Regular season games are officially underway with all but two teams completing their first NBA competition on Wednesday night. The race for a postseason bid will be as heated as ever with at least a dozen teams in each conference vying for a Play-In bid or homecourt advantage in the Playoffs. Likewise, fantasy basketball players rejoice as they get to see their teams in action for the first time this year.
Just as important, however, is keeping track of the waiver wire early into the season. Between stashed players on the injured reserve, misselections on draft night and general disappointment in certain performances, many people will be scouring the auctions looking for the league-winning players who are available to be snatched up following the opening night of games.
The six players mentioned here today all exceeded expectations during their first game of the season, but the extenuating circumstances of their roles are the differentiator. We’re here to help you decide who’s worth picking up versus who you should pass on for your team.
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Fantasy Basketball pick-up No. 1: Kevin Huerter has the green light.
When the Sacramento Kings traded for lanky wing Kevin Huerter, their intentions were unclear. Did they view him as their starting shooting guard, a scoring punch off the bench, or something in between? Well, the answer to that question became quite apparent when Huerter logged 29 minutes to the tune of a team-best +16 mark. His final stat line of 23 points (8-of-12, 6-of-9 from 3), three rebounds and two assists was a statement from the fifth-year guard: he’s going to run the backcourt with De’Aaron Fox — at least for the time being.
Huerter isn’t going to shoot this well on average, but he should have the most scoring opportunity of his career thus far on a Kings team gunning for the postseason. He’s worth a speculative add for his shooting upside and role moving forward.