Steve “Dr. A” Alexander is a fantasy basketball pioneer with close to 25 years of service and experience in the industry. He has also covered the NFL, PGA Tour and other sports for various news sites and organizations. When he’s not writing or talking about sports, you can find him at the golf course or in front of a Golden Tee machine.
A league-wide look at teams' key injuries
Injuries are a never-ending problem with NBA basketball and taking advantage of their fill-ins can be one of the keys to winning in any fantasy situation, whether it be DFS, season-long or any other format you can think of. Each week we’ll take a look at the injury report on Wednesdays and recommend replacement players and other impacts of what the report looks like.
Since we’re just a couple of days into the season, the report is a bit light this week, but as we saw on Tuesday night, the absence of Draymond Green (ankle) and Bradley Beal (back) prompted guys like Jonathan Kuminga and Josh Okogie to get the attention of fantasy managers. Here’s a look at what injuries might create opportunities for players who may not have even been drafted in your league. And we’ll take a look at every team’s starting lineup that is in action tonight, since the injury season isn’t quite upon us.
Atlanta Hawks - No significant injuries outside of Wesley Matthews (calf). This shouldn’t have an impact on Wednesday’s game but Jalen Johnson is a guy fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on everywhere. If he goes off early, think about scooping him up in your league.
Boston Celtics - The Celtics’ injury report is clean heading into Wednesday’s opener and Derrick White is a favorite sleeper in Boston. Additionally, Peyton Pritchard had a fun preseason and will be worth keeping an eye on tonight.
Brooklyn Nets - Dariq Whitehead is the only Net showing up on the report and I can’t wait to see what Mikal Bridges, Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons do on Wednesday night.
Charlotte Hornets - The Hornets’ injury report is loaded with names, but the key is that the starters are intact here, meaning LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, P.J. Washington and Mark Williams should all have a fun night against the Hawks. If Washington went undrafted in your league, think about picking him up. Miles Bridges may not play at all this season, which would be big for PJW.
Chicago Bulls - The Bulls’ injury report is clean and we won’t see Lonzo Ball this season. Coby White looks like the starting point guard for the Bulls and he appeared to turn a corner late last season and looked very good in the preseason. If he was undrafted in your league, he’s going to be worth a look. If he goes to work early in this one be ready to pull the trigger on him. Patrick Williams is another player to keep a close eye on early on Wednesday.
Cleveland Cavaliers - Darius Garland (hamstring) is iffy for tonight and if he can’t go Ty Jerome and Caris LeVert are going to be interesting streaming options. Donovan Mitchell is the star of this team and my guess is that Garland will power through his injury on Cleveland’s opening night.
Dallas Mavericks - Kyrie Irving (groin) should be good to go while Luka Doncic (calf) is no longer feeling pain, meaning both players should be ready for Wednesday night. Just make sure that Luka is good to go before locking him into lineups. Josh Green, Grant Williams, Dereck Lively and Jaden Hardy are the other Mavericks who might make some noise against the Spurs tonight, but I don’t really trust any of them.
Denver Nuggets - Nikola Jokic triple-doubled on Tuesday with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and all five starters scored in double figures (Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope). Gordon scored 15 with a full stat line, MPJ had a 12 & 12 double-double, Murray racked up 21 points and six dimes, and KCP came through with 20 points, three steals and a couple of 3-pointers.
Detroit Pistons - Bojan Bogdanovic (calf), Isaiah Livers (ankle) and Monte Morris (quad) are all out for the Pistons, but their starting lineup of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren should all be good to go against the Heat on Wednesday. If Thompson or Ivey weren’t drafted in your league, think about pouncing on them if they get off to a good start tonight.
Golden State Warriors - The Warriors got 27 points from Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson had 15 and Chris Paul got some revenge against his former team with 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists, despite hitting just 4-of-15 shots. He only started because Draymond Green was out with an ankle injury and I don’t trust CP3 this year. Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench for 12 points, six rebounds, two steals and a block, but it still feels like Steve Kerr is never actually going to turn him loose.
Houston Rockets - The Rockets are at Orlando on Wednesday and Tari Eason and Victor Oladipo are out. Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith and Alperen Sengun should all be good to go and I’m excited to see if Smith can build on last year’s success. Sengun is also a popular fantasy play this season and should have a field day against Wendell Carter Jr.
Indiana Pacers - The Pacers host the Wizards tonight and have a clean injury report. Starters Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin and Myles Turner look like the starters. Mathurin, Brown and Toppin are all worth keeping a close eye on if they went undrafted in your league while Buddy Hield should make some nice noise off the Pacer bench as a 3-point specialist.
Los Angeles Clippers - The Clippers host Portland and Bones Hyland, Terance Mann and Josh Primo are all on the injury report, not that it matters. The good news is that Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Robert Covington and Ivica Zubac are all playing. If Covington gets off to a hot start he’ll be worth a look, but should be a hit-or-miss player on most nights, depending on what his teammates are doing.
L.A. Lakers - The Lakers fell to the Nuggets on Tuesday night and Anthony Davis threw away a solid first half by failing to score a single point in the second half of the game, ruining fantasy managers’ nights along the way. Jarred Vanderbilt sat out for the Lakers and Taurean Prince came through for fantasy managers with 18 points and four 3-pointers on 6-of-8 shooting. Keep a close eye on him in case he does it again on Thursday against the Suns. LeBron James led the way in Tuesday’s loss with a 21-8-5 line and all five starters (Davis, Prince, James, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves) scored in double figures.
Memphis Grizzlies - Santi Aldama is out tonight due to an ankle injury along with Brandon Clarke (Achilles) and Ja Morant (suspension), so Xavier Tillman should get all the work he can handle against the Kings. Tillman is a nice streamer/DFS option and was also a popular late pick in fantasy drafts when it was announced that Steven Adams would miss the entire season (knee). Aldama will return to eat into Tillman’s minutes, but as long as Aldama is out, Tillman’s the play here. Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams and Jaren Jackson Jr. should round out the starting lineup for Memphis and Williams is another guy to keep a close eye on tonight. I’m fully expecting for Bane and JJJ to go off tonight.
Miami Heat - The Heat host the Pistons and are fairly healthy, sans Haywood Highsmith and Josh Richardson, who are both out tonight. The Heat should start Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love and Bam Adebayo and it’s a little surprising how much Martin is being forgotten about in fantasyland. Especially once Butler starts missing games for Miami. This could be the last hurrah for Love and I’m not expecting much.
Milwaukee Bucks - Cameron Payne is iffy with a thigh injury while the rest of the team should be healthy when they host the Sixers on Thursday. Everyone is anxious to see Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo play together in Game 1 and they’ll likely be joined by Malik Beasley, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez in the starting lineup. No one is talking about Beasley, so I’m interested to see what he does in the opener.
Minnesota Timberwolves - Jaylen Clark and Jaden McDaniels are both out for the Wolves tonight, which shouldn’t make an impact on what they do. Minnesota will start Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. I think Ant is about ready to take over the NBA universe with a huge season, Conley has become a forgotten man in fantasy at age 36 and we’re still waiting for NAW to have a breakout season. If Towns can stay healthy he’s going to be a fantasy steal this season. Kyle Anderson should be the best bench player here and could make some noise for Sixth Man of the Year if he gets off to a good start.
New Orleans Pelicans - The Pelicans are at Memphis and get this - they’re kind of healthy. Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall and Trey Murphy are all out but both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram should be healthy and ready to go. The health of those two is one of the biggest questions in fantasy this season and if they can both stay on the court, the sky’s the limit for the Pelicans. Herbert Jones is too much of an offensive liability for most fantasy managers, while C.J. McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas are simply vanilla flavors without much upside at this point in their careers. A lot of folks think Zion is going to have a big year but I’d like to see him make it through Week 1 in one piece before getting too excited.
New York Knicks - The Knicks have a clean injury slate and Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson are expected to start against the Celtics tonight. Brunson is a fantasy monster, Grimes is a fantasy sleeper, Barrett is a volume scorer and a fantasy liability, and we’ll all be waiting to see if Robinson can finally put it all together in year six.
Oklahoma City Thunder - The Thunder visit the Bulls and are at the top of my list for teams to watch on NBA League Pass this season. Kenrich Williams and Jalin Williams are both out for OKC but starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are good to go and we’re all dying to see how Holmgren and the Thunder will play this season. No one is talking about Dort and I didn’t draft him anywhere, as the Thunder just have too many other weapons to be excited about. Look for the Thunder to try to make a statement on opening night.
Orlando Magic - The Magic will host Houston and will be without Kevon Harris, while Gary Harris will be a game-time call due to a groin injury. Those injuries shouldn’t have an impact and the Magic should start Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. in Game 1. It will be interesting to see if Fultz and Banchero can take a step forward this season, Wagner looks like a star in the making, and WCJ and Suggs should be serviceable fantasy players, especially in deeper leagues.
Philadelphia 76ers - We won’t see the Sixers until Thursday night when they visit the Bucks and will come into that one mostly whole. The key missing piece will be James Harden, who isn’t likely to play a game for the Sixers this season while feuding with Daryl Morey. It’s anyone’s guess as to when and where Harden will land somewhere else, and I’ve grown a bit tired of waiting. Harden has become an afterthought to anyone who didn’t draft him in fantasy. Tyrese Maxey and De’Anthony Melton should both be fun in fantasy without Harden in the fold, Joel Embiid will try to win the MVP Award, and starters Tobias Harris and P.J. Tucker remain two of the most boring fantasy players in the NBA.
Phoenix Suns - The new-look Suns got a tough road win at Golden State on Tuesday as Devin Booker scored 32 points. Bradley Beal was out with a back injury and Josh Okogie stepped up with 17 points and five rebounds. I’m not messing with him yet, but it was an interesting debut. On the flip side, Grayson Allen missed all six of his shots and was a total dud as an injury replacement for Beal. Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic both played well and Nurkic was particularly exciting with 14 points, 14 boards and a block in 28 minutes. If he can stay healthy he should be a very serviceable center this season. Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are both doubtful for play on Thursday.
Portland Trail Blazers - Ish Wainwright is out for the Blazers and they’ll likely start Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Matisse Thybulle, Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton. Ayton should be playing with a chip on his shoulder, big things are expected from Simons with Damian Lillard now in Milwaukee and Shaedon Sharpe is expected to make plenty of noise this season whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.
Sacramento Kings - The Kings are at Utah and will be without Trey Lyles (calf), while Chris Duarte is questionable with a knee injury. Starters De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis will look to pick up where they left off in last year’s dream season and I’m expecting Murray to take a big leap forward this season. Sasha Vezenkov is a deep fantasy sleeper and will be worth keeping an eye on and Malik Monk could be sneaky in deep leagues.
San Antonio Spurs - Center Zach Collins is on the injury report with an illness but our guess is it will take more than a head cold to keep him from playing on opening night. The Spurs should be starting a lineup of Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Victor Wembanyama and Collins, with Tre Jones contributing solidly off the bench. I think the Spurs are going to be better than advertised and Wednesday’s matchup against Dallas should be one of the most watched games on League Pass tonight. Wemby is going to EAT as there is no one in Dallas who can stop him.
Toronto Raptors - The Raptors will host the Timberwolves and are healthy except for Christian Koloko (illness), which will have no fantasy impact. Dennis Schroder looks like the new starting point guard in Toronto with Fred VanVleet in Houston and he’ll be joined by O.G. Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl in the starting unit. Barnes has serious breakout potential this season and it should be fun to see what he can do tonight against the Wolves.
Utah Jazz - The Jazz have a clean health report and should start Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, Lauri Markkanen, John Collins and Walker Kessler. Clarkson is under the fantasy radar, THT had a nice preseason and has a lot of fantasy managers excited to see what he can do, Markkanen will look to build on last season’s success, Collins is looking for new life with a new team and Kessler will try to lead the league in blocked shots, as well as take a big step forward after an impressive rookie season. This team should be deceptively good and THT may end up being one of the hotter pickups off the waiver wire in Week 1 if things go well tonight.
Washington Wizards - The Wizards visit the Pacers and will be without Johnny Davis, Anthony Gill and Landry Shamet. While they’ll be one of the worst teams in the league in reality, there are a lot of fantasy positives here. Can Jordan Poole lead the league in scoring? Yes. Will Kyle Kuzma have a career year playing in his shadow? Yes. Can Daniel Gafford flirt with leading the league in blocks and become a dominant fantasy center? Possibly. Additionally, Bilal Coulibaly could start over Deni Avdija and be a steals monster if it happens. He’ll be a hot waiver-wire pickup if things go well on opening night. Tyus Jones should also be a solid starting fantasy point guard running the offense in Washington. If you somehow drafted Deni Avdija, I’d recommend being ready to pull the trigger if Coulibaly gets hot early on Wednesday.
Top choices for Thursday's NBA lineup stacks
The NBA season is officially underway, and Wednesday was a blast with 24 teams in action and no major injuries to speak of. We’ve got a two-game slate on Thursday as the Sixers visit the Bucks, and the Lakers host the Suns.
The Sportstopia Contrarian Edge Optimizer is the elite tool to use when setting your DFS lineups and you can try it out for an entire week for just $1.
Here are some of the plays the Optimizer and I both like heading into Thursday night’s two-game DFS slate.
With both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal unlikely to play for the Suns tonight this should be all KD all the time for the Suns. There are big names to choose from tonight but Durant’s usage should be through the roof, and I think you have to find a way to get him into your lineups. Okogie should also benefit from the absence of Booker/Beal, while Jordan Goodwin could see a ton of minutes running the point for the Suns.
It is possible to put together a nice lineup with Durant, Davis and Embiid in a stars and scrubs build as several scrubs should be able to get loose without Booker and Beal not in the mix for the Suns. And Goodwin’s low-price tag of $3600 should make him a popular play tonight.
Stacking the injured Suns tonight should pay off and Goodwin is that mix for me. While this lineup doesn’t include Durant, I’d find a way to try to get him in it unless you want to go contrarian and fade him.
Getting the use of the Contrarian Edge Optimizer for an entire week for just $1 is simply a deal too good to pass up. So hit the link, let the Optimizer set you some lineups, sit back and enjoy the NBA season.
Dr. A's stacks and lineup options for opening night
It’s finally here and our long wait is officially over! The NBA season starts on Tuesday night with the Lakers visiting the Nuggets at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Warriors hosting the Suns at 10 p.m. Both games are on TNT, so you’ll be able to catch all the action.
(Meanwhile, Sportstopia's Contrarian Edge Optimizer is the elite tool to use when setting your DFS lineups and you can try it out for an entire week for just $1).
Bradley Beal is out for the Suns with a gimpy back and SG/SF Grayson Allen could be a strong play. He’s just $4900 at DraftKings and the Optimizer likes him as well. The Optimizer has Allen going off for 19.45 points against the Warriors and he looks like one of the better value picks on a two-game night.
Draymond Green (ankle) has also been ruled out, which should clear the way for Chris Paul and Kevon Looney to get some extra minutes. But the player I like to shine in his place is SF/PF Jonathan Kuminga. The Optimizer also loves him, projecting him to score 28.44 fantasy points at a salary of just $4600 at FanDuel.
Another player I’ve been high on during drafting season is Andrew Wiggins of Golden State. He’s a power forward at DraftKings at a salary of $5500 and a projected point total of 30.41. Wiggins was out for much of last season due to various injuries and an extended personal leave, but he’s back, healthy and should be ready to put up big numbers for the Dubs.
I also like the idea of stacking Warriors and a lineup featuring PG/SG Stephen Curry (Draft Kings - $9200, 46.41 points, FanDuel - $10000, 43.71 points), PG Chris Paul (Draft Kings - $5600, 31.52 points, FanDuel - $8000, 33.58 points), PF Wiggins (Draft Kings - $5500, 30.54 points, FanDuel - $6800, 30.16 points) and C Kevon Looney (Draft Kings - $5300, 29.66 points, FanDuel - $5400, 29.83 points) makes a lot of sense to both me and the Optimizer.
Other players to consider when setting lineups tonight on DraftKings include PG/SG Devin Booker ($8300, 43.45 points), Taurean Prince ($3500, 17.87 points), C Nikola Jokic ($10000, 56.94 points) and Jordan Goodwin ($3300, 16.93 points).
Goodwin is cheap and could play a big role with Beal out and putting together some ‘stars and scrubs’ lineups shouldn’t be hard to do with the injuries in Phoenix and Golden State. LeBron James is another Optimizer favorite and comes with a $9300 salary and a projection of 42.29 fantasy points.
Getting the use of the Contrarian Edge Optimizer tool for an entire week for just $1 is simply a deal too good to pass up. So hit the link, let the Optimizer set you some lineups, sit back and enjoy the opening night of the NBA season.
Dr. A gets you ready for your NBA fantasy leagues
Tiers can help fantasy managers determine exactly when it’s time to take the player they’re looking at. If you’re torn between a shooting guard and a center and the center you’re looking at is a Tier 2 player, while the SG is a Tier 1 player, we’d recommend taking the SG. Players with similar values are grouped in tiers together, so getting the higher-tiered player is the way to go in most cases. Here are our Small Forward Tiers.
The best small forward in the game.
Can Durant stay healthy and lead the Suns to a championship?
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He owns Father Time, for now.
The Godfather of load management says that the new rules won’t make him play any more games than he normally would.
Solid tier with Johnson plotting a full breakout season.
Beware of Murphy’s injury.
You may not need any of these guys on your team but someone from this tier will emerge.
Dr. A goes through his NBA 'post-hype sleepers'
In case you’re wondering, a post-hype sleeper is a player who may have disappointed us in the past but we think is going to have a bounce-back season. I suppose this could be injury or performance related so you’ll see a mixture of both here. Let’s dive right in.
Injuries are a concern with Ball and limited him to just 36 games last season and 51 games as a rookie. He was on track for a monster season before an ankle injury that required surgery shut him down early, but he was averaging 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 4.0 3-pointers per game before being shut down. His ability to stay healthy will always be the biggest concern with Melo but he’ll be a top-10 player if he can stay on the court.
Young had to adjust to playing alongside Dejounte Murray last season and also constantly heard his own name in trade rumors on Atlanta radio while playing with a mediocre supporting cast. He still produced solid numbers with 26.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, a career-high 10.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.1 3-pointers in 73 games. The scoring and triples were a bit of a letdown, but the assists and steals helped make up for it. Chances are he’s learned how to coexist with Murray heading into his sixth NBA season and he’ll be looking to build on his 2021-22 season after a bit of a down year last season.
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Cunningham only played in 12 games last season before succumbing to shin surgery but is healthy and the best player on a young team. He was cooking before being shut down, averaging 19.9 points, 6.2 rebound, 6.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks and 1.4 3-pointers in 33 minutes per game. It’s possible the Pistons reel in his minutes a bit to keep him healthy, but he’s primed for a monster fantasy season if he can stay on the court for 70-plus games.
Holmgren missed the entire season with a foot injury but has looked fantastic in preseason. He’s skinny as a bean pole but can score, rebound, block shots and knock down 3-pointers at will and looks like a value pick in Round 4 of fantasy drafts. He could easily finish with second-round value if he stays healthy.
Vassell was cooking last season before missing a couple months with a knee injury and will be playing alongside Victor Wembanyama. While Wemby gets all the headlines in San Antonio, Vassell should not be forgotten after averaging 18.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.7 3-pointers in 38 games. The Spurs will turn him loose, he’s fully healthy and should be an incredibly fun fantasy player to roster as he enters his fourth season.
Sengun took a nice step forward last season, averaging 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks and 0.3 3-pointers, shooting 55.3 percent from the floor and 71.5 percent from the line. He took a big leap from his rookie numbers and we’re expecting another step forward as he enters year three. A full breakout season should be coming for Sengun as long as he can stay healthy.
Ayton will be starting at center and won’t have to compete with guys like Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard for shots. Ayton had five solid seasons in Phoenix but probably needed a change of scenery. He averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and 0.8 blocks last season and should be more of a focal point offensively for his new team. He’s averaged a double-double in each of his five seasons and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him clock in with 21 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks this season. Phoenix fans may regret losing Ayton at some point and he should be ready to play well in Portland.
Damian Lillard is now in Milwaukee, clearing the way for Simons to either start at point guard (in front of Scoot Henderson) or shooting guard. He’s been a fun fantasy fill-in whenever Lillard has been out in the past and he no longer has to deal with having Lillard dominating the offense. Simons averaged 21.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 3.4 3-pointers in 62 starts last season and could be the leading scorer for the Blazers. If he can get more steals, the sky’s the limit.
Johnson had a mini-breakout after being traded to the Nets from the Suns last season and averaged 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.3 blocks and 2.3 3-pointers in 25 games for Brooklyn. The points, boards, dimes and steals were all career highs and he should be a focal point on offense for the Nets. After Mikal Bridges, Johnson looks like the Nets’ second best player and should be able to build on last season’s success.
Wiggins missed a ton of time last year with various injuries and an extended personal leave, averaging 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.8 blocks and 2.4 3-pointers in just 37 games. He’s back and healthy and should return to the form that made him an All-Star starter a couple years ago. Averages of 19 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, a steal, a block and 2.5 3-pointers aren’t out of the question and he can be had in the middle to later rounds of most drafts.
Sharpe averaged just 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.3 blocks and 1.3 3-pointers in 80 games for the Blazers last season. But those numbers jumped up to 18.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.4 blocks and 2.3 3-pointers in his 15 starts and the Blazers will look to him for offense. He’s one of the most exciting dunkers in the game and a full breakout season could be coming for a team looking for a young player to help replace the scoring of Damian Lillard, who is now in Milwaukee.
Fred VanVleet is now in Houston and Schroder is the default starter at point guard for the Raptors. As long as they don’t turn to Scottie Barnes at the point, Schroder should be primed for a fun fantasy season. The journeyman averaged 12.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.1 3-pointers for the Lakers last season but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him average closer to 15 points for his new team. He’ll be available late in drafts and should see 30 minutes per game, making him a nice sleeper candidate.
Bridges will miss the first 10 games after last year’s domestic violence issues, but once the suspension is over, he could go off. The last time we saw him play was in the 2021-22 season when he averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.9 3-pointers. He’ll have to compete with P.J. Washington for minutes but if he’s in shape, Bridges should come in hungry, healthy and ready to get back to the business of basketball. There are worse ways to use a 10th-round fantasy pick.
Murray was underwhelming as a rookie, averaging just 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks and 2.6 3-pointers in 29.8 minutes over 78 games. If he can increase his scoring to 18 points, as well as build on his other stats, he could be a key asset to fantasy managers. He’s already a strong 3-point shooter and has looked more aggressive getting to the rack in the preseason. Murray appears to be poised to take a big step forward in Year 2 and shouldn’t be expensive.
Dr. A gets you ready for your NBA fantasy leagues
Tiers can help fantasy managers determine exactly when it’s time to take the player they’re looking at. If you’re torn between a shooting guard and a center and the center you’re looking at is a Tier 2 player, while the SG is a Tier 1 player, we’d recommend taking the SG. Players with similar values are grouped in tiers together, so getting the higher-tiered player is the way to go in most cases. Here are our center tiers.
The undisputed No. 1 pick in every format.
Will be the MVP if he can play in 68 games.
Unheralded studs.
Breakout candidates galore.
Tried and true with some Chet thrown in for good measure.
Who doesn’t love Mark Williams? Okongwu is a breakout candidate and Collins is wildly underappreciated.
A little older, but still productive.
Bol Bol and Wiseman are very intriguing.
Dr. A gets you ready for your NBA fantasy leagues
Tiers can help fantasy managers determine exactly when it’s time to take the player they’re looking at. If you’re torn between a shooting guard and a center and the center you’re looking at is a Tier 2 player, while the SG is a Tier 1 player, we’d recommend taking the SG. Players with similar values are grouped in tiers together, so getting the higher-tiered player is the way to go in most cases. Here are our Power Forward Tiers.
Tier 1
If he ever starts hitting free throws and 3-pointers, look out.
Tier 2
Does everything well and should thrive while Ja Morant is suspended for 25 games.
Tier 3
Markkanen broke out last year, while KAT and AD would be monsters if they can stay healthy.
Tier 4
Wembanyama is either going to go boom or bust and the rest of these guys are all rock solid.
Tier 5
Collins is looking for a boost in his new uniform and Jabari Smith and Keegan Murray are looking to take a big step forward. Will Ben Simmons show up this year?
Tier 6
Wood, Toppin and Williams could all be fun at some point this season.
Tier 7
We may be sleeping on Olynyk.
Tier 8
Vanderbilt is a better player than his ranking indicates.
Dr. A gets you ready for your NBA fantasy leagues
Tiers can help fantasy managers determine exactly when it’s time to take the player they’re looking at. If you’re torn between a shooting guard and a center and the center you’re looking at is a Tier 2 player, while the SG is a Tier 1 player, we’d recommend taking the SG. Players with similar values are grouped in tiers together, so getting the higher-tiered player is the way to go in most cases. Here are our shooting guard tiers.
We sense a full breakout coming from one of the league’s up-and-coming superstars.
You can’t go wrong with any of these players.
Solid shooting guards and Jalen Williams could end up being the best of the bunch.
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Can Ingram stay healthy? Wiggins could be wildly underrated this draft season.
Shaedon Sharpe is going to be fun, and Bruce Brown should thrive in Indy.
Nice glue guys for late in your draft.
Not a lot to love about Tier 7.
One or two of these guys are going to be much more relevant than we anticipate.
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