No, no not THAT The Used, though we could certainly chat about them a bit if you’re into it. No? Not here for that? Fine.
Well, I wanted to talk about “the used” in the NBA, as in the guys who have seen their usage climb in the past two weeks compared to the first two weeks of the season, and whether or not that’s sustainable for them. Cool with you, bro? Sweet, let’s begin.
Player rankings are per-game according to Basketball Monster. Usage data is gathered from NBA.com. All data collected was before the games were played on Saturday.
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Caris LeVert
Usage First Two Weeks: N/A (Injured)
Usage Last Two Weeks: 32.5%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 87%
Two Week Rank: 183rd
Analysis: The usage is promising and is likely what Caris LeVert owners were hoping for upon his return. He hasn’t shot the ball particularly well, which is reflected in his rank, but he’s scoring over 17 points per game while dishing out over four assists and throwing in a steal. It’s all promising, but he needs to stay on the court as he’s missed the last two games for the Pacers. He was 59th in per-game value last season, so just hold tight and hope he suits up.
Trae Young
Usage First Two Weeks: 29.9%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 33.5%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 100%
Two Week Rank: 59th
Analysis: It was a bit of a slow start for Trae Young, but he’s beginning to look like the star player we’ve all come to know and love. The Hawks are reeling right now, having lost six games in a row, but they’re sure to right the ship. In the short term, Trae is going to continue to get big usage, and he ended last season with 32% usage so he’s likely going to be closer to the last two weeks than the opening two weeks as he adjusts to the new way the game is officiated.
Russell Westbrook
Usage First Two Weeks: 27%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 29%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 100%
Two Week Rank: 123rd
Analysis: I’m including Russell Westbrook here because as long as LeBron James remains on the sidelines, he should see a modest increase in his usage. It’s worth noting though that Westbrook has only managed 123rd value even with LBJ on the sidelines. If your team is one that punts turnovers and threes, he’s a particularly useful asset over the next week or so before LBJ returns. ROS doesn’t look great though, so if you drafted him and are looking to unload him… I suppose you could probably find a buyer out there. But it’s going to be rough.
Julius Randle
Usage First Two Weeks: 26.8%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 29%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 100%
Two Week Rank: 106th
Analysis: Julius Randle was 39th in per-game ranking for 9-cat leagues last season, so don’t sweat this somewhat slow start. It’s encouraging that his usage is starting to climb towards his mark of 28.5% from a year ago. The additions of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier aren’t having as negative of an impact on him as one might have thought. He’ll be fine. Don’t panic!
Cade Cunningham
Usage First Two Weeks: N/A (Injured)
Usage Last Two Weeks: 28.5%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 89%
Two Week Rank: Unranked
Analysis: Cade Cunningham hasn’t been efficient just yet, shooting just 30.5% from the field and 23.1% from beyond the arc, but his usage here in the past few weeks is a big takeaway. Once that shot starts to drop, he could climb the ranks pretty easily just because of his massive opportunity in Detroit. If you can take advantage of an antsy owner and unload dead weight in a trade for Cade Cunningham, he likely has higher upside than any other guy out there that you could get for a similar move.
Dennis Schroder
Usage First Two Weeks: 20.9%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 27.2%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 76%
Two Week Rank: 121
Analysis: Dennis Schroder is filling the void left behind by Jaylen Brown, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Hamstrings can linger, so Schroder definitely shouldn’t be on anyone’s waiver wire in the meantime. Schroder is putting up 18.8 points and 4.5 assists in the last two weeks, which is good enough for any team. With Jaylen Brown’s return on the horizon though, you might want to wait to see if there’s going to be a big game and try to flip him for someone with a bit better ROS outlook.
Cole Anthony
Usage First Two Weeks: 22.9%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 26.6%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 88%
Two Week Rank: 17th
Analysis: One of the early-season surprises, Cole Anthony has been straight up balling for the last several weeks after going undrafted in many leagues. His situation was a bit unclear after the Magic decided to draft Jalen Suggs, but it looks like he should stick in the lineup as a major piece for the time being. This is probably a sell-high moment for him though, and I’m saying that as someone who owns him in a couple of leagues. Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac are still set to return at some point, with a possible December return on the horizon. If that is the case, then Cole may see his opportunities diminish.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Usage First Two Weeks: 22.5%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 25.1%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 80%
Two Week Rank: 158th
Analysis: Nickeil Alexander-Walker has seen his opportunities rise with Brandon Ingram on the sidelines. The biggest takeaway here is that he still is only managing 14th round value over the last two weeks, even with extra touches. Brandon Ingram has returned so if you wanted to unload NAW, now might be the time to do it. The flip side is that the Pelicans could blow it up any day, in which case NAW could step into a secure and huge role.
Andrew Wiggins
Usage First Two Weeks: 22.4%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 24.9%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 92%
Two Week Rank: 119th
Analysis: Andrew Wiggins is thankfully taking more of an active role in the offense, which should be good for his fantasy value. He’s still only barely clinging to 10th round value with the extra usage and it’s not likely to get much better with so many weapons in Golden State. He wound up as an 8th round value per game last year, which is probably his ceiling here. The scoring and rebounds are nice and he should contribute some defensive stats, making him an okay guy to roster.
Reggie Jackson
Usage First Two Weeks: 22.3%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 24.9%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 75%
Two Week Rank: 73rd
Analysis: The Clippers are in the middle of a six-game winning streak and Reggie Jackson has been popping off. Coincidence? Sir Reginald is posting 21.3 points and dishing out 4.7 assists in that span, which is super nice. The percentages probably aren’t sustainable, so enjoy the ride in the short term, but this is the ceiling production you were hoping for when you drafted him.
RJ Barrett
Usage First Two Weeks: 19.9%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 23.9%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 90%
Two Week Rank: Unranked
Analysis: It’s nice to see his usage shoot up so much in the last few weeks, but he’s still not even cracking the leaderboard for fantasy ranking. He’s a better player for real life, but the Knicks have been terrible the last few weeks. He’s not even worth rostering as he finished with 15th round value last season.
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Usage First Two Weeks: 18.8%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 23.7%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 58%
Two Week Rank: 177th
Analysis: This is a case where years of production need to be taken into consideration, as Kelly Oubre Jr. has been a mid-round guy in the past. I think he’s worth an add to see if he can keep it going. If his free throw percentage can normalize, he’ll start heading up towards 9th or 10th round value, and there is multi-category upside with Kelly Oubre Jr., though he’s mostly going to contribute points and threes.
Bobby Portis
Usage First Two Weeks: N/A (Injury)
Usage Last Two Weeks: 23.6%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 67%
Two Week Rank: 99th
Analysis: Bobby Portis is starting to get snapped up everywhere and many analysts were on him having a big season this year as the Bucks rest up to start the season and look towards the upcoming playoffs where they will hope to defend their title. The Bucks have been without Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Jrue Holiday, and Giannis Antetokounmpo at various times already this season, and that’s likely going to be the case for another month or so before they start to ramp up. Bobby Portis should be owned everywhere in the short term.
LaMarcus Aldridge
Usage First Two Weeks: 21.8%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 23.2%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 61%
Two Week Rank: 79th
Analysis: The Nets quite simply need LaMarcus Aldridge to produce as long as they don’t have Kyrie Irving. Even if Irving returns though, LaMarcus has a great chance to continue middle-round production on a team that is pretty thin in the frontcourt. It’s nice to see him doing good things on the basketball court again after last season’s health scare, but his upside is capped as he won’t have nearly as big of a role as he had on the Spurs playing behind Kevin Durant and James Harden.
Georges Niang
Usage First Two Weeks: 17.2%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 23.1%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 32%
Two Week Rank: 114th
Analysis: Georges Niang had a nice role with the Philadelphia 76ers decimated for a few weeks as Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, and Joel Embiid went into the league’s health and safety protocols. I was advocating for people to stream him, but that time is quickly coming to an end. You likely won’t see much production from him beyond another game or two, but it’s time to move on now if you’re rostering him.
Luguentz Dort
Usage First Two Weeks: 19.5%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 22.3%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 45%
Two Week Rank: 86th
Analysis: Luguentz Dort has had a nice few weeks here as he’s averaging 19.8 points and five rebounds, putting up 8th round value. I would add him and see where it goes, but the Thunder aren’t really interested in winning at all, so he could find the pine any day and certainly any time he has even a minor injury. He’s risky, but worth the roster spot right now.
Jalen Brunson
Usage First Two Weeks: 19%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 21.7%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 64%
Two Week Rank: 82nd
Analysis: Jalen Brunson has been the beneficiary of Jason Kidd’s plan to have Luka Doncic play off the basketball more this season. Indeed, JB has also seen a bump because Kristaps Porzingis has missed some time, but he should have no problem returning late-round value on the season and is worth a roster spot everywhere until there’s a roster shakeup in Dallas or something. His usage should be relatively safe.
Al Horford
Usage First Two Weeks: 18.7%
Usage Last Two Weeks: 20.6%
Percent Owned on Yahoo!: 88%
Two Week Rank: 36th
Analysis: Al Horford has been the low-key beneficiary of Jaylen Brown’s absence. He is taking on more playmaking responsibilities and has arguably been the second-best player on the Celtics in that time period. He’s averaging 12.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while throwing in 1.3 blocks for good measure on okay shooting percentages. He’s been shooting it very well from the line, but not so hot from the field. If you’re one of the folks who had the foresight to draft him, then congratulations, and enjoy that ride!
