Ok Marvin, I’m sorry for only typing ‘Meh’ for your recap last week. You are clearly a Razzballer who read my recap, and it inspired you to go out and flash the potential that made you the #2 pick. Double-digit scoring in all three games last week, as well as 5 BLOCKS in a single game. I thought his athleticism would allow him to run into blocks on occasion by accident, but if he begins to show a knack for it watch out.
UP
Elie Okobo – OH-WEE-OH, OKOOOOOOBO!!!! Sorry. Is he available in your league? Go add him now, I’ll wait. Elie got some run last week and took full advantage, as he put up 12 pts, 2 ast, 2 3pt in 18 minutes and then the very next night upped that to 18 pts, 7 ast, 5 reb, 3 3pt in 31 minutes. Expect him to be a fixture on a Phoenix team that thought they might contend, but has looked pretty bad so far in the early going.
Marvin Bagley III – Did I mention the 5 block game? He’s also hit a couple 3’s. Maybe Sacramento didn’t screw up passing on Trae & Luka. Nah, they probably did.
Wendell Carter Jr. – Very quietly got his first double-double of the season against the Hawks. Averaging nearly 2 blocks per game as well and the minutes should only increase as the season goes on. Robin Lopez and Cristiano Felicio aren’t going to challenge him.
Collin Sexton – The Cavs are terrible, fired their head coach already, and are paying Kevin Love 8 billion dollars over the next 40 years. Sexton had a nice week though, scoring in double figures in all three games while finally finding his teammates more on offense. He still hasn’t hit a 3, but provided some steals and got to the line at a decent clip, which I had expected to be a big part of his value. With Love potentially missing a month, the scoring chances should increase.
Deandre Ayton – He went early in redraft leagues and was probably the #1 overall in most dynasty leagues. Ayton hasn’t disappointed, as he’s had a double-double in three of four games and is averaging 4 assists over that stretch.
Luka Doncic – Like Ayton, Luka went high in all drafts and hasn’t disappointed. He’s contributing across the board except blocks, but you didn’t draft him for that. If the owner in your dynasty league shows any inclination, then jump on a deal for Doncic.
Miles Bridges – The minutes came for Miles, and he didn’t disappoint. Back-to-back double digit scoring efforts with some 3’s, boards, and steals sprinkled in. He is an ideal fit in the NBA and should continue to grow with more minutes. Charlotte could end up being sellers too, which will only increase his opportunities.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – SGA had his best game of the season last night with 10 pts, 8 rebs, 7 ast, 1 3pt, and 2 steals. He’s probably not available in your league anymore.
Josh Okogie – Averaged over 25 MPG last week and has some decent numbers to show for it, registering a double-double against Toronto. Thibs usually doesn’t play rookies though, so the fact that he is playing as much as he is tends to bode well for his rotation spot for the rest of the year (especially if Butler gets moved). Roster him in dynasty, while he may be a speculative add in redraft leagues with deep benches.
STILL WAITING
Mohamed Bamba – The more I see of Mo, the more I am glad that Orlando took him at #6 so my Bulls had to ‘settle’ for Wendell Carter Jr. I think Bamba will be a solid player, but he really needs Vucevic to find a new home so he can get more playing time.
Mitchell Robinson – Played a total of nine minutes in Week 1, but that number jumped up to 41 minutes in Week 2 for a bad Knicks team. Good to see the minutes. Now we need to see some production. Blocking only one shot when that was/is his elite skill so far is underwhelming. Keep an eye on him, though. If he keeps getting minutes, the blocks will come.
Mikal Bridges – Phoenix gave themselves a glut of wings this offseason and Bridges is on the lower end of minutes and not getting a ton of looks. Keep him in dynasty, but he’s probably not roster-worthy in standard redraft leagues.
It is obviously too early to label any player a bust, but from what we’ve seen so far, I don’t really know who a candidate would even be. This rookie class is that good and has been that productive so far. Will it a produce a top 5-10 fantasy stud? Maybe not, but the names in this article will be around for a long time (except Lopez and Felicio, they are terrible). Thanks for reading!
