looked terrific in limited minutes, averaging 11.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 triples and 0.0 blocks in 14.5 minutes. The blocks are coming as you all know, and if the minutes climb closer to 20 we suddenly have a solid end-of-bench option for fantasy rosters.
Caleb Martin (22%)- Martin shook off his slow start to the season, returning from a suspension to light up the Blazers for 16 points with eight rebounds, three assists, four steals and two triples in 29 minutes. He has eight steals through four games, he’s good for a few dimes per game and can hit 3s at a decent clip, so he’s worth adding in standard leagues. Here’s to hoping the Heat don’t trade for Jae Crowder to ruin Caleb’s workload.
Dyson Daniels (2%) Dyson, along with almost the entire roster in New Orleans, is apparently questionable for Friday. If Dyson gets the green light and several Pelicans are held out, the upside here is massive. Dyson was a steals and blocks magnet in the preseason, averaging 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 18 minutes(!). We also got out first extended look at him in the regular season rotation on Tuesday, as he scored 11 points with three rebounds, two assists, three steals, a block and a triple in 22 minutes There is considerable upside here.
Dyson Daniels with 11 points on 4-5, 3 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block in Pelicans shorthanded win over Dallas. Adaptable on/off-ball skill set and mentality. Defensive weapon. Shot improving. pic.twitter.com/HUjjxxpqyc
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) October 26, 2022
Tre Mann (31%)- The Thunder are already sitting studs with minor bumps and bruises which no one saw coming, right? Avoid OKC whenever you can because the tanking nonsense is going to be annoying all season, but I may make an exception for Tre Mann whenever Josh Giddey and/or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander need 14 weeks off for a knee scrape. Tre can’t score with efficiency but he’ll fire away at will which will lead to some nice popcorn stat lines.
Max Strus (29%)- Strus isn’t quite good enough for must-roster status, but he’s the ultimate boom-or-bust streamer who can swing matchups in the points and 3s categories.
Tyus Jones (27%)- The Grizzlies continue to utilize lineups with Tyus next to Ja Morant, so until that changes, Tyus could be a late-rounder. He’s averaging 11.0 points, 3.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 2.0 triples, but based on his career numbers, we should see some positive regression in both dimes and steals.
Talen Horton-Tucker (6%)- THT has emerged in Utah with back-to-back impressive performances. He scored 14 points (5-of-11 FGs, 2-of-3 FTs) with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and two triples in 28 minutes vs. Houston, and prior to that he scored nine points with five rebounds, three assists, a steal, two blocks and a triple across 17 minutes. THT has always been able to fill a stat sheet when the usage is there, and it’s nice to see that he has improved from beyond the arc. Several players including Lauri Markkanen have really talked him up, so he’s a nice flier for the back-to-back set with Mike Conley likely to rest and Collin Sexton banged up.
Precious Achiuwa (39%)- The return of Chris Boucher could take the wind out of his sails, but he’s still off to a strong start to the campaign with 9.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.8 triples. He’s worth a look in points formats, but his complete lack of blocks or steals makes him a tough sell in category leagues.
Patrick Beverley (20%)- Russell Westbrook is on clearance, and Dennis Schröder is still on the mend. Beverley has been a 10th-rounder in 9-cat so far in 29 minutes per game, and that is arguably his floor because of his strong steal/block rates to go with some dimes and 3s.
Cedi Osman (20%)- Do not drop anyone you will miss for Cedi, but he does have another game or two with streaming appeal with Darius Garland (eye) still on the shelf. Through four games, Osman has been a 9th-rounder in 9-cat with 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 triples in 29 minutes per game, hitting shots at a 52% clip.
Malik Beasley (19%)- Malik is not a must-roster player but he’s getting the job done as a streamer as the Jazz showcase him to contenders. Through five games, Malik has been trying to keep up with Jordan Clarkson, averaging 12.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.0 triples.
Larry Nance Jr. (14%)- Zion Williamson and Herb Jones are carrying questionable tags, while Brandon Ingram is out with a concussion. Nance Jr. is the next man up in New Orleans and has a strong fantasy resume with several years of mid-round fantasy production. In 26.5 minutes per game over his last, he averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 dimes and 0.5 triples.
Watch List:
Shaedon Sharpe (6%)- Damian Lillard (calf) is out 1-2 weeks, and Sharpe and Justise Winslow (worth a look in points formats) are the guys likely to step into those minutes. Sharpe can score on all three levels and has had a couple of head-turning moments already this season. Just be mindful that the Blazers have a very light schedule for the next week.
Jeremy Sochan (4%)- The rookie has scored in double digits in back-to-back games and is a solid source of defensive stats. While he’s not known for his offense, he’ll have a little more upside with both Devin Vassell and Joshua Primo injured.
R.J. Hampton (3%)- This is nothing but a complete dart throw. Cole Anthony (oblique, out indefinitely) has joined Jalen Suggs and Markelle Fultz on the shelf, leaving Hampton as the last man standing. Terrence Ross will be tempted to go rogue and take 45 shots, but Hampton could soak up a lot of usage as well and has put up some head-turning lines before – he’s had his fair share of complete duds as well. It makes sense to watch him closely on Friday before making a decision.
Austin Reaves (2%) and Damian Jones (2%)- The Lakers are looking to shake things up and we could see both Reaves and Jones with the starters going forward. While Reaves has been underwhelming, it’s worth remembering that this guy was outstanding down the stretch last season. And if you played fantasy last season, you know how solid Jones can be when the minutes are there.
Isaiah Livers (2%)- He had 12 points, two rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block in a loss to the Hawks, and his minutes are slowly ramping up. Livers was a breakout pick amongst the Detroit beat writers before the season and can play multiple positions on a team with very little quality depth.
Deni Avdija (7%)- He started the opener for a reason after a strong summer, but the injury has obviously slowed him down. He’s coming off a strong showing and is worth watching with the limited depth on the wings in Washington.