Hooray. With no games on Sunday, the first nine weeks of the NBA season are over. Next week will be relatively normal, with the exception of the five-game day on Christmas Day. Want a breakdown of how to prepare for week 10? Check out Raphiel Johnson here.
As for Saturday, they finished the week with 13 games, two of which were played in the afternoon. Between LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and many others, there were plenty of great performances to end the week. There was also the oddity that Victor Wembaneyama aggravated his right ankle injury, forcing him to miss Tuesday’s game. He stepped on the foot of a Mavericks employee. Then, he was removed from the lineup after the game was scheduled to start, making it impossible for him to adjust to suit fantasy. Gregg Popovich said he would have played if it had been an “important game,” so he said he should be back on Tuesday.
Brandin Podziemski – 34% enrolled in Yahoo League
Potts made a fresh start Saturday and had 15 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, one steal, one block and one triple. He should continue to be a starter and has provided top-100 value in nine-cat leagues over the past two weeks. Andrew Wiggins has been underwhelming this season, so there shouldn’t be anyone to replace Podzemski. The rookie has been fantastic as of late and should be a safe option going forward.
Trayce Jackson-Davis – 45%
TJD has gotten quite a bit of hype lately, and the praise is well-deserved. He’s been great in his increased role over the past four games, posting 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal in just 17 minutes Saturday. He’s definitely worth adding in deeper leagues, but his standard league value is either he’s getting 17-20 minutes more consistently, or he’s getting 20-23 minutes. It depends on who you are.
Kris Dunn – 4%
Despite the return of Jordan Clarkson, Dunn played 34 minutes on Saturday, recording eight points, eight rebounds, 13 assists, one steal, one block and two triples. Collin Sexton also started, but played just 25 minutes. Dunn seems like a safer option to remain in the starting unit until Keyontae George returns, and he has proven he can contribute in fantasy if given the opportunity.
Craig Porter Jr. – 6%
Porter Jr. made a fresh start Saturday and contributed 19 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, one steal, one block and one 3-point shot. Cleveland was without Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert and Sam Merrill against Chicago. If the backcourt is still lacking come Wednesday, Porter Jr. should continue to start.
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Dante Exum – 32%
Exum has offered fourth-round value over the past two weeks, with Jason Kidd saying: He plans to start Exum even after Kyrie Irving returns to the lineup. Exum’s playing time should continue to be safe, although his value will likely decrease with both Luka Doncic and Kyrie playing with the ball in their hands.
Jaden Ivey – 37%
It’s a small sample size, but Ivey is averaging a top-75 average of 20.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks, 1.7 triples and shot 52.5 percent from the field over the past week. Monty Williams is always trying new things to make it work, but as long as Ivey is the starter, he has an upside.
Rui Hachimura – 13%
The Lakers replaced D’Angelo Russell with Jared Vanderbilt in their starting unit, but it was Hachimura who benefited the most. The band played 24 minutes, and Louis came off the bench and contributed 21 points in 30 minutes. As long as the shots are coming in, he can improve his scoring ability.
Nick Smith Jr. – Less than 1%
Smith Jr. had a great night Saturday as Brandon Miller left early with an ankle injury. He scored 17 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and sank five 3-pointers in the final frame. If Miller misses Tuesday as well, Smith Jr. could play a key role.