We’re only a couple of weeks into the new NBA season, but there are already plenty of players rising and falling in the fantasy basketball box score to talk about. Some of them are rostered in many leagues, while others continue to fly under the radar. Here are this week’s players to know about.
Austin Reaves, PG/SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers (61% rostered)
LeBron James (sciatica) has yet to make an appearance this season and Luka Doncic has been on the shelf for three games with finger and leg issues, leading to a Reaves explosion as the last man standing for the Lakers. After two solid outings alongside a healthy Doncic, Reaves has been amazing over his past three, with 51 points and a near triple-double in one, a 41-point explosion against the Portland Trail Blazers and then going for 28 points and a career-high tying 16 assists in Wednesday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Reaves is going to produce with or without his superstar teammates on the court, but if there was ever a time to trade him, it’s now.
Matas Buzelis, SF/PF, Chicago Bulls, (53% rostered)
The Bulls are 4-0 and Buzelis is emerging as a fantasy favorite thanks to a well-rounded stat line that includes points, rebounds, steals, blocks and 3-pointers. He’s had three nice games and one dud through four outings and is coming off his best one, racking up a season-high 27 points, two steals, a block and a season-high four 3-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Sacramento Kings. The Bulls are attempting to make Buzelis the face of their franchise, and I expect his rostership to continue to rise. I predict he’ll end the season as one of fantasy’s most pleasant surprises, and I’d recommend picking him up in every league you can.
Ajay Mitchell, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder, (37% rostered)
Despite coming off the bench for one of the best teams in the NBA, Mitchell has been incredibly steady and consistent. Through five games, he has scored between 14 and 26 in each of them and boasts an average stat line of 18.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.6 3-pointers. The eventual return of Jalen Williams (wrist) might negatively impact Mitchell, but there’s also a chance it doesn’t impact him much at all. Mitchell is a great pick up for managers looking for efficiency and across-the-board production.
Ryan Rollins, SG, Milwaukee Bucks, (29% rostered)
Kevin Porter Jr. is out with an ankle injury, and there is currently no timeline for his return, but Doc Rivers doesn’t appear to love the thought of starting Cole Anthony in his place. Enter Rollins, who has taken the starting point guard job and ran with it for Milwaukee. He has averaged 19.5 points and 6.0 assists over his last two games and is at 30 minutes, 15.3 points, 3.0 steals and 1.8 3-pointers with a very efficient 47.6% field-goal percentage on the season. And with the recent news that Porter’s return date is a mystery, it’s time to get Rollins on more fantasy rosters. He should be one of the hottest pickups in fantasy this weekend.
Collin Gillespie, PG, Phoenix Suns, (7% rostered)
Gillespie is in his fourth year out of Villanova, and while he’s far from a household name, he’s playing at a high level for the Suns. He had 14 points, six boards, five dimes, two steals, a block and three triples in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday and had a 15-point, 13-assist double-double in his previous game. His shooting percentages (42% FG and 67% FT) have been a bit of a problem, but the rest of his game has been a fun ride for those of us who picked him up off the waiver wire this season. Also, he’s a career 78% shooter from the free throw line, so that number should start to rise sooner than later. He’s playing 25 minutes off the bench and is heating up, so it makes sense for managers in need of a solid guard to give him a look off the waiver wire in their leagues.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., SG/SF, Miami Heat, (7% rostered)
I was high on Jaquez coming into the season and he’s starting to cook for the Heat, increasing his scoring in each game this season (13, 17, 17, 28). He’s currently boosted by the absence of Norman Powell (groin), who missed his second game on Thursday night, but even when he’s healthy, Jaquez should continue to perform as the team’s sixth man. Through four games, he’s racking up nearly 19 points, 6.3 boards, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 28 minutes. He’s not much of a shot blocker or 3-point shooter, but the rest of his stat line is solid. He should be rostered in a lot more leagues.
Jarace Walker, PF, Indiana Pacers, (2.2% rostered)
The Pacers are reeling from injuries, and Bennedict Mathurin (toe) is the latest casualty, while Obi Toppin is expected to also miss time with a foot injury. Walker stepped up with his best game of the season in Wednesday’s loss to Dallas when he had a season-high 20 points to go along with six rebounds, five assists, three steals, a block and four 3-pointers, but his field-goal percentage has been a bit of a disaster thus far. He has hit just 15-of-51 shots (29.4%) on the season and was just 5-for-19 shooting in his big game on Wednesday. Still, he’s an excellent free throw shooter and he shot 40% from the field in his first two seasons. While he’s not likely to ever become a high-percentage shooter, he should be better than he has been going forward. He’s worth a look in all leagues right now and will get 30 minutes per game this season, regardless of whether his teammates are healthy.
Trae Young, PG, Atlanta Hawks (100% rostered rostered)
“Ice Trae” was having a rough season even before suffering a right knee sprain Wednesday night, and we’ll now have to await MRI results to find out how much time he’ll miss. The good news is that he appears to have avoided a serious injury, and poor shooting has made him a solid buy-low target in fantasy. Young’s points and assists have been fine this season, but he is just 5-of-26 shooting from beyond the arc and is a woeful 37.1% from the field. He also hasn’t had a steal in three straight games, but Young will bounce back once he’s healthy. HIs fantasy value won’t be lower than it is right now, so making a low-ball offer to his manager could end up paying off before the season is over.
Jaylen Brown, SG/SF, Boston Celtics (100% rostered)
Brown figures to carry a heavy load this season with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out indefinitely, although Tatum does expect to return some time after the All-Star break. Brown’s core stats have been fine, as he’s at 26.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 3-pointers per game. Still, a lack of steals (0.4), blocks (0.4) and assists (3.8) have hurt his value, along with his 76% free throw shooting. He’s currently returning 15th-round fantasy value due to his struggles and can only go up from here. Now is a good time to target Brown in a trade, especially if your team is lacking in points and triples. But don’t expect him to produce much in the other categories, and keep in mind that his career free throw percentage is just 72.6%.
Josh Hart, New York Knicks, SG/SF, 89% rostered