De’Aaron Fox made the most of his 35 minutes, recording 24 points, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal and two blocks in a win over the Suns.
Fox exchanged words with Devin Booker in the first half and both of the Kentucky guards were T’d up. Fox had the last laugh, however, as the Kings won and he had a better game than Book. The newly rich point guard shot 7-of-14, making three triples and 7-of-8 FTs as Sacramento moved to 2-0 on the season. He’s the team’s franchise player and so far, he’s playing like it.
Robert Covington accounted for nine points (3-of-7 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), eight rebounds, two steals, one blocked shot and one 3-pointer in 38 minutes Saturday vs. Houston.
After scoring just one point in Portland’s season-opening loss to the Jazz, Covington had a better night on that end of the floor Saturday. But offense isn’t why the Blazers acquired him from the Rockets, and it isn’t what makes him such as valuable fantasy option either. Covington’s defensive stats in Game 2 were more in line with his production from a season ago, when he averaged 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Expect more of the same moving forward, as he and his teammates work to establish on-court chemistry.
Carmelo Anthony shot 2-of-9 from the field in Saturday’s win over the Rockets, scoring five points with one rebound, two assists, two steals and one 3-pointer in 20 minutes.
Anthony wasn’t on the floor much in crunch time, as Terry Stotts relied on his starting five to outlast the Rockets. And while he was playing, the veteran forward struggled to establish a rhythm offensively. While the future Hall of Fame forward is worth rostering in deeper formats, but he’ll be in for some tough nights coming off the bench.
Marvin Bagley dropped 13 points and 11 rebounds in the Kings 106-103 victory over the Suns on Saturday night.
Bagley was acting brand new on Saturday night, scoring 13 points and snatching 11 boards to post a rare double-double. He played just 21 minutes as Richaun Holmes (11 points & nine rebounds in 24 minutes) and Hassan Whiteside (eight points & eight rebounds in 15 minutes) continued to challenge him for time. We’ll see if Bagley can build off this performance on Tuesday against the Nuggets.
Two-way big man Nathan Knight had 14 points and three rebounds on 4-of-5 shooting with two 3-pointers in just eight-plus minutes in his NBA debut on Saturday.
The short-handed Hawks were dealing with John Collins being in foul trouble and the William & Mary product came through. There's no reason to pick him up, unless you're in a 30-team league, but it was a fun night for the rookie and he played great. As a two-way player he can be active for 50 of the Hawks 72 games this season. As we understand it, only three other players from William & Mary have ever played in the NBA. Congratulations!
Buddy Hield went 4-of-14 in 35 minutes, scoring 14 points to go along with four rebounds and a steal in the Kings win.
Our Buddy didn’t have a game-winning tip-in this time, nor did he score a lot. But he managed to have a decent fantasy performance and tied his backcourt partner De’Aaron Fox for the most minutes of any Kings player. The departure of Bogan Bogdanovic was a major W for Hield and for those who picked him up this season.
Thrust into the starting lineup due to multiple players being in quarantine, David Nwaba played 27 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Blazers and finished with 10 points (4-of-10 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, one steal and two blocked shots.
Nwaba isn’t going to provide a great deal from a scoring standpoint, but the defensive ability makes him a player worth considering in the short-term. And with Houston having just nine healthy players until Thursday at the earliest, Nwaba is going to be playing starter’s minutes.
Jae’Sean Tate played 37 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s overtime loss to Portland, finishing with 13 points (5-of-9 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one 3-pointer.
Originally signed as roster filler back in late-November, Tate is in a position where he has to play rotation minutes due to Houston having a limited roster. To his credit the former Ohio State forward took advantage of his opportunity, reaching double figures in his official NBA debut. Tate isn’t worth rostering in any league, especially if the players currently under quarantine (including DeMarcus Cousins) are cleared by late next week as expected.
P.J. Tucker tallied seven points (3-of-10 FGs, 0-of-2 FTs), 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one 3-pointer in 43 minutes Saturday vs. Portland.
While smaller in stature than Christian Wood, it was Tucker who was given the unenviable task of banging with Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic for most of the night. The veteran forward didn’t have his best night shooting the basketball, but he did grab 11 rebounds while also registering a steal and a blocked shot. Due to how shorthanded Houston is, Tucker is one of the team’s few available fantasy options. Hopefully, he can shoot the ball better than he did on Saturday moving forward.
Sterling Brown shot 4-of-5 from the field in Saturday’s loss to the Blazers, finishing with 10 points, one rebound and two 3-pointers in 20 minutes.
Brown came out hot, scoring eight points during the first quarter, but cooled off considerably during the second half. He’ll have his opportunities to produce with Eric Gordon and Ben McLemore both sidelined, but at best Brown is a points and 3-pointers option for those who don’t have any other options to pick off of the waiver wire. Once Gordon and McLemore return, he will likely be out of the rotation.
Brodric Thomas played 10 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s loss to the Blazers, going scoreless with three rebounds and three assists.
Thomas isn’t worthy of consideration in any fantasy league. But he did manage to make some history, as the rookie became the first Truman State alum to appear in an NBA game since Hall of Famer Harry Galatin did so in 1958. So Thomas has that going for him at least.
Danuel House accounted for 11 points (3-of-8 FGs, 4-of-6 FTs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one 3-pointer in 38 minutes Saturday vs. Portland.
House didn’t have a great night offensively, as he was also 1-of-4 from three. But with Eric Gordon and Ben McLemore both in quarantine (until December 30 at the earliest), he is Houston’s most experienced remaining wing shooter. As a result, he won’t lack for opportunities playing alongside James Harden and Christian Wood. For that reason House, who is a solid points and 3-pointers option on most nights, is a must-have in both 8- and 9-cat formats.
Devin Booker had 26 points, three rebounds, three assists, a steal and seven crucial turnovers in the Sun’s loss to the Kings on Saturday night.
Booker needed 21 shots to score 26 points against the Kings and even then, it wasn’t enough. He went 10-of-21 on FGs, 3-of-7 on triples and 3-of-3 on FTs in a game-high 38 minutes. But the seven turnovers were Book’s most noticeable stat. I know it’s the season of giving, but come on, man, take care of the ball! Next game we need less giveaways and more giving buckets.
Karl-Anthony Towns hit just 6-of-19 shots, a 3-pointer and 3-of-3 free throws for 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, a steal and four blocks in Saturday's win over the Jazz.
He suffered a left hand injury that briefly sent him to the locker room but he was able to finish the game. He was going up against a tough defender in Rudy Gobert and it took its toll on KAT tonight. He hasn't had a monster game yet but is averaging 19 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 3.0 blocks and 1.5 3-pointers after two games, which is nothing to sneeze at. Just check back to make sure that his hand is OK in the morning (we're guessing he's fine).
Chris Paul had a vintage CP3 performance with 22 points, 12 dimes, five assists and two steals in a loss to the Kings on Saturday night.
The savvy point guard was toying with Kings defenders all night by getting to his spots and baiting them into fouls. Paul made a three at the end of the second and third periods but neither counted as he didn’t get the shots off in time. Although, he did block a shot in the game though so there’s that. CP3 will consistently provide points, assists and boards on a nightly basis because he’s built like that so start him and reap the rewards.
Derrick Favors (knee) played 18 minutes and had five points, six rebounds and a steal in Saturday's loss to the Wolves.
He's been dealing with a sore knee but was able to go tonight. He's averaging 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds through two games but is also playing just 17 minutes a night. Maybe that will increase as his knee injury fades away, but he's not a fantasy prospect at this point.
Mike Conley hit 6-of-13 shots, two 3-pointers and 6-of-8 free throws for 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, a steal and four turnovers in Saturday's 116-111 loss to the Wolves.
Conley looked good tonight and is averaging 19 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals through two games and while more steals are probably coming, his season is off to a nice start. The Jazz had a chance to tie the game with 4.2 seconds left in the game but Bojan Bogdanovic wasn't able to get the ball in and got called for five seconds.
Jordan Clarkson hit 8-of-17 shots and two 3-pointers for 23 points and three rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench on Saturday.
He led the Jazz in scoring and scored 15 points with three triples in the opener. He's not going to do much besides scoring and 3-pointers, but he's worth rostering in fantasy leagues if those are categories you need help in.
Larry Nance Jr. fell back to earth on Saturday vs. the Pistons, failing to score in 25 minutes with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in 25 minutes.
Kevin Love (calf) returned tonight and played a whopping 38 minutes, but could be load managed all season (including Sunday’s second leg of this back-to-back). Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has made it pretty clear that Nance is still going to have a significant role, and we expect him to see time at both frontcourt spots. “We have to do our best to get him on the floor,” Bickerstaff said. “I think he’s showing us that he deserves that. His versatility allows us to play him in a bunch of different spots. I think we’ve had some success with that big lineup. But when you play the way he played, it’s our responsibility to figure out a way to get you on the floor. And we’ve got to do that.” Let's hope Bickerstaff keeps his word because Nance can be a fantasy stud when the minutes are consistent, and fantasy managers should obviously cut him some slack after his monster season-opener.
Ben Simmons dropped 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks on Saturday night in New York.
Simmons had a well-balanced fantasy performance on Saturday night in the Sixers win over the Knicks. He went 5-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-8 from the line, both decent shooting numbers. The nine FGA is kind of light for the All-Star, but Simmons is an unselfish player and has two new shooters in Seth Curry and Danny Green with whom he will spread the wealth with all season.