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Week 4 of the NBA season will be unlike any other that we’ve seen. With Tuesday being Election Day, the league has decided not to schedule any games for that day. As a result, all 30 teams will be in action Monday, and 26 will play Wednesday. Coaches around the league will have some decisions to make, especially the leaders of teams that played on Sunday. With there also being some key players sidelined recently due to either injury or health and safety protocols, the final week of the season’s first month stands to be very interesting.
Week 4 Schedule: Games Played
4 Games: ATL, BOS, BKN, CHA, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, LAL, MEM, MIN, NOP, NYK, OKC, PHI, POR, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS
3 Games: CHI, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, MIA, MIL, ORL, PHO, SAS
-- Sunday/Monday back-to-backs could wreak havoc
Eight teams will begin Week 4 with the second game of a back-to-back, including the Clippers, Lakers, and Grizzlies. Each team has some injuries to deal with, and in the case of the Clippers, some veterans whose availability for back-to-backs has been a bit shaky thus far. And with Tyronn Lue‘s team only playing three games this week, fantasy managers in leagues that don’t allow for daily lineup changes will have decisions to make. Paul George played in both ends of the team’s most recent back-to-back, so he should be fine for Monday’s game against the Cavaliers.
But John Wall (68% rostered in Yahoo leagues) was held out of one leg of each of LA’s first two back-to-backs. And after he played 28 minutes in Sunday’s loss to Utah, it feels safe to assume that he’ll get Monday night off. Wall sitting would give Norman Powell (43% rostered) more time on the ball with the second unit, but his start to the season has been underwhelming. Holding onto Powell while Kawhi Leonard (knee) sits makes some sense, but time is running out concerning the patience that standard league managers can afford to exercise.
As for the team the Clippers share an arena with, the Lakers have consistently listed Anthony Davis (back) and LeBron James (foot) on the injury report. Both have managed to play through pain, but the latter will sit out Monday’s road game against the Jazz. The Lakers will also be without Patrick Beverley (illness) and Lonnie Walker IV (illness). Starting for Beverley, Kendrick Nunn went scoreless on Sunday, but the absences make him a player worth slotting into Monday lineups in deeper leagues.
The Grizzlies watched Steven Adams suffer a sprained right ankle during the third quarter of their win over the Wizards. While he was able to return after getting re-taped, Adams described his ankle as “f*****" when asked after the game. Maybe he toughs it out for Monday’s game against the Celtics, but this could be a night for Xavier Tillman to pick up more playing time. Brandon Clarke filled in at center in the immediate aftermath of Adams’ injury, slotting in next to Santi Aldama. Given how small Boston can play when starting center Al Horford sits, maybe we see more of Clarke and Aldama on the floor together if Adams cannot go.
-- How will the Suns adjust to life without Cam?
Sunday brought about the news many feared would come, with the Suns announcing that Cameron Johnson would undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. How long he’ll be out won’t be known until after the procedure, but what is known is that Torrey Craig will start until Johnson can play again. Rostered in 5% of Yahoo leagues, Craig is ranked outside the top 175 in 9-cat as far as per game value is concerned. He played 22 minutes in Saturday’s win over Portland, finishing with five points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal, three blocks, and one 3-pointer.
Rostering Craig in the short term would be done solely for the defensive potential, as he’s averaging 0.3 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. However, in the three games in which he’s played at least 20 minutes, Craig is averaging 7.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.3 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 1.3 3-pointers. That isn’t great, but it may be enough to make Craig worthy of consideration in deeper leagues. Another Suns player to keep an eye on this week would be Dario Šarić, who played 21 minutes on Saturday and recorded a line of nine points, nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one 3-pointer. Accounting for Johnson’s absence won’t be easy, but players like Craig, Saric, and Josh Okogie will get their chance to step up.
-- Is it “Koloko Time” in Toronto?
The Raptors were once again down a starter, as Pascal Siakam missed Sunday’s win over the Bulls with a groin injury. He could be out for two weeks, which opens the door for rookie Christian Koloko. he started and played 31 minutes Sunday, accounting for 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and six blocked shots. Toronto will play four games next week beginning Monday in Chicago, and that’s the toughest game of the bunch (on paper). Games against Houston, Oklahoma City, and Indiana may provide Koloko with the boost needed to become a bonafide fantasy option while Siakam sits. Rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues, Koloko is worth a look for deep league managers in need of shot blocking (1.5 blocks per game). Chris Boucher (62% rostered) and Precious Achiuwa (44%) are also in the equation, but those two have already been grabbed in your more competitive leagues.
-- Can Hartenstein be a must-roster player after Robinson returns?
Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein was a solid fantasy option even before starter Mitchell Robinson injured his knee, but he was still available in more than 45% of Yahoo leagues. That has changed recently, with Hartenstein now at 59%, but that percentage is still too low. He’s one of two Knicks (Jalen Brunson) providing 5th-round value in 9-cat formats and is essentially the only healthy center that Tom Thibodeau trusts with rotation minutes. Hartenstein played 38 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Celtics and could be in line for a similar workload moving forward. What was a bit frustrating for Knicks fans in that loss was the continued unwillingness to play Obi Toppin next to Julius Randle. Maybe that changes with the Knicks scheduled to play four games this week.
Something else to watch in New York is the shooting guard rotation. Quentin Grimes (foot) landed back on the injury report after replacing Evan Fournier in the starting lineup, sitting out Saturday’s game. Cam Reddish received the starting nod but did little in his 37 minutes on the floor, while Fournier played just 11 minutes. Neither player is worth adding if Grimes can’t play in Monday’s game against the Timberwolves, and Grimes hasn’t played enough to have his fantasy value properly judged.
-- Will Boston’s Horford play in both ends of the upcoming back-to-back?
Boston will end its week with a Friday/Saturday back-to-back, hosting Denver and then visiting Detroit. While Al Horford said during the preseason that he planned on playing in both ends of back-to-backs, that has not been the case. He’s sat out the second leg of both of Boston’s first two back-to-backs, and a similar approach would make sense given the difference in quality between Denver and Detroit. With Robert Williams (knee) still sidelined, can any of the Celtics’ remaining options separate themselves from the pack? Neither Blake Griffin nor Noah Vonleh has done much with their chance to start for a resting Horford.
These two players aren’t centers, but Grant Williams (31% rostered) and Sam Hauser (1%) are more worthy of attention than Griffin or Vonleh. Despite the low rostered percentage, Williams provides top-100 value in 9-cat formats. Hauser is nowhere near that, but he did knock down five 3-pointers in Saturday’s win over the Knicks. If you’re going to stream anyone at the end of next week if Horford sits, it should be Williams. Boston’s first two games of the week would answer the question of whether or not he should be rostered even when Horford is available.
-- Will the Pacers move Mathurin into the starting lineup?
Indiana’s got some injury issues to deal with on the wing, with Aaron Nesmith still being nagged by a foot injury and Chris Duarte sidelined with a sprained ankle. The former is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Pelicans, and the latter is not expected back anytime soon. Would Nesmith being downgraded to out open the door for Bennedict Mathurin to move into the starting lineup? The rookie ranks third in the NBA in bench points per game (20.7), shooting 45.6% from the field, 42.9% from three, and 85.7% from the foul line. Ranked just outside the top 100 in 9-cat, Mathurin is rostered in 84% of Yahoo leagues. Playing time hasn’t been an issue (28.1 mpg), but Mathurin could be in the starting lineup for good if Rick Carlisle decides to make that change.
-- Are any Thunder big men worth rostering?
Aleksej Pokusevski had some hype during the preseason, but he struggled with inconsistency before he was sidelined by a case of bursitis in his right shoulder. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has been the best of Oklahoma City’s frontcourt players as far as fantasy value is concerned, ranking just outside the top 100 in 9-cat formats, but he’s still rostered in just 9% of Yahoo leagues. Darius Bazley is at 11% rostered, while none of Kenrich Williams, Mike Muscala, or Ousmane Dieng is above 2%. Can any of these players begin to establish themselves as trustworthy fantasy options? Or are we simply waiting for Pokusevski to be cleared for action?
The Thunder play four games this week, beginning Monday night in Detroit. Any of those frontcourt players stepping up now would be great in the short term, but this is more about the second half of the season. Mark Daigneault‘s rotations have been a bit unpredictable beyond Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Luguentz Dort so some separation would be appreciated. At the very least, this would help managers identify who they should target before the silly season rolls around.
-- Is it too late to benefit from adding Minnesota’s SloMo?
Rudy Gobert is in the league’s health and safety protocols, and his absence resulted in Kyle Anderson being moved into the starting lineup. He played 31 minutes in Saturday’s win over Houston, finishing with 16 points, three rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two 3-pointers. Starting at power forward, Anderson was also used at point guard (offensively) and center (defensively) at various points in that victory. Anderson’s presence also resulted in Karl-Anthony Towns moving back to center, and he had one of his best games of the season Saturday night.
Anderson is rostered in just 6% of Yahoo leagues ahead of Monday’s game against the Knicks, so it isn’t too late to add him if necessary. But does Minnesota’s upcoming schedule mean that fantasy managers missed out on their opportunity to get maximum value? The Timberwolves’ final three games of the week are against Phoenix, Memphis, and Cleveland, with the last two being away from home. Those aren’t easy matchups for stars, much less a role player like Anderson. With it not being known when Gobert will clear protocols SloMo is worth adding, especially in deeper leagues. What this week could reveal is whether or not Anderson will be viable at all once Gobert is back in action.
Light Game Days
Tuesday (0 Games)
Thursday (4 Games)
DAL vs. WAS
PHI vs. ATL
CHA vs. MIA
POR vs. NOP
Week 4 Back-to-Backs
Sunday (Week 3)-Monday: CHI, CLE, LAC, LAL, MEM, TOR, UTA, WAS
Monday-Tuesday: None
Tuesday-Wednesday: None
Wednesday-Thursday: ATL, CHA, DAL, NOP, POR
Thursday-Friday: None
Friday-Saturday: BOS, DET, TOR
Saturday-Sunday: BKN, PHI, UTA, WAS
