You ever have a draft season where all your takes were wrong? That’s me. And in the industry leagues, man, that’s killer to miss on breakouts because other guys will hit on theirs.
Keep pounding, though, it’s a long season. It’s barely November! But just know, when I write these, it’s my process to identify pickups and watch lists.
Role Risers, Hawks Version:
The Hawks had some interesting role changes in their game Wednesday night. Kingston Flemings moved into the starting lineup at the expense of CJ McCollum. Flemings played 23 minutes, slashing 14/3/4 in their win over Washington. Flemings has flashed this year, and McCollum is elderly, so this is a scenario to watch at least. If you’ve lost, say, Kon Knueppel again or something, Flemings has a ton of upside if given the opportunity.
Zuby Ejiofor had a productive 17 minutes (11/3/2 with 2 steals) and bears watching as the season moves along. If there’s an injury to the Atlanta frontcourt, this is the man to pick up. A productive college player for 4 seasons, he’s ready to make an impact more quickly than the typical college draft pick. He’s not an add until injury, but place him on the old watch list if you need to scoop and stream.
Role Reducer:
Khaman Malauch is just not producing and I hope you all listened to me and didn’t draft him top 100. Sure he was good in summer league and preseason. That’s not happening at the moment. I love the kid and his long-term potential, but for right now he’s not getting the minutes.
Last night Man Man logged just 15 minutes compared to 22 for Oso Ighodaro. Oso also outscored, rebounded, and assisted (9/7/7 slash) and generally was the better basketball player. I’m looking for Ighodaro to nail down the starting role, and Malauch to develop his considerable potential from the bench in a more curated role.
Don’t let Malauch’s potential cloud your vision for this season. He’s not a consistent NBA big at the moment. Enjoy the flashes, but it is time to move on from the dream temporarily.
Role Restoration:
It’s almost like Bam Adebayo just needed a few games to get used to his new superstar teammate! 35/10/4 last night. Season long, he’s up to 18/8/4 and also a super helpful 2 steals per game. I drafted him in the second round in a couple leagues and have to admit I was sweating it out for a bit there. If you want more reassurance, check out his last four averages:
- 23 points
- 9 boards
- 3.5 assists
Bam is just fine. Maybe you can get a buy-low. I would deal Evan Mobley, Domantis Sabonis, or Jalen Johnson to acquire his services.
Role Riser:
From the ashes, the BroLo Brook Lopez arises! Somehow in his late 30s Lopez still is producing for fantasy teams. In his last game he played 35 minutes, vanquishing his playing time foe Isaiah Jackson (12 minutes, 3 fouls) and placing him firmly in the Playing Time Dungeon. See, Jackson doesn’t space the floor, and the Clippers’ forwards aren’t shooters, so Lopez fits the team construct much better. I grabbed him in the Razzball Invitational (which I’m in last, clearly I should have invited worse fantasy players) and was treated to a 20/8 game with 2 blocks and threes. While that’s too much to expect on a nightly basis, his season average of 13/5 and nearly 2 blocks is better than you’ve been getting from Khaman Malauch, Kel’El Ware, Alex Sarr, or Day’Ron Sharpe. I’d endorse Lopez over these guys at this point. It can change, also, but man it’s been a rough year for the big guys with upside club.
Role Reducer:
Some of these are more painful to write than others. It’s time to move on from Tre Jones. It’s not you, Tre, it’s the system. The new coaching staff is not nearly as PG-friendly as what Billy Donovan ran. The scoring has decreased from 14 PPG to 10 and assists from just over 5 per game to 3. It’s simply not the same ecosystem, and the team is so bad they keep losing by 38392 points. Jones’ minutes also are down to 18 from 27 last year. I had to bite the bullet and move on from my favorite guard. The trainwreck that is Chicago isn’t enough to sustain a backup players’ fantasy value.
