Role Riser: Zaccharie Risacher is going to valuable this season. He’s averaging 30 minutes per game, averaging 1.3 3PM per game in that time and slashing 9.5/6/2 in that time. The threes are the stat to chase here. Risacher is averaging over 4 attempts per game with every game between 4 and 6 so far. When he gets hot, he can help win leagues with 3-4 in a night.
Sorry, though, I buried the lede. The defensive production is outstanding. Risacher is at 1.7 blocks and 2 steals per game, outstanding from a guy who can fill your guard spot. Is he……….wait for it………..a 3 and D guy? Looks like it! Factor in that he has just 1.2 TO per game and you have a legit starter that you could still get in most leagues (43% owned).
Role Reducer: Y’all shoulda listened to me before the season. Josh Giddey was never going to repeat those numbers from last year. And he’s clearly not doing that! A 9/5/8 slash just isn’t what you signed up for in the preseason. Giddey is only shooting 38% from the floor, and his turnovers are still at 2.3 per game. This is one fantasy managers should sell low on.
The first factor for Giddey is the new front office and coaching situation in Chicago. Billy Donovan structured the entire Bulls ecosystem around Giddey’s drive and kick game, with fast shots being emphasized. New head man Tiago Splitter is teaching more half-court ball, which is not Giddey’s strength. The Bulls have also reduced Giddey’s touches (third in the league last year, down to 66 this year from 85), making him play more traditional basketball. Obviously, he’s struggling in the new ecosystem.
The second is the ankle surgery he underwent this offseason. The ankle has been a repeated issue for Giddey for years. He opted for an arthroscopic procedure and has looked slower and less confident in his actions on the court. What looks like a lack of effort may just be a reduced ability and speed on the court. This is speculative, but he may need a more extensive repair on the oft-injured ankle than first thought.
I don’t see the role returning, and his game has been incredibly ugly against good teams. I’d sell him for any piece that starts for their team. Giddey was always a non-elite player who was being given an elite player role. We shouldn’t be shocked to see him struggle in a lesser role.
Role Restoration: Collin Murray-Boyles has not been the top-100 player he was drafted as on literally all of my teams. Yes, I’m concerned here, but not abandoning ship. CMB has been effective while on the floor; the issue is that he’s not on the floor for long enough. 19 minutes per game isn’t going to keep your fantasy lights on. So why should we keep a backup forward on your team?
First of all, the eye test is good for him. He’s active on defense, for one. The per-36 numbers aren’t always perfect, but in this case they’re instructive. In this case they scale to 16/10/3 on the slash, chipping in 2.5 stocks to boot. A glance at the metrics shows that CMB is having a defensive impact as well; an EPM of positive 1.7 compares well to players like Josh Hart, Stephon Castle, and teammate Jakob Poeltl (1.6). I think the minutes will tick up as the season goes on. He’s still making an impact while on the floor.
Second, the Raptors entire roster is in flux. Poeltl was starting, but sat with shoulder bursitis. One would think CMB would start, but they opted for Trayce Jackson-Davis who played just nine minutes. There has to be a role for the second-year lottery pick here.
My thought is that his playing time, spotty as it has been, will rise as the season goes along. He’s too impactful and good to play this little. I have him as a good buy-low.
Roles Radar:
Here are some guys filling new roles that may become relevant for fantasy basketball:
- Karlo Matkovic: starting at C in New Orleans, can he get minutes and enough production to be rostered?
- Kyle Filipowski: back from injury, unlimited minutes available if he can do it
- Coby White: Back from injury; Grayson Allen usage?
- Jase Richardson: still starting, can he get rotation minutes when Orlando is healthier?
