Fantasy Basketball: Trend Watch
A look at some players across “The Association” trending positively and negatively a little more than a week into the season for fantasy basketball purposes.
Positive
- Utah Jazz center Derrick Favors — In five games Favors is averaging 18.4 points, eight rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.6 blocks and only 1.6 turnovers. Oh yeah, he’s also shooting 60.7 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line. Favors had one dud in four games. He is thriving as one of the focal points of Quin Snyder’s offense.
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- Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson — I think breathing ball of fire is the appropriate way to describe Thompson so far this season. He’s scored at least 19 points in all four of the Warriors games, shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc. He’s still only giving you 2.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds, but this is easier to take with some other improvements in his game. Along with the bump in FG%, Thompson is getting to the line slightly more than six times a game this season compared to 2.3 last year. This makes his quality FT% more valuable.
- Sacramento Kings Rudy Gay — Gay is quietly playing like one of the best small forwards in the NBA early in the season. His numbers went in the right direction when he was dealt from the Raptors to the Kings last season and he’s picking up right where he left off. The eight-year vet is averaging 24.4 points, 6.2 boards, 2.4 assists and one steal. The percentages, while unsustainable, are incredible right now — 52.1 percent from the field, 58.3 percent from 3 and 84.8 percent at the line on 9.2 attempts per game. I don’t expect this production to keep up, but Gay, DeMarcus Cousins and Darren Collison have established good chemistry that will lead to more success.
- Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris — It’s been a nice start to the season for the fifth-year forward. Orlando has a glut of wings, but Harris is playing 36 minutes per game through five games. The percentages aren’t exactly where you would want them at 43.6/33.3/81.8, but he’s getting you points and rebounds. Harris is averaging 17.6 PPG and 7.6 RPG turning himself into what ended up being a nice value pick late in drafts.
Negative
- Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic — It has not been a pretty start to the season for the Suns point guard. Dragic looks exhausted after another summer of international ball and misses big man Channing Frye creating space for him. Dragic hasn’t had more than four assists in a game and has scored 10 points or less in three of five outings. He’s only shooting 41.1 percent from the field and has missed all 11 of his 3-point attempts.
- Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo — The PER 36 minute numbers aren’t bad for Giannis, but the time on the court isn’t there yet. He did play a season-high 27 minutes against the Bulls and put up 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting with eight rebounds, so that’s something to keep an eye on. The previous two games Milwaukee’s second-year forward played 17 and 13 minutes. For him to have real fantasy value he needs to be up in the high 20s to low 30s in MPG on a nightly basis.
- Charlotte Hornets guard Lance Stephenson — Stephenson is already getting on Steve Clifford’s nerves. He’s sat out a couple of fourth quarters and hasn’t been playing consistent basketball. Stephenson has only reached double figures in one of five games and is shooting a miserable 26.7 percent from the field. He’s still been an excellent source of rebounds (10 per game) and assists (5.6 per game) for a wing player. The 3.4 TOs is a little tough to take when you’re not getting points or 3s. Like Dragic, Stephenson has missed all of his 3-point attempts this season, but he’s only taken five.
- Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson — Things aren’t going well with the Nuggets and that’s not excluding their point guard. Lawson is shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from three in 33.8 minutes per game. He’s still putting up 7.8 APG and 12.5 PPG, but part of the draw to Lawson in fantasy is him being an asset in FG%/FT%/3s. I would be shocked if he didn’t turn it around.