Every week, I’ll give you a list of 10 players that you should either keep an eye on or grab immediately. In fantasy basketball, it’s all about focusing on who the next guy is. It’s about being one step ahead in identifying players who are heating up. Once the player is 50% owned in leagues across the board, the likelihood of that player being available drops significantly. Most of the players that will be recommended will be owned in 40% or lower in Yahoo! leagues.
Bryn Forbes PG SAS-17% Ownership: With the Spurs limited at point guard due to injury, the timeshare at the position will feature Patty Mills and Bryn Forbes . Forbes hasn’t shown it thus far, but last year he was a big help with pulling down long rebounds. Forbes has played over 31 minutes per game and he’s scored in double figures in every game thus far this season. Forbes is quick, a scrappy defender and he will not only look to drive, but he’ll also drain three’s. He’s hit 11 three-pointers total in his last three games. Expect Forbes to be a big help with steals and even when other guards on the team get healthy, Forbes should be able to keep his playing time up. His assist-numbers will increase. He’s a good long-term pick up and heavy-usage guards are hard to find on the waiver wire.
Al-Farouq Aminu F POR-33% Ownership: Aminu is no stranger to this article. Expect him to be on and off the waiver wire all year. The minutes are safe for this combo-forward as he should be flirting with the 30-minute mark most nights. He hustles and that will keep him in the game, even when he’s not shooting well. The Blazers lack of experience when it comes to their frontcourt depth will benefit the more experienced Aminu. Aminu secured 15 boards in both of his last two games and more often than not he will score in double figures. Aminu likes to settle for mid and long-range jumpers for the most part, but the slashing ability to the rim exists in his game. Aminu’s slashing ability is very under-utilized. Expect help with steals as Aminu will dive for loose balls. With the rebounding we’ve seen from Aminu early on, he’s worth a tryout for a bench spot on your teams.
Jordan Clarkson G CLE-30% Ownership: Despite only seeing minutes in the 20’s, Clarkson is making the most of his playing time. He’s averaged 17 points per game in his first 5 games of the season and the lowest scoring game he’s had is 14 points. Clarkson will constantly rotate between PG and SG all season and Rodney Hood and Collin Sexton will threaten Clarkson for minutes, especially if he doesn’t commit defensively. Hood is a better perimeter defender. Clarkson has shown rebounding potential early grabbing at least three in four of the five games he’s played in. Clarkson will help with steals a bit and it’s unsure what to expect from him when it comes to dimes. Clarkson has a long-range game and he’ll look to speed up the pace of play on offense. His minutes are safe and the scoring being as high as it’s been, makes him a good scoring option off your bench. This is why I stress not to overvalue scoring in drafts.
E’Twaun Moore SG, SF NO-35% Ownership: Moore has been starting and he’s played over 30 minutes in 2 of his 3 games this season. Moore will earn his playing time because he hustles on both sides of the court. He’s scored in double figures in all three of his games he’s played in and was able to help with steals and/or blocks in the three games. With the amount of attention Anthony Davis requires on offense, Moore will see a lot of high percentage shots from long-range. He’ll be utilized as a bailout option at the arc. Moore has been getting his shots in shooting over 10 field goals a game. He’s a trustworthy scoring and steals option if you are hurting in either area. Expect his minutes to be safe.
Marcus Morris F BOS-29% Ownership: We didn’t get to see a lot of Morris last season as he was hampered by injuries, but, the Celtics enforcer is back and he’ll make an impact on both sides of the ball. Morris should see between 20-30 minutes per night and he’ll see even more playing time against teams who dominate the paint on offense. Morris has grabbed 10 boards in 2 of his first five games. He’s scoring 13.6 points per game and he can hit long-range shots and has a post game. The Celtics will utilize him more as a bailout option, but he is a banger once he goes inside the arc. The Celtics will soon realize that they need him setting up in the paint a bit more. The have a ton of shooters. Morris has been a consistent free-throw shooter thus far and isn’t afraid to draw contact in the lane. Give him a try for points and boards and he won’t crush your shooting percentages.
Justin Holiday SG, SF CHI-26% Ownership: The Bulls have been bitten by the Injury Bug to start the season. They’re currently without Lauri Markkanen , Kris Dunn and Bobby Portis for the next month and change and other players will need to rotate to multiple positions to help fill the voids. Holiday has familiarity on his side and even though we saw him get frozen out of games with limited minutes, the Bulls will need him to help the injury-prone Jabari Parker and Zach LaVine . Holiday will play deep into games and he’ll get a ton of shots from long-range. Holiday has grabbed four rebounds per game this season and has had two multi-steal games. Holiday is good at running the floor and will be crucial in stopping the transition from the opposition. He’ll use his size to get into the face of defenders. With other players like Parker having to shift up to PF, it will give Holiday more room to play. Until the injured players return, Holiday will play a ton of minutes and he’ll definitely pick up more shots as the Bulls third scoring option.
Trey Burke PG NY-30% Ownership: Don’t let Burke’s previous stat-line fool you! He’s set to start every game and get heavy minutes. The Knicks are utilizing a three-guard offense to start the season and this gives Burke a lot more breathing room. Burke has scored in double figures in three of his five games thus far and is essentially their third scoring option behind Tim Hardaway Jr. and Enes Kanter . Burke will take a lot of jumpers and will score even more when Hardaway drives to the basket because he’ll be open at the elbow or three-point arc. Burke’s scoring will improve throughout the season and he’s very familiar with his backcourt-mate Hardaway as the two shared a backcourt in college together. Burke has been very helpful on the glass grabbing at least three boards in four of his first five games. He should see at least 25-30 minutes in most games and he’s done a decent job being the facilitator of the Knicks offense. He’s dished five assists per game and has grabbed steals in three of his first five games. He’s a starter and should be picked up as a bench option in 12-team leagues.
Nemanja Bjelica PF SAC-29% Ownership: Even though Bjelica might be a short-term pick up, his hustle and defensive tenacity should give him room to play in the Kings rotation. Bjelica will hit shots from mid and long-range and he has scored in double figures in four of his first five games. Bjelica will see a lot of high percentage shots from the arc. Bjelica has also pulled down 5.4 rebounds per game and three assists per game. He’s a smart player and his passing is underrated, especially when on the run. Bjelica will also provide some steals and blocks help. The biggest issue Bjelica faces in the depth that the Kings have at PF. Harry Giles and Marvin Bagley III are fighting for minutes while Zach Randolph isn’t even playing. Coming off a double-double and looking at good match ups for the next week, Bjelica is worth taking a shot on for the time being. We’ve seen the four-category production along with a few 30-plus minute games. Consider his rotation spot saved.
Cameron Payne PG CHI-25% Ownership: With Kris Dunn hurt, Payne should be expected to play 30 minutes a game while he’s out. In his previous match up, Payne scored 21 points in 31 minutes. Payne should see double figures when it comes to points and field goal attempts. Payne is fast and will often run the floor himself. He’s good at driving baseline while helping run the Bulls offense. Payne has dished at least four assists in three of his first four games. He’ll provide some help with steals. The Bulls will especially feature Payne when they are on transition due to his speed. Health is a bit of a factor with Payne, but as long as he’s active, he shouldn’t see too many threats when it comes to minutes. Zach LaVine will rotate to PG at times, but the spot will pretty much exclusively be Payne’s.
WILD CARD PICK UP: Alex Len PF, C ATL-32% Ownership: Len has not been securing consistent double-doubles, but the Hawks lack depth. John Collins will miss at least the next few weeks of action and Dewayne Dedmon will continue to be worked in the rotation slowly as he returns from an Ankle injury. Len should see minutes steadily in the late-20’s. He’s scored just under 10 points per game and he’s grabbed 6.5 rebounds per game. Len has also blocked a total of seven shots in his last two games. He’s a banger inside and will always fight for rebounds. He should see starts until Dedmon gets more integrated. Len also has the speed advantage as Trae Young will want to keep the pace fast for the Hawks offense and Len has a better chance of keeping up with the pace of play than Dedmon, at least for the next few weeks.