We. Are. Back. The squeaking of the sneakers, the swishing of the net, and the bounce of the ball off the hardwood floor have been music to our ears. Steph shimmying, AD unicorning, and Harden step-backing have been visually orgasmic. Statistically speaking, we are approaching historic levels per NBA.com:
“NBA teams are averaging 113.4 points per game, the highest rate in 49 years. Teams are averaging 91 field-goal attempts per game, up five shots from last season, and the league is on an early pace to set records for 3-pointers made and attempted for the seventh straight year.”
This is the time when owners are hyper-engaged, as all the offseason prep, the itching, the yearning, and the anticipation of the season have given them a NOS boost. In addition, everyone still mathematically has a chance to win. Some take victory laps over good calls, while others panic like the Duke Brothers over underperformers. This causes opportunity, as players are dumped to the waiver wire and others sit there, even though they are taking advantage of opportunities.
That’s why you’re here today, to check out some of the players that could be available for you. I will be using the Yahoo database and highlight only those players that are owned in less than 50% of leagues.
Montrezl Harrell (PF/C – LAC) 45% owned
Have you seen Marcin Gortat play? P and a U. Harrell probably won’t ever start, since he’s undersized for a center at 6’8″ and 240 pounds, and will have a hard time cracking 25 minutes but….when he does play? Whoa, baby!
In a limited sample size of 76 minutes, Harrell’s per-36 numbers are 18 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 4.3 blocks! He’s a very good scorer from the post, but also thrives in transition. I’d like to see more small ball lineups with Harrell at the five, but the Clippers often utilize Tobias Harris there, who is another cap on his minutes. Anyways, when opposing teams have a bruiser down low or play at a slow pace, then Gortat and Boban Marjanovic will get more run. Against those teams that play small or like to run, Harrell is the preferred option.
Justin Holiday (SG/SF – CHI) 23% owned
I’m not a big Holiday guy, as he doesn’t do much outside of threes and steals. In addition, he’s not a particularly good shooter, although he is currently shooting 51% from the field and 44% from downtown. Regression alert! With that said, he’s playing over 34 minutes per game, which is half the battle. Yo Joe! Denzel Valentine is out for another week or two, so Holiday should continue starting and soaking up the majority of minutes at small forward for the Bulls.
Garrett Temple (SG/SF – MEM) 17% owned
Temple has been the starting shooting guard for the Memphis Grizzlies and has played 36 and 34 minutes the past two games. He’s averaging over 10 shots a game, with six of those being from behind the arc. Temple won’t grab too many boards and dish out assists, but he does provide some blocks and steals. As with Holiday, minutes are half the battle and Temple is getting plenty of those. He currently has a groin issue, but is labeled day-to-day and should start on Wednesday.
Jeremy Lamb (SG/SF – CHA) 39% owned
Averaging only 24 minutes per game, Lamb jacks up over 11 shots per game and, unlike his compadres above, grabs his share of rebounds. Also provides the D, which makes both the ladies and the men happy, as in he’s averaging 1.0 block and 1.3 steals. The environment in Charlotte is fantasy friendly, as Coach Borrego has implemented his uptempo style.
Ish Smith (PG – DET) 16% owned
Two things that had me apprehensive with Smith were minutes and efficiency. I thought Reggie Jackson would soak up most of the minutes at point guard, leaving scraps for Smith. Well, Jackson and Smith are playing plenty together, which has allowed Smith to average close to 30 MPG. As for the shooting efficiency, he’s currently shooting 59% from the field and 54% from downtown. Those are obviously coming down (by a significant amount), but he’s getting minutes, jacking up a healthy 11 shots per game, and will contribute close to four assists per game.
Nemanja Bjelica (PF – SAC) 21% owned
Bjelica is a tricky one. He starts and, when he gets significant run, can provide threes, rebounds, a few assists, and steals. In addition, Coach Joerger likes having a stretch four like Bjelica playing alongside Willie Cauley-Stein. The problem is that he only gets significant run if the games are competitive. During blowouts, it’s Marvin Bagley III who gets most of the run at power forward. And if you didn’t notice, the Kings kind of suck.
Bryn Forbes (PG – SA) 13% owned
With all the injuries that the Spurs have suffered at the point guard position, it is now Forbes who starts and is playing over 31 minutes per game. He doesn’t provide many assists, though, at just two per game, but he does offer some steals and is jacking up a healthy 12 shots per game. Yahoo should change his designation to SG.
Malik Monk (SG – CHA) 42% owned
Coming off the bench for Coach Borrego, Monk is getting around 25 minutes of run each game. While he won’t contribute much in rebounds or assists, Monk will get his block on, which is nice from the guard position, and jack up a healthy amount of downtowners (6.8 to be exact). The shooting efficiency stinks (39% from the field), but he plays in a fantasy-friendly environment, and there’s always upside that he carves out a more significant role. With his athleticism, the ceiling is much higher than say Lamb.
Derrick Rose (PG – MIN) 50% owned
What year is it? Rose is averaging over 28 minutes per game and hoisting up close to 13 shots. He won’t contribute in threes or bring the D, but he rebounds well for a guard and is providing five assists per. You know Thibs keeps his rotations and minutes allocations tight, so this could be the norm…as long as he stays healthy, which is a big IF. A bonus is that when Jimmy Butler sits, Rose becomes the starting shooting guard. Poor Tyus Jones.
Wesley Matthews (SG/SF – DAL) 42% owned
What’s not to like about 18 PPG, 3.5 assists, 1 steal, and 14.7 field goal attempts with 9.7 from behind the arc? Did I forget to mention he plays close to 34 minutes per game? Silly me. I love this Mavericks team with Luka Doncic at the helm and DeAndre Jordan running towards the rim. Matthews should get plenty of good looks.
J.J. Barea (PG/SG – DAL) 27% owned
Averaging over eight assists per game in 20 minutes of run per game. That number will come down, probably to the 5.5 to 6 range, but cheap assists are cheap assists. Who doesn’t like cheap? I know. I know. You get what you pay for right? Well, at least in fantasy, the quality is all the same in the box score.
P.J. Tucker (SF/PF – HOU) 25% owned
Tucker is not a high usage player, so scoring will be an issue, but he plays close to 36 minutes per game on an uptempo Houston Rockets team. Don’t expect assists, but rebounds with a sprinkle of D stats are what you get. It’s not sexy, but he’s more of a volume play, and you hope that he falls or trips into some stats. It makes no difference to me.
Al-Farouq Aminu (SF/PF – POR) 27% owned
I’ve always like Aminu, but that’s because I know what I’m getting. He’s not a high usage or high volume shooter, but Aminu will score in the teens and grab rebounds. Don’t expect much else, but he can stretch the floor and deliver a “threeecola” from time to time. He plays over 30 minutes per game, so he’s also not a sexy play, but he’s functional.
That’s it for this week. Good luck to everyone and I’ll see you guys next week.
Stan Son is a featured writer at FantasyPros. To read more from Stan, check out his archive and follow him @Stan_Son.
