Finally. We are here. The research has been compiled, your drafts have been completed and now at long last we have arrived at our destination: the beginning of a new NBA fantasy season. The feeling is electric. Are you ready?
Welcome to Week 1 of my look at The Week Ahead, my friends, a column I will be posting every Monday this season with a name that is fairly self-explanatory. In this column, I will identify the number of games set to be played by each team and point out some streamer options on the days with a lighter schedule (typically Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday). I will also give my thoughts on any major breaking news, or highlight a handful of players that I think should be discussed. So, let’s get to it.
Week 1
2 Games: ATL, DAL, DEN, DET, LAC, MIA, MIN, POR, UTA, WAS
3 Games: BKN, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, GSW, HOU, IND, LAL, MEM, MIL, NOR, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, SAC, SAS, TOR
I don’t think it would make a ton of sense for me to point out streamer options on the days where 10 or so games are being played, because one, you’re likely to have a full roster on those days anyway, and two, your options will be plentiful if you happen to need someone. For this week, and like most weeks moving forward, the days with the fewest games played will be Tuesday (two), Thursday (three) and Sunday (six).
Tuesday, October 19 (Opening Night)
Games
BKN vs. MIL
GSW vs. LAL
Streamers
BKN: Nicolas Claxton, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, Blake Griffin, Patty Mills
MIL: Grayson Allen, Bobby Portis
GSW: Otto Porter Jr., Damion Lee, Nemanja Bjelica, Kevon Looney
LAL: Kent Bazemore, Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, Dwight Howard
It’s worth noting that all of these teams are scheduled for three games this week, so if your league has a limit on add/drops per week, it makes streaming one of these guys a bit more attractive. Who you choose to stream should be based on who you’re matched up against in fantasy hoops, as you want to target the categories you feel you need a lift in, but I think Otto Porter Jr. and Kent Bazemore make for the most attractive adds out of this group.
Thursday, Oct. 21
Games
DAL vs. ATL
MIL vs. MIA
LAC vs. GSW
Streamers
DAL: Moses Brown
ATL: Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, Danilo Gallinari
MIL: Grayson Allen, Bobby Portis
MIA: maybe PJ Tucker in an extremely deep league
LAC: Eric Bledsoe, Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris
GSW: Otto Porter Jr., Damion Lee, Nemanja Bjelica, Kevon Looney
I think Cam Reddish (11%) should be rostered in far more leagues, so swapping him out for one of your worst players now makes sense to me. He showed some potential this preseason with averages of 11.5 points, 2.0 triples and 2.3 steals per game, so if he’s able to establish himself as Atlanta’s Sixth Man, then he could have some nice value this season. Give him a look.
Sunday, Oct. 24
Games
CHA vs. BKN
ORL vs. NYK
BOS vs. HOU
PHI vs. OKC
GSW vs. SAC
MEM vs. LAL
Streamers
CHA: Cody Martin (if Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr. aren’t ready), James Bouknight
BKN: Nicolas Claxton, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, Blake Griffin, Patty Mills
ORL: Cole Anthony, RJ Hampton, Terrence Ross
NYK: Immanuel Quickley, Derrick Rose
BOS: Josh Richardson, Payton Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith
HOU: Alperen Sengun, Daniel Theis, Eric Gordon, Josh Christopher
PHI: Tyrese Maxey, Danny Green
OKC: Isaiah Roby, Darius Bazley, Aleksej Pokusevski
GSW: Otto Porter Jr., Damion Lee, Nemanja Bjelica, Kevon Looney
SAC: Davion Mitchell
MEM: De’Anthony Melton, Desmond Bane
LAL: Kent Bazemore, Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, Dwight Howard
It’s currently unclear when Ben Simmons will suit up for the 76ers, but if he gets ruled out for the opener, that would be the time to run to the waiver wire to grab Tyrese Maxey (39%). The 76ers play three times in Week 1 with their final game on Sunday, making Maxey a particularly attractive streamer target.
Due to their immense upside, I would view Sengun (53%), Melton (43%) and Bane (21%) as must-roster players, and they’re all attractive adds to start the week because each guy has three games on their schedule. Make these dudes aren’t floating around on your waiver wire.
What Am I Most Excited For?
Now, as an egregious Dubs’ homer, there’s no way I could write my first piece of the season without touching on the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Klay Thompson, who is scheduled to return to the court this season (likely in January) for the first time since he went down in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. It’s been a very long recovery process for Klay, and he’s coming off two very serious injuries with the Achilles tear being one of the worst in basketball, but I’m excited that he’ll be gracing our screens again.
I am nervous about how productive he’ll be in his first year back, and he might not be all that fun to roster with all the restrictions Golden State will put on him, but Kevin Durant’s glorious return gives me some hope that Klay can return to form. Typically, an Achilles tear will rob a player of some of their athleticism, but we didn’t see much of that with KD, and for Klay, uber-athleticism has never been much of a part of his game. I remember when he was a rookie there would be these moments where he would miss fastbreak opportunities because he preferred to lay it up rather than throw it down. But it’s because of his preference for finesse over brute force that gives me hope.
There’s no denying that this man has one of the purest strokes in the league, so now, it’ll just be a matter of him finding his rhythm again. I don’t anticipate it being immediate. There will be some clunkers here and there, back-to-back sets will almost assuredly be off the table, and I have no idea how long it’ll take for him to be averaging 30 minutes a game again, but I’m here for the journey. If you’re in a league with multiple IR-spots, Klay is a guy I would consider stashing.
Source: Yahoo Sports
