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Eric MoodyESPN
The best fantasy basketball managers make a habit of looking at the NBA schedule, examining box scores and scouring the news for any tidbit that can help give them the edge in their leagues.
Luckily, Eric Moody does all that work for you each and every Thursday with the Fantasy 30, helping answer the tough questions such as who to start, who are the best fantasy basketball sleepers out there and what’s the latest injury news with key players around the league.
Here’s the latest fantasy news from each of the 30 teams around the league.
Atlanta Hawks: De’Andre Hunter had his second-best overall fantasy performance since the season opener, coming up big Wednesday night against the Knicks. He’s only rostered in 17.9% of ESPN leagues and is worth taking a flier on in deeper formats. In 53 games last year, Hunter averaged 13.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 1.3 APG.
Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum is off to a fantastic start for fantasy managers. Through the first seven games of the season, he has accumulated 211 points, third most in franchise history in that span. In addition, Tatum is the first Celtics player to reach 200 points in the first seven games of a season since Larry Bird in 1987. Tatum has averaged 52.7 fantasy points per game so far in 2022-23.
Brooklyn Nets: Joe Harris and Seth Curry‘s time out of the lineup has propelled Royce O’Neale into fantasy relevance. He’s had three consecutive games of 26 or more fantasy points. O’Neale has averaged 36.9 MPG this season and is only rostered in 19.4% of ESPN leagues.
Charlotte Hornets: Over the last three games, Jalen McDaniels has averaged 12.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.7 APG and 2.3 SPG. That translates to 23 or more fantasy points in each of those games. McDaniels is only rostered in 9.2% of ESPN leagues. Gordon Hayward‘s shoulder injury, which knocked him out of Wednesday’s game early, may lead to even more usage for McDaniels.
Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine is the fifth player in Bulls history with 20 points and five assists in 100 games. He joins Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Derrick Rose and Reggie Theus. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Patrick Williams as he continues to rise. He’s only rostered in 3.4% of leagues but has scored 23 or more fantasy points in four out his last five games.
Cleveland Cavaliers: On Wednesday, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell scored or assisted on 79 of the Cavaliers’ 114 points against the Celtics. This is going to be an entertaining duo to watch this season. Caris LeVert is shooting only 33.3% through seven games played, but has put together some solid fantasy performances and is logging over 36 MPG thus far. He rostered in only 58.3% of ESPN leagues and is trending up.
Dallas Mavericks: Take a moment to appreciate Luka Doncic‘s ridiculous season for fantasy managers. On Wednesday night, he scored reached 30 points and 10 rebounds for the fourth time this season. The rest of the league only has four such games total. Doncic has averaged a whopping 65.1 fantasy points per game.
Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. has scored 28 or more fantasy points in five out of his six games this season. Porter will receive rest days as he returns from last season’s back surgery, but when on the court, he is lethal. He has connected on almost 49% of his nearly eight 3-point attempts per game. Porter’s 3FG% ranks second in the league. The upcoming stretch of games will be very favorable for him, so expect some huge performances by MPJ.
Detroit Pistons: This season, Cade Cunningham is the best fantasy option for the Pistons. The second-year guard has averaged 21.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 6.4 APG and 1.0 SPG in 34.2 MPG. It’s important for fantasy managers to know that the Pistons rank 26th in points scored per 100 possessions and 30th in points allowed per 100 possessions. Detroit is in for a long season, but Cunningham is line to pile up the numbers.
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry recorded his 10th career triple-double on Tuesday night against the Heat. In a superb start to the season, he’s averaged 30.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game, but the Warriors as a team hasn’t had as much success. Golden State currently ranks 22nd in points allowed per 100 possessions.
Houston Rockets: The Rockets have a 1-8 record and rank 28th in points scored per 100 possessions. That being said, Kenyon Martin Jr. is someone fantasy managers should keep an eye on. He’s only rostered 2.2% of ESPN leagues, but in three of the last five games, Martin has scored 18 or more fantasy points, including a season high 41.
Indiana Pacers: With Aaron Nesmith doubtful to play on Friday night, Chris Duarte (6.1% rostered) is on the streaming radar. In Monday’s game against the Nets, Duarte scored a career-high 30 points. Prior to that, Duarte had never scored more than 12 points this season.
LA Clippers: Though Ivica Zubac has been inconsistent lately, he has still had a great season so far. He’s averaged 9.1 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.4 APG and 2.6 BPG. Zubac is only rostered in 66.7% of ESPN leagues. Consider picking him up if you need a center.
Los Angeles Lakers: After losing the first five games of the season, the Lakers have won back-to-back games. Only the Rockets and Magic have not won multiple games this season. LeBron James continues to make history. Against the Pelicans on Wednesday night, James registered his 266th career game with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. This is the third most all time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (322) and Wilt Chamberlain (279).
Memphis Grizzlies: Desmond Bane was excellent on Wednesday night against the Trail Blazers. He scored or assisted on 31 of the Grizzlies’ 59 points, and enters Thursday having scored 41 or more fantasy points in four consecutive games. Meanwhile, Steven Adams recorded his 12th career game with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. The big man is only rostered in 43.1% of ESPN leagues.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro will have additional opportunities to shine this season as Jimmy Butler is likely to have maintenance days on the tail end of the Heat’s back-to-backs. In Wednesday night’s game against the Kings, he had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds for the fifth time in his career. Butler (hip) has been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Pacers.
Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks have started 7-0 for the third time in franchise history. Milwaukee has never started 8-0. Giannis Antetokounmpo has now scored 30 or more points in each of his last six games, which is the longest streak of his career. In three of his last five games, he scored 63 or more fantasy points. The Bucks are a strong defensive team and rank first in points allowed per 100 possessions.
Minnesota Timberwolves: The fantasy managers who have Karl-Anthony Towns on their teams seem to have drafted him at his ceiling. In our draft trends, his average draft position was 13.2. The transition from center to power forward is difficult, even for a talented player like Towns. As a result of playing alongside Rudy Gobert, he has had fewer opportunities to accumulate rebounds and blocks. Fantasy managers should listen to trade offers for Towns after two consecutive double-doubles.
New Orleans Pelicans: Jose Alvarado is someone to pick up in deeper formats if you need points, 3s and steals. He had a season high 34 fantasy points on Wednesday night against the Lakers. Alvarado is only rostered in 4.9% of ESPN leagues but he’s prospered with additional playing time due to the injuries to Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones and Kira Lewis Jr.
New York Knicks: Immanuel Quickley recorded a season high 14 rebounds against the Hawks on Wednesday. In 23.1 MPG this season, he has haveraged 9.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 4.0 APG. Quickley is a nice value for fantasy managers even in a bench role with the Knicks.
Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder are trying to win their fourth straight at home, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing well right now, so they may have a good chance to pull that off. SGA has averaged 31.5 PPG, 6.8 APG and 4.8 RPG so far this season. Fantasy managers may be concerned about Gilgeous-Alexander’s load management and the chances of the Thunder tanking, but remember you can always trade him away in late December or early January. I recommend continuing to ride the statistical wave.
Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero has scored 38 or more fantasy points in four of his first eight games in the NBA. The rookie is living up to the preseason hype… and then some! Bol Bol (36.1% rostered) is making a name for himself in his fourth year in the league. The lanky and versatile big man has had two consecutive double-doubles and logged at 30 minutes in both games. He’s averaged 28.6 fantasy points per game this season.
Philadelphia 76ers: James Harden has been ruled out for the next month with a right foot tendon strain. As a result of Harden’s absence, Tyrese Maxey will play a crucial role in the near future. He’s averaged 24.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.4 APG and 1.0 SPG this season. De’Anthony Melton, who is only rostered in 12.3% of ESPN leagues, needs to be picked up immediately. He’s scored 32 or more fantasy points in three out of his last four games.
Phoenix Suns: In Tuesday’s game against the Rockets, Chris Paul had 10 or more points and 15 or more assists for the 97th time in his career. This tied Steve Nash for the third most such games since the NBA-ABA merger. In other news, Cameron Johnson (25.1% rostered) is worth adding in most leagues. Over his last three games, he has averaged 44 fantasy points per game.
Portland Trail Blazers: Anfernee Simons has scored 44 or more fantasy points in three of his past four games. Due to Damian Lillard‘s calf injury, he should continue to see a lot of usage. In four of the last seven games, Jusuf Nurkic has had a double double, so fantasy managers should start him as well. The Trail Blazers rank 12th in points scored per 100 possessions.
Sacramento Kings: De’Aaron Fox has been diagnosed with a right knee bone bruise and there is no timetable for his return. Davion Mitchell will operate as the Kings’ starting point guard in the mean time and should be picked up. He is only rostered in 6.2% of leagues. Malik Monk is also another viable streaming option for fantasy managers; he can rack up points, 3s and assists.
San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs were defeated by the Raptors by 43 points on Wednesday. It was the third largest loss in Spurs franchise history. The Spurs have struggled defensively so far this season and rank 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions.
Toronto Raptors: For the Raptors, Chris Boucher has been hot over the last three games. Currently, he’s only rostered in 42.5% of ESPN leagues and should be picked up. Boucher has averaged 12.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.7 SPG and 1.7 BPG in 22.8 MPG. While Pascal Siakam has had seven consecutive games with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. This is the longest streak in franchise history.
Utah Jazz: Malik Beasley has scored at least 10 points in six of his eight games this season. A great option for points and 3s, Beasley has averaged 21.1 fantasy points per game and is only rostered in 39.8% of ESPN leagues. He’s worth picking up, even if only as a streamer.
Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal (29) and Kristaps Porzingis (30) recorded the most combined points by Wizards teammate this season against the 76ers on Wednesday. Both are exceeding their average draft positions right now. Porzingis has averaged 40.4 fantasy points per game while Beal has averaged 39.3. Since the Wizards rank 20th in points allowed per 100 possessions, they need to score a lot of points to stay competitive.
Source: www.espn.com