Dario Saric (quad) returned to action on Tuesday, scoring 10 points with four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 14 minutes.
Saric looked good in his season debut, providing another cause for celebration in the Suns' 111-86 romp over the Pelicans. He hit 3-of-4 shots including two 3-pointers, made both of his free throws, and the only downside was three turnovers. He may not earn sufficient minutes for fantasy value with Jae Crowder locked into a starting spot, especially with Cameron Johnson playing well, so he's only worth grabbing in deep leagues.
Serge Ibaka played 22 minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Timberwolves, finishing with 16 points (7-of-12 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), eight rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.
Ibaka, one of the few Clippers to play well in Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Mavericks, had himself another good night. It’s early, but the center tandem of he and Ivica Zubac (12/4/1 with three blocks in 19 minutes) has worked well thus far. Through the first week of the season Ibaka’s been a top-100 player in 9-cat, and it’s fair to expect more of the same moving forward.
Luke Kennard played 28 minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Timberwolves, scoring 15 points (6-of-9 FGs) with three rebounds, four assists and three 3-pointers.
With Kawhi Leonard (mouth) sidelined Kennard made his second straight start, and he was far more effective against Minnesota than he was against Dallas. Kennard hasn’t been as impactful as some envisioned when he was acquired from the Pistons, as he ranks well outside of the top-200 in both 8- and 9-cat formats. He’s currently rostered in just 17% of Yahoo leagues for that reason, but don’t expect him to sit that low in the rankings for too long. As Kennard gets more comfortable with his new teammates he should be more productive, especially in a reserve role.
DaQuan Jeffries will undergo an MRI on Wednesday after spraining his left ankle ahead of Tuesday's game against Denver.
Jeffries, who was already dealing with back soreness, sprained his ankle during a pregame 4-on-4 session. He wasn't a viable fantasy option before the injuries, and it may be a while before he gets the opportunity to prove otherwise.
Justin Jackson was quiet in his regular-season debut for the Thunder, finishing with eight points, two rebounds and three assists on Tuesday night.
Jackson stepped into the starting lineup for Al Horford (rest) on Tuesday but didn't do much with the opportunity. He went 3-of-6 from the floor and failed to make a three in 29 minutes. He currently holds no fantasy value.
Isaiah Roby was inserted into the starting lineup on Tuesday, scoring 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and adding seven rebounds, one steal and two blocks.
Roby and Justin Jackson both started with Al Horford and George Hill out for the Thunder. But it was only Roby who maximized his time on Tuesday night with a solid effort. And while he's not worth adding just yet, if he does this again, he might be worth a roster spot in deeper leagues.
Eric Paschall played 13 minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Pistons, scoring 10 points (3-of-4 FGs, 4-of-6 FTs) with two rebounds and one assist.
Paschall once again came off the bench, with Juan Toscano-Anderson (five points, three rebounds, four assists and one steal in 24 minutes) starting for the second straight game. The “big” news with regard to Paschall’s Tuesday was that he played some minutes at center to begin the fourth quarter. With Marquese Chriss (ankle) done for the season, Steve Kerr may look to Paschall for spot minutes at the five moving forward. He was solid Tuesday night, going a long way towards ensuring that he remains in the rotation when Draymond Green (foot) is cleared to play. There’s no need to grab Paschall off of the waiver wire in any league right now.
Terrence Ross (right hamstring) had exited the game at one point and was probable to return, which he did, scoring 14 points on Tuesday night.
Ross aggravated his right hamstring on Tuesday night against the Thunder and briefly left the game. But he returned and finish with 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 0-of-4 from deep. The injury doesn't appear to be major considering Ross checked back in, but his status will be monitored over the next couple days.
Kelly Oubre shot 6-of-10 from the field and 1-of-2 from the foul line in Tuesday’s win over the Pistons, tallying 14 points with five rebounds, two steals, two blocks and one 3-pointer in 29 minutes.
Oubre finally made a 3-pointer! After going 0-of-17 in the Warriors first three games, he was 1-of-4 Tuesday night. Not great, but certainly a step in the right direction for the Tsunami Papi. Something that hasn’t been problematic for Oubre has been his defensive production, as he’s averaging 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Even with the poor shooting, the defense is what keeps Oubre on the radar in most fantasy formats.
Jerami Grant shot 9-of-21 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line in Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors, scoring 27 points with seven rebounds, one assist, three steals, two blocks and three 3-pointers in 37 minutes.
The biggest reason why Grant signed with the Pistons was to have the opportunity to “spread his wings” offensively, which has worked out well for his fantasy value. While it’s still extremely early, Grant has been a top-20 player in 9-cat (top-30 in 8-cat) during the first week of the season. In the short term there may be even more shots available, as Blake Griffin (concussion) was injured during the second quarter of Tuesday’s game and did not return. Those who have Grant rostered will benefit, either by holding onto him or deciding to “sell high.”
Saddiq Bey accounted for 11 points (3-of-9 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), three rebounds and three 3-pointers in 15 minutes Tuesday vs. Golden State.
One night after making the first start of his NBA career, Bey was back with the second unit for Tuesday’s game. While he didn’t shoot the ball well inside of the arc, the rookie out of Villanova made three of his five 3-point attempts. Bey isn’t as must-roster player right now, but he’s worth keeping an eye on in relation to Blake Griffin. Griffin entered concussion protocol during Tuesday’s game, and it was Bey who started the second half when the veteran forward was declared out for the remainder of the night. Should Griffin have to miss additional time, Bey's minutes are likely to increase.
Josh Jackson played 29 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors, scoring 17 points (6-of-14 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs) with six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one blocked shot.
Jackson has been a pleasant surprise for the Pistons thus far, as he has scored 17 points or more in three of the team’s four games. Currently rostered in just 18% of Yahoo leagues, he’s been a top-100 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats. With Blake Griffin leaving Tuesday’s game during the second quarter and entering the team’s concussion protocol, this would be a good time to roll the dice on Jackson.
Derrick Rose missed 11 of his first 12 shots from the field in Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors, finishing with a line of 15 points (6-of-18 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one 3-pointer in 26 minutes.
After sitting out Monday’s game for rest reasons, Rose had a rough start against the Warriors. The veteran point guard was better during the fourth quarter, cobbling together a somewhat respectable stat line as a result. Starting point guard Killian Hayes sprained his ankle early in the third quarter and did not return, so there may be some shuffling to the point guard rotation in the coming days. Either Rose or Delon Wright, who finished with five points, one rebound, three assists and one 3-pointer in 28 minutes, would move into the starting lineup if Hayes has to miss time. Wright is the better choice of the two, and he’s currently rostered in just 46% of Yahoo leagues.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk shot 2-of-4 from three in Tuesday's loss to the Warriors, accounting for six points, two rebounds and one steal in 12 minutes.
At best, Mykhailiuk is a low-end points and 3-pointers option. There's no need to carve out a roster spot for him at present time.
Nikola Vucevic had a monster game on Tuesday night, posting 28 points, 10 boards, five assists and a steal in just 34 minutes.
Vucevic in scoring and rebounding on Tuesday night and did so efficiently. He went 12-of-18 from the line and made 3-of-4 from deep. A nice bounce-back performance after going 8-of-20 on Saturday night. Vucevic may not be an NBA star, but he puts up star numbers and his fantasy managers should be happy to have him.
Markelle Fultz had his first double-double of the season, notching 11 points and 10 assists on Tuesday night.
While the 10 assists are a great sign for the young guard, Fultz couldn't find his shooting stroke, going 4-of-16 from the floor on Tuesday night. He had scored 20-plus in the previous two games so this was likely just an off night. No need to worry here, Fultz is on track for a productive season.
Isaiah Stewart played 23 minutes in Tuesday's loss to the Warriors, finishing with six points (3-of-5 FGs), seven rebounds, one assist and two blocked shots.
Stewart, who was selected with the 16th overall pick in November's NBA Draft, doesn't offer much in the way of fantasy value. That being said, some playing time opened up for him Tuesday as Jahlil Okafor (sprained right ankle) was ruled out and Blake Griffin left the game in the second quarter due to a head injury. Stewart isn't worth grabbing off of the waiver wire right now, but should the Pistons' season go as many expect it to (draft lottery) he'll be a solid late-season pickup.
Dwayne Bacon shot 9-of-10 from the field to score a season-high 18 points vs. the Thunder on Tuesday, adding eight rebounds without any other stats in 23 minutes.
Bacon continues to start in the absence of James Ennis, but tonight's line is a mirage. He was unrealistically efficient, continues to hover around 20 minutes per game, and is now averaging a mere 2.3 boards, 1.3 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks this season. Look elsewhere for waiver-wire value.
Daniel Gafford played seven minutes in Tuesday's win over the Wizards, finishing with three points (3-of-4 FTs), one rebound and one blocked shot.
Gafford is barely in the Bulls rotation, so there's no need to consider grabbing him off of the waiver wire.
Kevon Looney accounted for two points (2-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, four assists and one steal in 22 minutes Tuesday vs. Detroit.
With Marquese Chriss (ankle) done for the season, Looney is James Wiseman's backup at the center position. He isn't worth rostering in any league, and that's before Draymond Green (foot) returns and gives Steve Kerr another option in smaller lineups. Eric Paschall played a few minutes at center Tuesday night, which won't do Looney any favors when it comes to his fantasy value.