Stein: Cavs remain interested in Peyton Watson

With Cameron Johnson (ankle) sidelined, Bryce Hopkins got the starting nod in his place. However, he only played 19 minutes to Brazile’s 28, which led all reserves. Brazile wasn’t able to get much offense going in his debut, but he was able to knock down some big shots in this game, which included seven of Denver’s 15 points in overtime. The second-round pick is quickly looking like one of the better value picks from the summer, and he should be an important piece for Denver this season, though fantasy managers should exercise caution before adding the rookie. This level of production may not continue consistently. However, he absolutely deserves praise for his immediate production.

After being held to just six points in the season opener, Murray bounced back in a big way in this game. He led Denver in scoring and accounted for over half of their three-pointers. He wasn’t able to get any offense going in overtime, but it was his heroics at the end of the game that forced the extra frame. He’ll look to carry this offensive production into Monday’s matchup with the Warriors, and fantasy managers shouldn’t expect to see many more six-point outings from him.

The first five quarters of Jokić’s season were rough, but he seems to have figured things out. He shot 1-of-5 and turned the ball over three times in the first quarter of this game, but he got back to producing at a high level after that. This was his first triple-double of the season, though he did need the extra five minutes to get there since seven of his boards came during overtime. He’ll continue to produce like a top-three player in fantasy basketball despite struggling in the season opener.

It hasn’t resulted in a win yet, but Murray has been productive to start the season. His minutes are back up after being limited last season, and he’s shooting efficiently, unlike his first year with the Pelicans. Of course, he’s still contributing value across the board, and even with Jeremiah Fears starting, he still has the ball in his hands a ton. He’ll look to keep it going in the rematch with Denver on Wednesday.

Murphy struggled in the Pelicans’ first two games of the season, but he was able to get back on track in this one. He led New Orleans in scoring and surpassed his total points from the first two games. This type of performance was more in line with what he has been able to produce over the last two seasons, and he’ll look to keep it going in their next game, which will be a rematch with Denver on Wednesday.

With Yves Missi (knee) sidelined for this game, head coach Jamahl Mosley opted to start DeAndre Jordan in his place. Jordan played 20 minutes, while Queen played 24 and was more productive, as expected. The Pelicans don’t play again until Wednesday, which is the first leg of a back-to-back. If Missi remains out, Queen should see a boost, and Jordan still wouldn’t be worth streaming.

After shooting a combined 4-of-19 from the field in Chicago’s first two games, Giddey was considerably better on Saturday. Although he finished with just nine points, fantasy managers will be pleased with his rebounds and assists. Over three games, Giddey has shot 26.9 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from the foul line, numbers that must improve if he’s to justify his second-round ADP from the preseason.

Powell’s offensive role may be slightly larger than he anticipated when he signed with the Bulls, but it raises his fantasy ceiling. However, fantasy managers will reap the rewards only if he improves his accuracy. Through three games, Powell has shot 14-of-41 (34.1%) from the field, nearly 13 percentage points lower than his career number (47.0%). He’ll look to clean that up during the Bulls’ three-game Week 2, which starts on Monday in Boston.

Buzelis had a difficult start to the season, totaling 24 points on 4-of-17 shooting. A 13-of-16 night at the foul line in the Bulls’ season-opening loss to the Raptors gave the point total a welcome boost. He was considerably better against the Wizards, shooting over 50 percent from the field and finishing a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Given what he’s being asked to do as one of the Bulls’ young building blocks, Buzelis’ field-goal percentage may struggle. That said, he’s still someone who should be rostered in all fantasy leagues.

McCollum has been a solid scorer for Atlanta so far this season, though he hasn’t contributed much value in other categories. 14 of his 17 points in this game came in the second half, but that wasn’t enough for them to get the win. McCollum should provide more assists than he has to this point, but in category leagues, the buckets are the only thing he’ll provide consistently.