It’s the season of giving. Some are preparing to say thank you in the coming weeks, while others are handing out buckets. Friday’s 12 games featured great performances from star players who are contributing throughout the league. Luka Doncic scored 44 points for the Clippers, Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double for the Thunder, and Taylor Jenkins scored one point. Epic, NSFW rant about referees. However, he will likely end up donating a significant portion of his salary to the league.
There were also 12 in-season tournament games, but only two of them were won by double digits. The majority of these games have been close, and the team seems to be a little more concerned than many fans expected. Mike Brown said he showed his players what they could buy with $500,000 in prize money if they won it all. Believe it or not, money is a great motivator.
The NBA is off to a great start, and fantasy hoops is following suit. So here are eight players to consider for your fantasy team.
Keyonte George – 16% in Yahoo League
George made his second career start on Friday and had seven points and 11 assists. He averaged seven points and 10 assists in two starts, making 5 of 20 shots. Shots start to fall, but the playmaking is very encouraging for him and the team. Assists are hard to come by on the waiver wire, but if he can figure out his shooting percentage, he has the potential to add a ton of points.
Lonnie Walker – 25%
With Cam Thomas and Ben Simmons out, Walker played 20 minutes off the bench and finished with a 20/7/4 grade. With Thomas sidelined for at least a few more weeks, he should continue to see his role expanded and is worth a spot on the roster as long as he can get playing time.
Bismack Biyombo – 19%
With Xavier Tillman out again, Biyombo once again started at center for Memphis. He had 15 points and 14 rebounds. He’ll only be useful in the traditional center category, but he’s worth considering as long as Tillman is out.
Cam Reddish – 1%
Dervin Ham opted to bench Austin Reeves on Friday and move Reddish to the starting unit. He also mentioned Manu Ginobili’s name in the postgame press conference, suggesting Reaves could be the team’s sixth man for the foreseeable future. Reddish played 28 minutes on Friday, recording 17 points, three steals and five triples, including the game-clinching one. He has been inconsistent throughout his career, but a permanent spot in the starting lineup would be great for him.
Cam Pain – 3%
Damian Lillard is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Magic. Payne started in his place on Thursday and had seven points, four rebounds and five assists. He’s not particularly appealing, but he would be a solid option on a day when there are only four games.
Derrick Jones Jr. – 3%
DJJ has put together some solid performances for the Mavs recently, including a double-double on Friday. He’s worth considering in deeper leagues, especially since he appears to be a regular in the starting unit, even if his minutes fluctuate.
Moussa Diabaté – less than 1%
After Friday’s game, Tyronn Lue said he wanted more size in the second unit. With Mason Plumlee injured, Diabaté is the only other option at center, so unless they make a trade or bring in a free agent, Diabaté is the best option. He recorded a double-double on Friday.
Jacob Gilliard – less than 1%
Gilliard started Friday with Giare Williams out. He had 14 points, five rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and four 3-pointers in 34 minutes. The Grizzlies are loaded with injuries, and if no one returns for Sunday’s game against the Clippers, Gilyard could get a fresh start.