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Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks’ center position is shaping up as expected. Dereck Lively has played slightly more than Daniel Gafford in preseason but both players have started two games. Jason Kidd has stated that both bigs will get starts this year, and so far his actions have backed that up. I would expect Lively to play slightly more minutes than Gafford. A 26/22 split is reasonable. If that does end up being the case, Lively is a solid pick around his ADP, although you’ll likely need to pair him with a friendly build to turn him into a mid-round option. Gafford is shaping up as a steal at his ADP. He was an early-round player with the Mavericks after the trade in about 23 MPG. He is someone I feel comfortable reaching for in drafts, especially if I am punting a guard category or two.
Klay Thompson has looked terrible in his three appearances. It’s possible he ends up as just a threes streamer this year, but at his price, there’s no downside to betting on a repeat of last season. In his final season with the Warriors, Klay was a borderline top-100 nine-category player and a top-70 asset in punt FG%. He’s a solid gamble late for teams in a major hole in threes.
Luka Doncic missed all of preseason with a calf issue, but he is expected to be ready for opening night. He’s a top-four pick in all leagues despite the two-game week in the fantasy playoffs. The two-game Week 20 schedule is a major issue you have to work into your draft plan. To help you out, I came up with a list of early-round options with four-game Week 20 schedules. -> Early-round players with four-game schedules
Jaden Hardy has had a bigger role than Spencer Dinwiddie in preseason. Keep an eye on him, as he could be a strong streamer at points this year with Kyrie Irving being very fragile and Luka a good bet to miss 12+ games.
Denver Nuggets
Julian Strawther has popped for the second preseason in a row. His big showing last preseason didn’t amount to anything, but with the Nuggets very thin after their top four this year, he could end up as a solid rotation piece. Keep an eye on him. He won’t be useful when the team is healthy, but if Jamal Murray’s knee acts up, he could end up as a decent source of points and threes.
Jamal Murray had some sort of knee flare-up that sent his rank on Yahoo into the 60s. He then proceeded to drop a bomb on Minnesota in his final preseason game. He’s a risky pick due to how bad he looked in the playoffs and at the Olympics, but at his current price, he is very hard to stay away from. If he’s healthy, he could be a third-round asset that comes at a sixth-round price.
Russell Westbrook has looked like Russell Westbrook in preseason. The counting stats have looked good and the efficiency has been poor. He’s a very nice late-round target in points leagues where he doesn’t need a Jamal Murray injury to be useful. His upside in a no-Murray scenario would be huge in that setting as well. In category leagues, he’s just a 14-team league option.
Christain Braun is going to slide in as the Nuggets’ fifth starter this season. He’s not a category league option unless you play in a very deep league. He’s a strong rebounder for his position who doesn’t produce above-average per-minute numbers anywhere else.
Peyton Watson missed all of preseason with a hamstring issue. He should be watched due to the Nuggets’ weak depth. He produced a flashy 2.1 BP36 last year. He should be at least a strong blocks streamer.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors rotation looks like it’s going to be a headache this year. Steve Kerr has used a bunch of starting lineups this preseason and they have all worked fairly well. Outside of Steph Curry, no one is a lock to hit 30 MPG this year.
Andrew Wiggins missed most of preseason, so we still don’t have a clear idea of who the #2 is. There may not be a clear #2. It’s very possible Jonathan Kuminga and Wiggins end up with similar usage rates and minutes. Wiggins is a nice late-round flier. He has more upside than most in that range and his low floor doesn’t matter given where he is going. Kuminga is fine at his ADP, but his upside likely isn’t that high in category leagues. Even in an expanded role, he’s unlikely to do much besides score efficiently.
Brandin Podziemski hasn’t been starting for the Warriors, but he has been playing as much as the starters. 30 MPG is in play, but he feels riskier than he did in the run-up to preseason when Kerr and Warriors management were showering him with praise. He’s a solid pick late, but he’s not a lock to be a top-100 option.
Trayce Jackson-Davis’ minutes have been solid so far. Only Kuminga and Podziemski played more during preseason. His role will likely fluctuate throughout the season, but he’s more interesting than most of the Warriors’ role players since he doesn’t need a ton of run to be useful. He could be a mid-round player in friendly builds in 24 MPG.
Moses Moody was one of the more impressive Warriors in preseason. He averaged 15.5 PPG and 2.2 3PG in just 20.1 MPG. Keep an eye on him, but there’s no reason to draft him. Kerr has been hesitant to play Moody big minutes in the past and he does not have a category-friendly game. His upside is likely in the range of “solid threes streamer.”
Houston Rockets
Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson all had very strong preseasons. Sengun is fine around his ADP in punt FT%, but I would wait until the fourth to target him in other builds. Green is still a late-round pick despite his solid preseason. As we saw last year, his floor is very low. Thompson is a trendy pick and for good reason. He doesn’t need a lot of run to be a mid-round player in friendly builds. He’s a very nice gamble at his current price if you are punting one of his weak categories.
Jabari Smith Jr. has had a quiet preseason. He feels like a low-upside option this year with the Rockets so deep. He could match last season’s output, but a major breakout is unlikely.
Tari Eason and Cam Whitemore both look like they are going to get squeezed. Eason is fine as a flier late since he is an elite per-minute producer. Whitmore is just a watchlist player unless you play in a very deep league.
Reed Sheppard has been surprisingly quiet in preseason. He’s just a final-round pick in 12-team leagues that likely won’t hit. He comes with a very high ceiling as his game is a dream fit for category leagues, but it will likely take an injury or two to the Rockets’ top options to get Sheppard into a beefy role.
Steven Adams has looked good after missing all of last season with a knee issue. He should be one of the top rebounds streamers this season.
Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi is out indefinitely and we also got a “I don’t expect him to be out for the year, but I’m not a doctor” quote from Ty Lue. At this point, I have no interest in Kawhi before the end of the middle rounds. He has no shot at 60 games this year, and given recent developments, we may be lucky to get 50 games out of him. In Roto, he’s fine in the middle rounds. In 2022-2023, he was a top-40 player on a totals basis in 52 games.
Harden’s usage will ramp up which is both a blessing and a curse. He’s a good bet to be a first-round per-game option now, but he also becomes a fairly risky pick in round one from a games-played standpoint. He has struggled to stay healthy since leaving Houston and his body fell apart when both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were out in Brooklyn. He needs to be paired with safe options.
Norman Powell is going to be a full-time starter this year. He’s a solid grab if you need a points and threes boost. but his ceiling is low because he does nothing in rebounds, assists, or steals.
Kevin Porter Jr. is a reasonable flier in deep leagues with Kawhi banged up. He will come off the bench to start the season. If Harden goes down, he will become a 12-team pickup.
Derrick Jones and Terance Mann will also start. Jones is just a defensive categories streamer. Mann has a game that is a poor fit for category leagues. He’s just a final-round pick in 14-team setups.
Los Angeles Lakers
Austin Reaves is going to be on-ball more this year. Don’t be surprised if his points and dimes come in higher than expected and his FG% drops. He’s not going to eat into LeBron’s or AD’s touches, but it’s possible D’Angelo Russell takes a hit. Reaves is a very nice target around his ADP as one of the only players in that range who can produce quality numbers in both assists and FT%.
Dalton Knecht went off in both of his final two preseason games. He averaged 27.0 PPG and 6.6 3PG over his final two appearances. Those big performances likely earned him a decent-sized role to start the year. He could average close to 2.0 3PG right out of the gate. Knecht is very unlikely to be more than a points and threes streamer this year. He produced very underwhelming numbers in the non-scoring categories as an upperclassman at Tennessee. While his long-term outlook is poor, he should be on plenty of rosters right now due to the Lakers being one of four teams that play on opening night.
Rui Hachimura will be the fifth starter in LA. He’s a nice flier in the late rounds for teams in need of a points, threes, and FG% boost. He was a mid-round player in friendly builds down the stretch of last season after being promoted to the starting lineup. Like Knecht, he’s a nice add if he went undrafted due to the Lakers playing on opening night.
Memphis Grizzlies
Zach Edey has looked solid on both ends in preseason. He will likely see minutes in the low 20s to start the year. He’s going to be an excellent per-minute producer and won’t need much more run than that to be a clear 12-team option. There is top-100 upside here in builds punting a guard category. In neutral builds, you’ll want to be careful with the Canadian. His nine-category rank is going to be mediocre because he is very likely to come with sizable threes, assists, steals, and FT% hits.
Jaylen Wells is another Grizzlies rookie who has impressed in preseason. He’s not a re-draft option, but he’s not a bad flier in dynasty drafts. He could sneak into the rotation early in the season with both Vince Williams and Luke Kennard beat up.
Scotty Pippen Jr. is no longer on a two-way contract. He should be the Grizzlies’ backup point guard this year. He is a very strong per-minute producer who will be a must-grab if Morant goes down at some point.
Brandon Clarke has posted some flashy per-minute numbers in preseason and needs to be monitored. He could have a decent-sized role this year with Edey unlikely to play major minutes. He is worth a flier in 14-team leagues.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Josh Minott has had an outstanding preseason. He may have earned himself a rotation spot. It’s a good story, but he doesn’t need to be drafted, as it’s unlikely his minutes get out of the teens. He should be watched, however, as he is a strong per-minute producer capable of putting up big numbers in the defensive categories.
Julius Randle only played one preseason game, so we still don’t have a good handle on his role with the Wolves yet. However, it will likely look a lot like his role on Knicks with the Wolves being light on offensive threats. He’s fine in the middle rounds but only if you pair him with a friendly build.
Donte DiVincenzo looks headed for a sizable role. He could be the team’s third-leading scorer even if he comes off the bench.
Naz Reid should play a little more this year than he did last season. He should pick up some of Kyle Anderson’s minutes. He’s a great target in Roto since you can just bench him during stretches where he’s not playing as much as we’d like.
Leonard Miller is always worth watching because he has a fantasy-friendly game, but there have been no signs that he’s about to be part of the rotation.
Rob Dillingham will back up Mike Conley. Conley is going to get more rest days this year, so Dillingham should have some useful stretches. When Conley is active, Dillingham will be just a threes and assists streamer.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans center rotation looks like it’s going to consist of mostly Daniel Theis and Zion Williamson. Theis is worth a look in deeper leagues if you need big man numbers. Yves Missi could sneak into the rotation as well, but he’s unlikely to play enough to be more than a blocks streamer. Karlo Matkovic generated some buzz at Summer League but doesn’t look to be in the rotation.
Brandon Ingram only played one preseason game and we only saw Zion twice, so we still don’t know what the usage split for the top four is going to look like. All four of the top options should be useful, but all four are also unlikely to clearly outplay their ADP as long as the setup remains as it is.
Herb Jones should play a ton early with Trey Murphy out. He’s a steals specialist, but he could do a little more than usual elsewhere early in the season with the Pelicans thin after the top four.
Jordan Hawkins did good work in the scoring categories. He’ll be in the rotation but is just a points and threes streamer.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Isaiah Hartenstein is out for at least the first six weeks of the season. He should still be drafted in leagues with multiple IL spots, as he’s likely to be a mid-round player when he was back. He was producing some very juicy per-minute numbers before going down. He may not start every game, but he will be very valuable.
Hartenstein being out will make the rotation look a lot like it did last year. Chet Holmgren’s big man numbers should receive a boost and Alec Caruso and Lu Dort should see a small minutes bump.
Jalen Williams picked up an ankle injury in the Thunder’s preseason finale. It sounds like it’s minor, so I would not drop him down your draft board.
Phoenix Suns
Tyus Jones looks like he has a shot at 30 MPG. He played just as much as the top three in preseason. It appears there may be more upside here than we initially thought. He’s a nice target inside the top 120 for any team in need of points and threees.
The big question in Phoenix is how much playing time the top three lose under Bud. Bud played his stars about 33 MPG in Milwaukee. It’s not a lock that he limits the Suns top three that much, especially with this Suns team not being elite like his Bucks teams, but it does make Kevin Durant fairly risky at his ADP and will make it tough for Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to improve on last season’s numbers.
Grayson Allen missed most of preseason, so we still don’t know what his role will look like with Tyus Jones in town. He will likely be just a threes streamer when the team is healthy, but how often will that be? He’s a nice stash in Roto where you can just bench him and wait for someone to go down.
Portland Trail Blazers
Scoot Henderson continues to look very rough. He shot just 26.2 percent over his three preseason appearances. The Blazers should put him in a sizable role, but with where his game is at the moment, he’s unlikely to be useful outside of punt FG%. In points leagues, where his atrocious efficiency and turnovers matter less, he will be a top-100 player.
Donovan Clingan has been a per-minute monster. He finishes preseason with averages of 10.3 PPG on 57.7 FG%, 11.7 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. Those numbers were achieved in just 20.5 MPG. He’ll be just a big man streamer early in the season but will be a run-don’t-walk pickup anytime Ayton is out. He’s a nice target in Roto leagues where it’s easy to stash. He has the makings of a silly season hero.
Shaedon Sharpe and Matisse Thybulle’s injuries should lead to extra minutes for Scoot, Deni Avdija, and Dalano Banton. Avdija should be drafted late despite the late-season shutdown risk. We shouldn’t pay too much attention to a player’s floor when deciding on our late-round picks. Ceiling is all that matters. Banton won’t play enough to be useful early in the season, but given his upside in the counting categories, he needs to be watched.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings new top three played four games together. The usage rate ranking went Sabonis > Fox > DeRozan. It does look like DeRozan is going to take a notable hit this year. He’s fine around his ADP, but try to pair him with a friendly build, as he does come with some downside at his current price. The same goes for Sabonis. He was just a top-30 per-game option in nine-category leagues last year, so at his second-round price, we can’t afford much slippage.
Keegan Murray’s usage rate was similar to what is was last season. His ceiling is capped with DeRozan in town, but if he improves like most third-year players do, he per-game value shouldn’t take much of a hit. He’s fine around his ADP.
Keon Ellis will be the Kings’ fifth starter. He’s a good option at the end of the draft if you need steals and don’t mind taking a points hit.
Malik Monk is also fine as a flier, but he may not be a no-brainer 12-team option this year when the Kings are at full strength.
San Antonio Spurs
Jeremy Sochan had a very good preseason. He was efficient and his counting stats were excellent. He is one of my favorite late-round fliers.
Keldon Johnson looks like he will be the Spurs’ second option while Devin Vassell is out. He’s just a final-round pick for those desperate for points.
Chris Paul is going to be a headache to roster this year due to all the missed games, but it does look like he could be the best source of dimes available after the first handful of rounds. He averaged 5.3 APG in 25.0 MPG. 7.0+ APG is likely.
Stephon Castle impressed, but he remains just a watchlist type of player. His game at UConn was a very poor fit for category leagues and he likely won’t play major minutes right out of the gate.
Victor Wembanyama looked mediocre in his two appearances, but that’s nothing to worry about. The lone concern here is the Spurs’ competitiveness. If you take Wemby at one, you are banking on the Spurs wanting to chase the final play-in spots instead of Cooper Flagg. That’s a somewhat risky bet.
Utah Jazz
Walker Kessler will start the year as the Jazz’s starting five. The promotion makes him a clear mid-round pick and puts his upside inside the early rounds in punt FT%.
Kessler’s promotion is bad news for John Collins who will come off the bench. He should still be drafted as he can be a top-80 player in builds like punt assists in a mid-20s role, but he’s a player that is hard to get excited about given the high likelihood of a late-season shutdown.
Keyonte George has looked solid in preseason. In punt FG%, he’s a nice late-round guard. In other builds, I’m not too interested.
Taylor Hendricks is also going to start. He’s a nice target for teams in need of threes, rebounds, and blocks, but his new price on Yahoo is annoying. He’s now ranked in the 11th in 12-team leagues. You could have better options in that range.
Cody Williams will be in the rotation, but he is very unlikely to be useful anytime soon. His game is a terrible fit for category leagues and he’s fairly raw.
Jordan Clarkson should pick up some extra minutes early with Isaiah Collier likely to miss the first couple of weeks of the season. He’ll be a strong points, threes, and assists streamer early on.
Kyle Filipowski is worth watching as he has a fantasy-friendly game, but he’s unlikely to step into a big role until late in the season.