We are about 10 days into the season, and already, all hell has broken loose. There has been the good (Trae Young, Luka Doncic, KAT), the bad (Steph Curry’s wrist, Deandre Ayton‘s suspension) and the ugly (the Warriors, the Bulls, the Knicks).
For fantasy baseball, I preach patience with it being a long season. I tend to practice that in basketball, too, but the season is half as long, so it’s easier to adjust to early takeaways and trends.
Each month, I’ll be doing an update to my rest of season rankings and talk about a few players who have stood out to me for one reason or another. While this first look at my rankings doesn’t stray far from my draft rankings, there are some tweaks that I have made based off early opportunities and news.
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Richaun Holmes (PF/C – SAC) 46% Yahoo ownership
Those of us who play fantasy aren’t surprised about Holmes’ play of late. He’s been good since he was with the 76ers, but finding playing time has held him back. Heading into the season, the Kings were — for better or worse — invested in Dewayne freaking Dedmon, Marvin Bagley III, and even Harry Giles more than they were Holmes. But Walton gave Holmes serious run off the bench Monday and inserted him into the starting lineup in Wednesday’s game. In the two games combined, Holmes played 65 minutes, scored 41 points, with 22 rebounds, two assists, five blocks, and two steals. Holmes should remain in the starting lineup even when Bagley returns. He’s become a must-own big man in both categories and points leagues.
Christian Wood (PF/C – DET) 12% Yahoo ownership
Monday was fun, because not only did we watch Holmes shine, but we saw Wood get serious run for Dwayne Casey’s team. Wood had a 20.8 usage rate in 21 minutes, but that dipped down to 19.1 in 16 minutes Wednesday. Wood isn’t a must-own option with Blake Griffin on the way back, but his 19-point, 12-rebound game showed his potential if he is able to get any consistent playing time for the Pistons. He’s a watch-list guy now, which is an upgrade from almost missing the team because of Joe Johnson.
Isaiah Thomas (PG – WAS) 46% Yahoo ownership
Whelp, he’s back — for now. Thomas has been on a minutes limit this season in his two games back, but it hasn’t really mattered, as he’s made the most of his time on the floor. Through two games, he has a 27.7 usage rate, which is on par with the likes of Devin Booker, Kemba Walker, Mike Conley, and DeMar DeRozan. Thomas is still coming off the bench, but if he can stay healthy and his minute limits go up, he should start over Ish Smith in due time. He’s a must-add option but isn’t quite must-start yet.
Brandon Ingram (SG/SF/PF – NO) 90% Yahoo ownership
Look, I’m always lower than the consensus on Ingram, but mainly because his perceived value was always a lot higher than his actual value in fantasy. But there’s no denying what he’s done so far in fantasy leagues. In Yahoo points leagues, he’s scored 42.5, 45.1, 57.5, and 52 points, respectively, in his four games heading into October 31. That’s why it’s the perfect time to sell high. Please note the keyword — high. Ingram has been in the perfect situation so far with Zion Williamson, Derrick Favors, and Jrue Holiday all missing time. I expect Ingram to be good, not great, going forward. Cash in your chips while you can.
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.
