Fantasy basketball 30: Luka Doncic enters the record books
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 whom 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 scored a season best 22 points against the Jazz and continues to provide fantasy managers with points and rebounds. Hunter is only rostered in 18.6% of ESPN leagues, but is worth keeping an eye on. AJ Griffin should be added to your watch list as well. The 19-year-old rookie out of Duke scored 24 points on Monday night against Milwaukee, adding three steals as well.
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Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart became the first Celtics player since Rajon Rondo in 2014 to record at least 10 assists in three consecutive games, dishing out 11 dimes on Wednesday against the Pistons. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum scored at least 30 points in the same game for the 15th time in Celtics history. This is the most by an pair of teammates in Celtics history.
Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving‘s status for the rest of the season with the Nets is uncertain, which positions Kevin Durant to have a monster season statistically. He had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists against the Knicks on Wednesday. It was Durant’s fifth triple-double with the Nets and 17th in his career. On top of that, he is the first player since Michael Jordan in 1988 to 1989 with 12 consecutive 25-point games to begin a season.
Charlotte Hornets: It is worth looking at Mason Plumlee in your ESPN leagues if you need a center. He is only rostered in 16.0% of them but has scored 22 or more fantasy points in seven consecutive games, including a season high 39 against the Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Plumlee has averaged 25.1 MPG, so he’s getting time on the floor to accumulate numbers.
Chicago Bulls: The buzz surrounding Patrick Williams continues to get louder and now is a great time to add him to your team. Williams is only rostered in 5.3% of ESPN leagues and has scored 22 or more fantasy points in four out of his last five games. Growing and developing in the league is about stringing together impactful performances, and the No. 4 overall pick from 2020 is starting to make his presence felt every night.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell has averaged 31.9 PPG this season. In Cavaliers history, only one player averaged more points over a 10-game period. Yeah, you guessed it — that player is LeBron James. In other news, fantasy managers should pick up Caris LeVert, who’s only rostered in 61.2% of ESPN leagues. He had 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists against the Kings on Wednesday for his first double-double with the Cavaliers.
Dallas Mavericks: Spencer Dinwiddie finished Wednesday’s game against the Magic with a season-high 55 fantasy points. The Mavericks were without Christian Wood, who has already been ruled out for Thursday’s game as well, and Dinwiddie helped to fill the scoring void. On Wednesday night, Luka Doncic played poorly by his standards, but he made history. He became the first player in league history with at least 340 points, 80 rebounds and 80 assists through 10 games of a season.
Denver Nuggets: Aaron Gordon finished with 18 points, 16 rebounds and six assists against the Pacers on Wednesday. This was his third career game with 15 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Gordon is only rostered in 56.5% of ESPN leagues and given the relatively low rebound total (16) over the previous three games, the rebounds were a welcome surprise.
Detroit Pistons: Marvin Bagley III (9.5% rostered in ESPN leagues) will make his season debut soon after recovering from an MCL sprain. Last season, Bagley III averaged 14.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 1.1 APG in 27.2 MPG. Prior to his injury, he was scheduled to begin the season in the starting lineup, so it would be a good idea to add him to your fantasy team. The Pistons need all the help they can get since they rank 27th in points scored per 100 possessions and 30th in points allowed per 100 possessions.
Golden State Warriors: At least one Warrior is playing well, and perhaps you have heard of him… Stephen Curry has had a great start to the season, despite the Warriors’ slow start. In Monday night’s game against the Kings, he scored at least 40 points for the 57th time in his career. Since Curry’s rookie season, this is the third most in the league. The only point guard with more fantasy points than Curry is Doncic.
Houston Rockets: If you need points and triples then consider Eric Gordon who’s only rostered in 4.4% of ESPN leagues. Over the past three games, the veteran guard has scored 10 or more points and averaged 28.3 MPG. Kenyon Martin Jr. is also worth considering. Over his last five games, he’s averaged 31.2 fantasy points per game in only rostered in 3.8% of ESPN leagues. Don’t forget about rookie Tari Eason, who had a season high 40 fantasy points against the Raptors on Wednesday. In order to compete, the Rockets must score a lot of points as they rank 28th in points allowed per 100 possessions.
Indiana Pacers: It appears Bennedict Mathurin will be competing with Paolo Banchero for Rookie of the Year. On Wednesday night, he scored 30 points for the second time this season, which is tied with Banchero for the most by a rookie this season. Somehow, Mathurin is still only rostered in 57% of ESPN leagues. Tyrese Haliburton had his fifth game this season with at least 20 points and 10 assists on Wednesday. This leads the league.
LA Clippers: Paul George has had six straight games with 38 or fantasy points and is contributing in every statistical category. In other Clippers’ news, Terance Mann has bumped Robert Covington out of the Clippers rotation with how he’s been playing lately. He’s rostered in only 3.8% of leagues, but over the last three games Mann has averaged 27 minutes and 32 fantasy points.
Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James is dealing with a groin injury and will undergo testing to determine his availability. He scored 30 points against the Clippers on Wednesday, and oddly enough the Lakers have lost five consecutive games when James scores 30 or more. Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves are two players who would benefit if James misses time. Walker is rostered in 20.8% of leagues while Reaves is rostered in just 1.0% of ESPN leagues.
Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant recorded his 35th career game with 20 paint points on Wednesday against the Spurs. The only other guards to do that over the last 25 seasons are Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and Russell Westbrook. There is no better player to look to for rebounds than Steven Adams, who is only rostered in 46.9% of ESPN leagues. He has racked up 10 or more rebounds in each of the past four games, including two with 19 rebounds.
Miami Heat: Max Strus has scored 25 or more fantasy points in four consecutive games. He’s rostered in 18.3% of ESPN leagues and is also a great source of points and triples. As Tyler Herro deals with an ankle injury and Caleb Martin recovers from a right quad injury, Strus may see more playing time in the near future.
Milwaukee Bucks: Brook Lopez had his first game with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks since December 30, 2015 against the Thunder on Wednesday. He has been an excellent value pick for fantasy managers this season and is only rostered in 64.8% of ESPN leagues. If he’s available, go pick him up. Lopez has averaged 15.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 2.7 BPG in 31.5 MPG this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Rudy Gobert has only averaged 13.8 PPG and 13.8 RPG so far this season compared to the 15.6 PPG and 14.7 RPG he averaged with the Jazz last season. There is still time for him and Karl-Anthony Towns to learn how to coexist together. No matter how many trade offers you receive for Gobert, I would hold on to him.
New Orleans Pelicans: If you are looking for a streamer then look no further than Larry Nance Jr. who is only rostered in 8.2% of ESPN leagues. His left knee injury appears to be minor, but he is day-to-day. Nance Jr. has scored 34 or more fantasy points in four of his last five games and is a solid source of rebounds and steals.
New York Knicks: Julius Randle has averaged 20.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG and 3.3 APG in 33.5 MPG this season. This translates to 32.8 points per game in fantasy points leagues. Randle can now focus on quality over quantity on offense with the Knicks’ addition of Jalen Brunson. During the previous two seasons, Randle’s usage rate hovered around 29%. He has a great chance to finish as a top-100 player this season.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the second player in Thunder (and Super Sonics) franchise history with 300 points in the first 10 games. Westbrook was the first back in the 2016 to 2017 season. Aleksej Pokusevski had an impressive game against the Bucks on Wednesday with a season-high 47 fantasy points. He’s only rostered in 6.7% of ESPN leagues. Pokusevski has the potential to contribute in multiple statistical areas and is worth a flier.
Orlando Magic: Franz Wagner has had a solid start to the season, but has been overshadowed by rookie Paolo Banchero. In his last three games, Wagner has scored 76 points, the most points he has scored in a three-game span in his career. Jalen Suggs has scored 27 or more fantasy points in three of his last five games, including a season high of 53. Cole Anthony is out until early December, so Suggs will have an increased role in the Magic backcourt for the near future.
Philadelphia 76ers: We know that Tyrese Maxey and De’Anthony Melton will benefit from James Harden‘s absence (right foot tendon sprain), but Georges Niang may as well. He is only rostered in 1.4% of ESPN leagues. Over the last three games, Niang has averaged 29.3 fantasy points and 24.3 MPG. The 76ers have three games to close out the week.
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker is already one of the best guards in the league and with Chris Paul sidelined due to a heel injury he could reach new heights. On Wednesday against the Timberwolves, he had his second career game with 30 points, 10 assists and five 3s. Booker joined Steve Nash as the only players in franchise history with multiple such games. In addition, Booker became the third youngest player to reach 1,000 threes in league history, behind Bradley Beal and D’Angelo Russell.
Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard has returned from his calf injury, which is a positive, but he only has 60 fantasy points in his first two games back. Through the first five games of the season, he averaged 45.4 fantasy points. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should add Shaedon Sharpe and Drew Eubanks. Particularly intriguing is Sharpe, who played 29 minutes and scored a season high 26 fantasy points against the Hornets on Wednesday. The Trail Blazers are 8-3 for the first time since the 2018 to 2019 season.
Sacramento Kings: Kevin Huerter (rostered in 56.9% of ESPN leagues) and Malik Monk (7.2%) are great options for fantasy managers looking for statistical production. After a quiet 2021-2022 season, Huerter has averaged 30.6 fantasy points in 31.7 minutes per game this season and Monk has put up 33.7 fantasy points per game over the last four contests. The Kings play against the Lakers on Friday and Warriors on Sunday.
San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs aren’t a strong offensive team ranking 22nd in points scored per 100 possessions, but Devin Vassell can be counted on as a consistent fantasy contributor. He’s scored 40 or more fantasy points in six of his last seven games. If you need a point guard then consider Tre Jones who’s still surprisingly only rostered in 65.1% of ESPN leagues. He’s averaged 12.6 PPG, 6.4 APG and 1.4 SPG in 30.5 MPG this season.
Toronto Raptors: O.G. Anunoby has been amazing over the last six games, scoring 50 or more fantasy points in five of them. Elsewhere on the Raptors, Otto Porter Jr. is a solid streaming option who’s only rostered in 1.4% of ESPN leagues. In Wednesday’s game against the Rockets, he played a season high 23 minutes and scored 24 fantasy points. He should continue to play decent minutes with Pascal Siakam out.
Utah Jazz: Lauri Markkanen had his third 30-point game of the season against the Hawks on Wednesday. He’s averaged a career-best 21.9 PPG. With five consecutive games of 31 or more fantasy points, Jordan Clarkson‘s positive momentum continues. Meanwhile, Walker Kessler should be preemptively added if you have the roster space. Over the last four games, he’s averaged 27 fantasy points in only 15.2 MPG. Kessler, a shot-blocking specialist, should receive more playing time as the season progresses.
Washington Wizards: Will Barton’s fantasy production has been up and down all season, but he has a clear role in the Wizards rotation as his 24.0 MPG indicates. Barton is only rostered in 18.6% of ESPN leagues but is worth a look. With Bradley Beal already ruled out of Thursday’s game due to health and safety protocols, Barton makes a great streamer. In two of his last four games, he has scored 25 or more fantasy points.