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Rotoworld

  • NOP Point Guard #15
    Jose Alvarado shot 5-of-10 from the field in Sunday’s win over Phoenix, scoring 15 points with three rebounds, one steal, and five 3-pointers in 22 minutes.
    Alvarado was in the rotation after missing five games with a strained oblique, and he made up for lost time in Phoenix. He made five of his nine 3-point attempts while also serving as an irritant, essentially par for the course for “Grand Theft Alvarado.” His performance was a quality supplement to starting point guard CJ McCollum, who tallied 31 points, four rebounds, five assists, and seven 3-pointers in 41 minutes. Alvarado’s season-long fantasy value is well off the radar, but he’s worth a look in leagues that run through Week 24 due to the continued absence of Brandon Ingram.
  • BKN Small Forward #0
    Dariq Whitehead shot 1-of-4 from the field in Tuesday’s exhibition game against the Clippers, scoring three points with one rebound and one 3-pointer in 11 minutes.
    Due to injuries, Whitehead only played a few games for the Nets as a rookie. The 2023 first-round pick is well off the radar in fantasy basketball, but he’s one of the Nets who may have value during the second half of the season. There’s no need to draft Whitehead outside of dynasty leagues, but he is someone to be mindful of after the trade deadline.
  • BKN Small Forward #1
    Ziaire Williams played 23 minutes in his unofficial Nets debut on Tuesday, accounting for 10 points (5-of-9 FGs), two rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block in 23 minutes.
    Williams was traded to Brooklyn by the Grizzlies during the offseason. While that means he’s unlikely to play for a contender in 2024-25, there should be more opportunities to show what he can do as a pro. Williams played well in Brooklyn’s preseason opener, attacking the basket consistently and providing solid scoring off the bench. The complete stat line will intrigue fantasy managers, especially if Brooklyn falls out of contention relatively early, as many expect. Williams is not a player who should be drafted, but deep-league managers will want to have him on their watch lists for later in the season.
  • BKN Power Forward #21
    Noah Clowney shot 1-of-4 from the field and 1-of-2 from the foul line in Tuesday’s exhibition against the Clippers, accumulating three points, three rebounds, and three assists in 16 minutes.
    In Brooklyn’s preseason opener, three was Clowney’s lucky (or unlucky) number. The second-year forward missed all three of his 3-point attempts and was responsible for three turnovers. Add in the points, rebounds, and assists; Tuesday night was difficult for Clowney. With Day’Ron Sharpe (hamstring) out until mid-November at the earliest, the door is wide open for Clowney to claim minutes behind starter Nic Claxton. Even with Tuesday’s performance, the opportunity makes him worth a late-round flier in drafts.
  • BKN Shooting Guard #24
    Cam Thomas logged 17 minutes in Tuesday’s game against the Clippers, amassing 12 points (3-of-5 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), one rebound, two assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers.
    Thomas was solid in Brooklyn’s preseason opener, shooting the ball reasonably well while keeping the turnovers (one) to a minimum. Given the track record, fantasy managers know Thomas’ appeal comes in the form of points and 3-pointers. That limits his ceiling in category leagues, but Thomas has the potential to be a stud in points formats. Given Brooklyn’s lack of consistent scorers, he should be the second Net off the board in most fantasy drafts, following Nic Claxton.
  • BKN Point Guard #10
    Ben Simmons played 13 minutes in Tuesday’s exhibition against the Clippers, finishing with two points (1-of-5 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
    With injuries limiting Simmons to 15 games last season and 57 over the previous three, it’s understandable that many fantasy managers would have “trust issues.” He was on the court for Brooklyn’s preseason opener in San Diego, starting as part of a Nets lineup that lacked a true center (Nic Claxton is out). Simmons and Dorian Finney-Smith both took on the responsibility of defending Ivica Zubac, but this is not a lineup we should see much of once the season begins. At best, Simmons is a player you take a late-round flier on. If injuries sideline him in that scenario, fantasy managers haven’t lost too much.
  • LAC Small Forward #55
    Derrick Jones Jr. finished Tuesday’s game against the Nets with three points (1-of-1 FGs), one assist, one steal, three blocks, and one 3-pointer in 13 minutes.
    Jones made his lone field-goal attempt, a first-quarter 3-pointer just below the break. Corner triples may be where his bread is buttered offensively this season, especially in a lineup that includes James Harden and Kawhi Leonard (the latter remains sidelined). As for fantasy value, he won’t be worth the risk in most leagues, even with the defensive stats produced on Tuesday. Jones hasn’t averaged at least 1.5 combined steals and blocks in a season since 2020-21, and for his career, he’s contributed 0.6 steals and 0.7 blocks. The athleticism hasn’t translated into stats, making him a non-factor in fantasy once the inconsistent offensive production is added to the equation.
  • LAC Small Forward #24
    Norman Powell started Tuesday’s exhibition against the Nets and finished with 10 points (2-of-5 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), two rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 17 minutes.
    Playing in front of the hometown crowd, the San Diego native shot the ball well from deep, making two of three attempts. Last season, Powell was most valuable as a streamer on nights when the Clippers were without one of their marquee scorers despite still being used in a reserve role. This season, Kawhi Leonard’s lingering knee issues and Paul George’s exit could result in Powell making more starts. That doesn’t make him a player guaranteed to provide top-100 value; however, he’s been top-150 or worse each of the last two seasons. That said, the circumstances make rostering Powell a bit more palatable.
  • LAC Point Guard #1
    James Harden finished Tuesday’s exhibition with 14 points (6-of-9 FGs), four rebounds, two assists, and two 3-pointers in 17 minutes.
    With Kawhi Leonard (knee) sidelined and Paul George in Philadelphia, Harden’s role will come close to the one he enjoyed during his halcyon years in Houston. While that can mean elite production in some categories, fantasy managers must prepare themselves for the occasional high-turnover night. Harden had six on Tuesday, more than his total in any game last season (five; seven occasions). Having a healthy Leonard on the court would help, and it’s just the preseason. Harden may not reach first-round value, but selecting him in the second round of standard leagues would not be too big of a reach.
  • PHX Small Forward #0
    Ryan Dunn finished Tuesday’s exhibition with 10 points (3-of-5 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), four rebounds, one assist, one steal, two blocks, and three 3-pointers in 17 minutes.
    Maybe Dunn’s perimeter shot isn’t the liability it was perceived to be during the pre-draft process. The former Virginia standout made three of four attempts on Tuesday, finishing the game with a full stat line. Dunn is on track to come off the bench, and his defensive prowess will be the rookie’s calling card. He was a thorn in Cade Cunningham’s side for most of their shared time on the court, and the ability to defend will get Dunn rotation minutes. It may not be enough to make him an immediately valuable fantasy option, but he should be selected in dynasty leagues.
  • IND Small Forward #00
    Bennedict Mathurin finished Tuesday’s exhibition loss to the Hawks with eight points (2-of-7 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), two rebounds, and three assists in 20 minutes.
    Tuesday’s exhibition was Mathurin’s first game since he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder in early March. As expected, he was rusty shooting the basketball, going 2-of-7 from the field. Indiana played well once Aaron Nesmith (three points, two rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer in 16 minutes) was inserted into the starting lineup, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. He may not be the scorer that Mathurin is, but Nesmith appears to be a better fit for the starting lineup that Rick Carlisle prefers. Benn wasn’t a great fantasy option before the shoulder injury, and that doesn’t appear likely to change if he remains in a reserve role.