Jalen Johnson
After playing really well off the bench in Atlanta’s first two games, Johnson got the opportunity to start on Sunday. He posted a 14/7/1/2/1 line with two 3-pointers and helped the Hawks get their first win of the season. His play was already helping his value ascend, but a permanent place in the starting unit will skyrocket him up the ranks. Hopefully this wasn’t matchup dependent to deal with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez, though with Atlanta hosting Minnesota on Monday, it would be shocking if they switched up their starting unit.
Cam Thomas
Not that anyone really questioned this, but Thomas is an elite scorer. He just needs the opportunity. Brooklyn has leaned on him through their first two games of the season, and he averaged 33 points while shooting a scorching 62.5% from the floor. It’s fun to ride the hype train, and Thomas may have some more incredible scoring nights. However, he’s not going to continue to shoot over 60% from the field, so it may be smart to sell high on Thomas.
Mark Williams
The first two games of the season have been a bit of a mixed bag for Williams. He was awesome against Atlanta, but he put up a stinker and got into foul trouble against Detroit. I’m expecting him to play more like he did against the Hawks than he did against the Pistons more often than not. If a manager in your league overreacts to what he did in game two, remember what he did against Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu in game one and buy low.
Evan Mobley
Jarrett Allen has yet to suit up this season, which has allowed us the opportunity to see what Mobley looks like as the starting center. The first game against Brooklyn wasn’t great (10/6 with two blocks). Game two against the Thunder was better (14/15 with two blocks). However, with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland also out on Saturday, Mobley dominated down low with 33 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. When the team is healthy, he won’t see this many offensive opportunities (23 shots against Indiana on Saturday). However, he’ll be the face of the franchise one day, and this game was incredibly encouraging.
Dereck Lively
Dallas has only played two games so far, with Lively recording a double-double in the first one off the bench and playing a limited role despite starting in the second. However, don’t get discouraged. Brooklyn was without Nicolas Claxton, so they didn’t really play a center for Lively to match up with. Jason Kidd adapted to the small ball unit, which limited Lively. Dallas shouldn’t play many teams that don’t have a center, so we’ll get a better look at Lively moving forward.
Jalen Duren
With each passing game, Duren’s value rises more and more. It’s early, but he has been a top ten player in fantasy basketball so far, with averages of 18 points, 15.3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.7 blocks while shooting 80% from the floor and 75% from the line. He has been dominant so far in year two, and the managers that have him rostered should continue to enjoy the ride. He always had a lot of upside, but doing this before turning 20 is incredibly impressive.
Scoot Henderson
Let’s be patient here. Scoot has been worse than I expected, but it’s important to examine the context. Portland is a bad team that has arguably been worse than expected. Anfernee Simons is now hurt, which puts even more pressure on Scoot. Rookie point guards often struggle early on, but it doesn’t mean that they won’t pan out. If a manager in your league is panicking, buy low. Scoot is going to be incredible, but it isn’t going to happen from day one, and that’s okay.
Keyonte George
George dominated Summer League and had a solid preseason. He had a limited role over their first two games, but he played 27 minutes against Phoenix in their last game, with Talen Horton-Tucker playing just 16 as the starting point guard. There aren’t many rookies that have been able to start this season, but George could move into the starting unit soon. He had 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists off the bench in their last game. His value will skyrocket if he takes over the starting point guard job, so acquire him before that if you’re interested.