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Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report: Austin Reaves returns, Ace Bailey joins the starting lineup

Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will be going through each team’s updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I’ll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.

The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three games, five games, ten games, and for the entire season to see what trends stand out to you.

All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also incredibly generous, so make sure to give him a follow to check out all of his baseball data as well.

The “ethics” of tanking and their impact on fantasy basketball were on full display Saturday night in Orlando.

Atlanta Hawks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Dyson Daniels33.934.334.1
Jalen Johnson29.331.231.7
Keaton Wallace27.822.818
Zaccharie Risacher26.827.225.7
Onyeka Okongwu26.426.327.5
Vít Krejčí2520.620.4
Kristaps Porziņģis24.826.425.9
Nickeil Alexander-Walker21.727.830.1
Mouhamed Gueye212017.1
Luke Kennard20.420.223.6
Asa Newell17.211.912.4
Trae Young23.8

Nickeil Alexander Walker missed only one game with an injury. He’s playing 29.3 minutes per game in November and will continue to be a big part of the offense with Trae Young sidelined. Vit Krejci has become more involved over the last three games, scoring 18.7 points with 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. There’s not much there besides three-point value.

Boston Celtics

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Derrick White32.532.731.6
Payton Pritchard31.630.130.7
Jaylen Brown31.431.330.4
Neemias Queta24.825.723.8
Jordan Walsh24.223.117.1
Anfernee Simons23.523.624.8
Sam Hauser20.420.822
Luka Garza17.814.815.1
Josh Minott15.421.122.3

We had some intrigue with Josh Minott when he played only eight minutes against the 76ers. He did come back and play 22 minutes on Wednesday night, but his minutes being slightly down has led Jordan Walsh to play more minutes as a bigger guard/wing. He’s not particularly usable for fantasy basketball, but it’s worth noting how this rotation is shaking out.

Brooklyn Nets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Michael Porter Jr.31.132.232.7
Nic Claxton29.430.329.5
Noah Clowney29.329.824.9
Egor Dëmin25.322.120.6
Terance Mann242727.6
Drake Powell23.723.718.9
Ziaire Williams20.821.921.3
Tyrese Martin19.321.519.9
Cam Thomas20.128.9

You’re not really starting anybody here in fantasy, especially with Cam Thomas out for up to a month with an injury. This offense will now run through Michael Porer Jr., but the Nets have also started to give more playing time to young guys like Drake Powell and Egor Dëmin, so those are names to watch in the weeks ahead.

Charlotte Hornets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Miles Bridges37.936.835.2
Kon Knueppel37.536.133
Sion James29.129.526.5
Collin Sexton28.52927.9
Tre Mann26.325.122.5
Moussa Diabaté24.522.721.1
Ryan Kalkbrenner24.32526.5
LaMelo Ball33.3
Brandon Miller9.2

Injuries to Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball have shaken up the usage and minutes in Charlotte. Kon Knueppel continues to play tons of minutes and be a big factor on the offense, and Collin Sexton has remained solid enough in his nearly 30 minutes per game to be on most fantasy rosters while Ball and Miller are out. Ryan Kalkbrenner saw his minutes tick down, but that was just a blip, and he remains very much in play thanks ot his rebounding and defensive stats.

Chicago Bulls

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Josh Giddey32.834.934.7
Tre Jones31.23029.7
Kevin Huerter29.827.526
Isaac Okoro28.426.924.7
Nikola Vučević27.829.230.6
Ayo Dosunmu25.924.425.2
Matas Buzelis25.428.528.2
Patrick Williams24.123.223.6
Jalen Smith17.917.516

The Bulls have hit a bit of a rough stretch, and Josh Giddey has also been battling an ankle injury after he got absolutely crossed up over the weekend. That has led to a bump in minutes for Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones. Giddey shouldn’t be out for too long, so those guys are not priority adds, and then Ayo Dosunmu continues to be a strong player off the bench for Chicago. We’ll see how the pending return of Coby White (which should be in about two weeks) shakes all this up.

Cleveland Cavaliers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Donovan Mitchell38.134.233.5
Evan Mobley36.233.633.6
De’Andre Hunter31.228.729
Jaylon Tyson30.828.426.8
Sam Merrill26.925.224.9
Jarrett Allen24.325.725.6
Dean Wade22.316.920.4
Lonzo Ball20.821.323.1
Larry Nance Jr.19.416.317
Darius Garland1924.524.5

Darius Garland is dealing with another injury, which has led to an increase in playing time for Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill again. The injury isn’t believed to be that significant, so Garland could even return this weekend and get back to his usual minutes. Not much else has changed here.

Dallas Mavericks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Cooper Flagg34.132.932.7
Max Christie31.730.130.8
Brandon Williams30.726.622.5
Naji Marshall27.426.724.9
Klay Thompson23.721.520.9
Daniel Gafford22.921.121.1
P.J. Washington21.525.529.8
Moussa Cisse17.814.214.2
D’Angelo Russell161722.3
Anthony Davis26.4
Dereck Lively II21

The Mavericks have all the makings of a disaster. They fired Nico Harrison, and now there are plenty of trade rumors swirling around Anthony Davis, and it’s fair to wonder if he’s already played his last game in a Mavericks uniform. With Dereck Lively II also sidelined and P.J. Washington hurting his shoulder on Wednesday, we could see bigger minutes for Daniel Gafford. We’ve also seen Brandon Williams move into the starting lineup, which has sapped a lot of D’Angelo Russell‘s minutes and fantasy value. Williams is averaging 16.7 points, 6.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.7 steals in three games since he started playing bigger minutes, so that will give you value in a lot of formats.

Denver Nuggets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jamal Murray3533.632.8
Nikola Jokić32.732.633.2
Aaron Gordon30.528.928.7
Bruce Brown26.32522
Christian Braun24.327.928.7
Tim Hardaway Jr.22.822.422.9
Peyton Watson22.521.921.6
Cameron Johnson19.121.123.7

The big story in Denver has been the lack of involvement of Cameron Johnson. He has simply not produced on the season like we were hoping, not getting up or making nearly enough three-pointers. He also left Wednesday’s game with a shoulder injury, so that could impact his playing time moving forward. Christian Braun also got hurt on Wednesday, so we could see a whole new rotation by this weekend.

Detroit Pistons

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Cade Cunningham42.638.737
Jalen Duren38.635.531.9
Daniss Jenkins37.126.519.2
Ausar Thompson33.932.829.2
Javonte Green32.828.222.7
Duncan Robinson32.131.231.5
Ronald Holland II28.427.724.5
Chaz Lanier22.4169.8
Caris LeVert21.220.519.5
Paul Reed18.315.411.7

Injuries to Tobias Harris and Isiah Stewart have shaken up the Pistons’ rotation a bit, and then the Pistons rested more starters on Wednesday, so these minutes are a bit all over the place. Daniss Jenkins has been seeing a lot of action in the last two games and is averaging 21 points, 7.5 assists, six rebounds, and three steals over those games. I’m not sure the playing time is going to stick, but it’s been a nice stretch for him.

Golden State Warriors

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jimmy Butler III28.729.229.5
Brandin Podziemski2727.428.1
Stephen Curry26.826.829.5
Draymond Green24.424.728
Moses Moody23.125.423.1
Will Richard21.123.318
Al Horford20.322.320.5
Jonathan Kuminga18.723.726.7
Buddy Hield15.616.116.1

Steve Kerr had already said he was going to change things around with his rotations, but then Jonathan Kuminga got hurt on Wednesday as well, so we’ll need to see how that all shakes out. On the surface, it might mean more Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody, so those are names to keep an eye on. We also saw Jimmy Butler come back from missing a few games, and after a poor performance early in the week, he looked like himself on Wednesday.

Houston Rockets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Amen Thompson3737.835.5
Kevin Durant34.935.535.3
Alperen Sengun34.535.636.1
Jabari Smith Jr.29.230.832.6
Reed Sheppard26.822.722.1
Josh Okogie22.623.222.9
Tari Eason21.525.224.5
Steven Adams19.820.621.6

Things have remained pretty consistent for the Rockets so far to start the season. Reed Sheppard has started to find his footing a bit on offense, which has led to an increase in playing time and fantasy value. Of course, he probably has Amen Thompson to thank for that.

Indiana Pacers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Pascal Siakam34.135.634.4
Andrew Nembhard30.830.830.8
Aaron Nesmith293132
Jarace Walker25.229.229.2
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl24.220.518.1
Ben Sheppard22.224.324.5
Isaiah Jackson20.722.419.8
Tony Bradley17.314.514

The Pacers remain riddled with injuries. They did get Andrew Nembhard back in the fold, but Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and James Wiseman, all remain out due to injury. Johnny Furphy had seen a playing time spike and then he got hurt. You can use Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam in fantasy, but that’s about it.

The Pacers, Lakers and Thunder are among the teams with lengthy injury reports at the halfway point of Week 2.

Los Angeles Clippers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
James Harden36.434.835
Ivica Zubac32.329.930
Kris Dunn28.427.825.4
John Collins26.825.724.6
Derrick Jones Jr.26.726.125.5
Jordan Miller26.426.426.4
Kobe Sanders24.724.714.7
Nicolas Batum22.420.716.9
Bogdan Bogdanović20.22622.2
Kawhi Leonard34.4

This feels like a bit of a lost season for the Clippers. John Collins moved into the starting lineup and had one good game and one bad game. Bradley Beal is now out for the season with a hip injury, and Tyronn Lue said pretty publicly that the rotation would change going forward. I guess we can unpack all of that next week.

Los Angeles Lakers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Luka Dončić32.634.936.1
Rui Hachimura30.732.934.7
Austin Reaves29.929.935.9
Marcus Smart28.430.130.4
Deandre Ayton26.228.529.5
Nick Smith Jr.23.418.917.4
Jake LaRavia23.428.830.1
Jarred Vanderbilt21.120.320.6
Dalton Knecht18.318.719.4

Austin Reaves is back from injury, which is great for the Lakers, but has led to a sharp decline in playing time for Jake LaRavia. However, Marcus Smart has remained in an increased role and has the defensive upside to provide fantasy value.

Memphis Grizzlies

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Ja Morant33.633.332.7
Cedric Coward28.228.328.1
Santi Aldama27.827.526.8
Jaren Jackson Jr.27.227.929.6
Jock Landale2625.625.4
Jaylen Wells25.524.225.2
Cam Spencer22.821.319.9
Vince Williams Jr.21.118.818.4
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope192122.7

The Ja Morant situation remains one to watch. He sat out on Wednesday, and it’s pretty clear that there remains some tension here. There just simply isn’t much to do for fantasy purposes while we wait to see how this situation plays out. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Cedric Coward have been great and would take on a bigger role, but there isn’t really anybody else who has emerged onto our radars. Zach Edey also seems likely to return soon, which will hurt Santi Aldama‘s slight value.

Miami Heat

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Andrew Wiggins34.634.433.7
Norman Powell33.731.831.3
Davion Mitchell32.632.331
Jaime Jaquez Jr.30.830.330.1
Kel’el Ware28.128.324
Pelle Larsson27.126.324.3
Nikola Jović26.623.722
Bam Adebayo8.230.1

Bam Adebayo’s toe injury has led to a bigger role for Kel’el Ware, who is averaging 12.7 pts, 15 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game since Bam has been out. That would be usable in fantasy leagues, but Bam could return as early as this weekend, so you need to treat Ware like a day-by-day streamer. Jaime Jaquez Jr. remains a key bench piece, even with Norman Powell back.

Milwaukee Bucks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Giannis Antetokounmpo36.533.533.1
Ryan Rollins31.530.731.5
Kyle Kuzma30.329.226.5
Myles Turner30.128.929.1
Gary Trent Jr.28.625.928.4
AJ Green26.826.427.8
Bobby Portis24.722.821
Taurean Prince20.821

Ryan Rollins is very real and will remain a fixture in this rotation even when Kevin Porter Jr. returns. The rest of this rotation has been status quo, with Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma seeing a few more minutes due to the Taurean Price injury. That makes both of them a bit more interesting in fantasy, and puts Portis back on radars in the short-term; however, he played just 23 minutes with Giannis resting on Wednesday, so it’s not a great bet.

Minnesota Timberwolves

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Rudy Gobert3231.632
Anthony Edwards31.230.626.7
Jaden McDaniels29.429.832
Julius Randle28.931.732.9
Donte DiVincenzo28.830.631.4
Naz Reid25.624.424
Mike Conley17.218.821.1

Not much has changed for the T’Wolves. Anthony Edwards has been back for a week now, so we’ve seen Mike Conley’s minutes steadily decline, but the rest is relatively status quo. Jaden McDaniels is really good, so that’s fun.

New Orleans Pelicans

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Trey Murphy III36.837.236.3
Herbert Jones33.534.329.8
Saddiq Bey31.430.126.3
Jeremiah Fears29.426.227.1
Derik Queen29.126.222.2
Jose Alvarado20.62318.8
Jordan Poole2730.2
Zion Williamson31
DeAndre Jordan11.6

Derik Queen continues to deliver as injuries to Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole have opened up more minutes. Both of those players could return as early as this weekend or next week, so it remains to be seen what Queen’s role is after that, but he has certainly played his way into more minutes and should be on rosters while we wait to see how the Pelicans handle playing time with a fully healthy team. Not many other guys saw much of an increase in fantasy value, even with more minutes. I do like Jeremiah Fears, but he’s hard to trust for fantasy right now.

New York Knicks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jalen Brunson33.933.433.9
OG Anunoby32.23233.1
Karl-Anthony Towns31.531.332.8
Mikal Bridges31.231.334.1
Josh Hart23.124.723.8
Landry Shamet23.121.119.7
Miles McBride17.517.621.5
Mitchell Robinson16.916.716.6

The biggest story here is that Jalen Brunson left Wednesday night’s game in a walking boot with crutches after he rolled his right ankle late in the fourth quarter. It’s the same ankle that he sprained last season and wound up missing 15 games, so it’s a situation to monitor. Brunson missing any time would lead to significantly more minutes for Miles McBride, but also likely more minutes for Landry Shamet, who has emerged as the first man off the bench for Mike Brown in recent games.

Oklahoma City Thunder

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander31.13232
Ajay Mitchell29.830.428.4
Isaiah Joe28.427.726.4
Cason Wallace26.328.528
Chet Holmgren2524.126.4
Isaiah Hartenstein23.326.426.8
Jaylin Williams22.121.720.2
Alex Caruso17.718.818.9

Chet Holmgren returned from his lower back injury, but is still not yet seeing his full complement of minutes. The Thunder have also been without Lu Dort, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, but the rest has been locked into place. This team is just toying with opponents right now.

Orlando Magic

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Franz Wagner36.836.435.1
Desmond Bane34.232.230.5
Wendell Carter Jr.3130.828.9
Jalen Suggs27.524.122.4
Paolo Banchero27.230.932.2
Anthony Black25.126.827.3
Tristan da Silva20.821.120.9
Goga Bitadze16.315.416.8

Paolo Banchero left Wednesday night’s game against the Knicks with a groin injury. While that sounded more precautionary than anything, it could lead to him missing a few games over the weekend or into next week. Franz Wagner took on a bigger role in the offense with Banchero sidelined, as did Anthony Black. We also saw Tyus Jones play more, and the Magic could roll with a lineup that has a legitimate point guard and then rotate all of the other starters over to more natural positions.

Philadelphia 76ers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Tyrese Maxey38.13840.3
Kelly Oubre Jr.34.734.936.9
VJ Edgecombe3435.436.8
Quentin Grimes28.429.430.7
Andre Drummond282822
Trendon Watford27.62522.5
Joel Embiid2625.823.9

An MRI on Joel Embiid’s right knee came back clean, so he is day-to-day, but it remains clear that he can’t be trusted to play big minutes or even play on back-to-back days right now, which should continue to lead to a minutes cap on him. The 76ers are also reportedly close to getting Paul George back from his knee injury, but, in the meantime, the team is going to continue to rely on playing VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Quentin Grimes for tons of minutes.

Phoenix Suns

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Devin Booker34.235.837
Grayson Allen30.532.634.1
Dillon Brooks28.128.128.8
Royce O’Neale26.527.230.8
Mark Williams252626.6
Ryan Dunn22.324.625
Collin Gillespie19.721.123.1
Jordan Goodwin18.918.316.6

Jalen Green was back for two games and will now miss potentially the next month with a hamstring injury. The good news is that the Suns got Dillon Brooks back from his groin injury and have slotted him right into big minutes. We’ve also seen Grayson Allen take on a bigger role in the offense, and that should continue with Green sidelined. Ryan Dunn and Collin Gillespie are losing minutes despite Green being out, so perhaps Jordan Goodwin will take those minutes from them. Royce O’Neale should continue to start and have fantasy value.

Portland Trail Blazers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Toumani Camara37.236.634.1
Jrue Holiday35.735.533.8
Deni Avdija35.535.934.1
Shaedon Sharpe28.927.527.2
Donovan Clingan25.924.124.4
Kris Murray20.920.522.3
Jerami Grant2024.926.6

Portland’s rotation and minutes have remained pretty consistent so far this season. Their top six players have each played in all 11 games, and Kris Murray has only missed one. These are their guys for now.

Sacramento Kings

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Zach LaVine32.13135
Domantas Sabonis27.327.331.6
DeMar DeRozan26.428.732.8
Dennis Schröder25.126.529.9
Malik Monk2424.325
Russell Westbrook23.12829.7
Nique Clifford22.423.321.6
Precious Achiuwa22.418.718.7
Keon Ellis1917.219.5

The Kings are reportedly looking to shake things up and trade away any or all of Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, or DeMar DeRozan, so this whole minutes chart could change drastically in the coming weeks. Keon Ellis is the player who would figure to gain the most fantasy value if he found himself in a bigger role. The Kings have been blown out in four straight games, so that has hurt minutes for some of their older starters, like Russell Westbrook.

San Antonio Spurs

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Victor Wembanyama34.934.934.8
De’Aaron Fox34.334.334.3
Stephon Castle32.734.333.5
Devin Vassell29.731.933.4
Harrison Barnes2729.529.7
Julian Champagnie22.626.428.2
Luke Kornet21.221.225.6
Keldon Johnson21.122.923.5

Not much to say here. Luke Kornet is back from his ankle injury, and De’Aaron Fox returned and stepped right into the Dylan Harper minutes. Stephon Castle is playing tremendous basketball right now, and Devin Vassell saw his minutes go down just because of a migraine issue, so there is no long-term concern there.

Toronto Raptors

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Brandon Ingram3533.733.9
Immanuel Quickley3432.131.7
Scottie Barnes32.531.432.4
RJ Barrett31.932.532.4
Jakob Poeltl27.424.924.1
Collin Murray-Boyles19.62120.8
Sandro Mamukelashvili18.917.917.9
Jamal Shead18.517.817.3

Everything is status quo for the Raptors so far.

Utah Jazz

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Lauri Markkanen30.233.435.4
Keyonte George29.632.333.6
Ace Bailey25.722.919.9
Jusuf Nurkić25.127.823
Svi Mykhailiuk24.627.827.5
Isaiah Collier232323
Kyle Filipowski22.821.619.5
Taylor Hendricks17.416.316.2
Brice Sensabaugh16.712.612.4

The big news out of Utah is that Ace Bailey has joined the starting lineup. I recorded a video this week with my thoughts on that. Jusuf Nurkić has also stepped into the starting lineup with Walker Kessler out for the season, and I think he can produce decent fantasy value if he can just start hitting some shots.

Washington Wizards

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
CJ McCollum35.130.228.9
Alex Sarr33.331.930.2
Kyshawn George31.230.530.3
Cam Whitmore27.919.317.2
Bub Carrington27.528.227.4
Tre Johnson25.62625.7
Khris Middleton24.523.723.1
Corey Kispert21.919.719.3
Bilal Coulibaly16.523.8

Bilal Coulibaly is out with an injury again, which has led to increased playing time for CJ McCollum, who delivered big on Wednesday. We know McCollom is capable of putting up solid lines and being useful in fantasy, so now may be the time to scoop him up if he was dropped. The young guys, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr, are going to keep playing big minutes all season.