Cooper

Flagg

After shooting 3-of-19 from the field in Monday’s loss to the Kings, Flagg got off to a terribly slow start on Wednesday. The reigning Rookie of the Year missed all seven of his shots in the first quarter and started 1-of-11 from the field. The good news is that Flagg shot 6-of-8 the rest of the way. Add in the rebounds and assists, and the final stat line was solid, but category managers would have wanted to see more defensive stats.

Without Kyrie Irving (knee), the Mavericks had to rely even more on Flagg offensively. Unfortunately, the reigning Rookie of the Year couldn’t buy a bucket, shooting 3-of-15 from two and missing all four of his three-point attempts. Flagg’s ability to get to the foul line boosted the point total, and the assist production was solid. However, between the poor shooting and the six turnovers, this was a bad night for him.

The Mavericks beat the undefeated Houston Rockets in this game and Flagg made the big time bucket to lead them to a win. He’s already one of the best players in fantasy basketball and there’s no sign of this slowing down. Getting him at the backend of the first round in many redraft leagues has turned into a massive steal at his ADP. Sit back and enjoy the ride if you have him.

Flagg is averaging 25.3 points, 6.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks through four games this year. The 19-year-old’s game Wednesday against the Thunder was even more impressive considering he also had zero turnovers. Easily the best young player in the league, Flagg may already have elevated himself into being part of the MVP conversation.

The initial expectation was that this would be a multi-game absence for Flagg. However, it only ended up being one game on the sidelines for him, and he returned in a big way in this game. The only knock on Flagg so far this season has been the high turnover numbers, but he has been truly fantastic in every other category. Of course, the sample size is small, but if he continues to produce at this level, he will have absolutely been worth taking in the first round of fantasy drafts.

Flagg is good to go after a left shoulder injury suffered on Friday sidelined him for Saturday’s loss to the Spurs. His return will bump Zaccharie Risacher to the bench.

Head Coach Dusty May said Flagg is expected to play Monday vs. the Heat, but it will be a game-time decision after suffering a shoulder sprain against the Pacers.

Flagg made it through shootaround and was upgraded to probable for Monday’s game against the Heat. All signs point to the 19-year-old forward returning after a one-game absence. Flagg should be started in all fantasy formats as the week begins.

Flagg is still listed as questionable for the matchup against the Heat, but seems to be trending in the right direction. He left Friday’s game against the Pacers with a shoulder injury and subsequently missed Saturday’s game against the Spurs. If Flagg returns Monday, he’ll replace Zaccharie Risacher in the starting lineup after only missing one game.

Flagg being listed as questionable on the Mavericks’ initial injury report is good news for fantasy managers. After he sustained a shoulder injury during Friday’s win over the Pacers, expectations were that the reigning Rookie of the Year would miss a few days. Now, Flagg could miss just one game after sitting out Saturday’s loss to the Spurs. If he returns, Zaccharie Risacher will head to the bench.