Fantasy Basketball: Pick-up or Pass on 6 players who stepped in season openers

Fantasy Basketball pass on No. 3: Isaiah Hartenstein benefits from foul trouble.

Foul trouble will oftentimes lead to unlikely scenarios for backup centers, but the way they capitalize on the situation is oftentimes quite important in the way coaches formulate roles moving forward. That makes the situation of New York Knicks backup Isaiah Hartenstein quite unusual. He was phenomenal in relief of Mitchell Robinson during the season opener, but it’s unlikely that he’ll repeat this performance on a consistent basis.

The Knicks’ second-biggest offseason signing posted 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a whopping 40 minutes during the overtime loss. Robinson played only 13 minutes with five fouls on the night. This was a hot-hand approach for head coach Tom Thibodeau, whose affinity for running players into the ground is the worst-kept secret in the NBA. By that same token, it oftentimes pays for fantasy basketball managers who pick up Thibs’ favorite players.

So while Hartenstein isn’t someone who you should flock to the waiver wire for, he’s certainly a player to put on your watchlist in case someone gets injured or Thibs decides to make a change in his rotation.

If he puts together a few more games like this, that shift would be more likely than expected.