One week into the new NBA season, fantasy managers are already sorting out which early performances are real and which are likely to fade. An ESPN analysis highlights three players making a quick push for fantasy relevance and three whose stock has dropped.
Memphis guard Ty Jerome tops the risers list, though he is already rostered in 89.7% of ESPN leagues. He scored 45 points against Utah on opening night and followed with 28 points and five assists against Golden State. The analysis notes that both the Jazz and the Warriors have started poorly, and it argues Jerome will struggle to keep up this shooting pace all season. It suggests trading him for a struggling veteran likely to rebound, such as Trey Murphy III or Brandon Miller.
Charlotte's Dennis Schroder, rostered in 9.7% of leagues, has been a strong waiver-wire pickup. He has played for 12 teams in his career and posted 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and three 3-pointers against Miami on Saturday night, after two good games and one weak one. Managers needing points and assists should consider him, but the piece cautions that he is a poor choice for steals, threes and blocks, and that he will likely lose his role once Coby White returns from a calf strain.
Chicago big man Jalen Smith, rostered in 22.8% of leagues, is the third riser. The Bulls are crowded at forward with Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis and Leonard Miller but thin at center, where Zach Collins and Tobe Awaka have barely played. Smith has scored 14 or 15 points in each of his first three games, averaging 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals, and has hit four threes over his last two. He could see roughly 25 minutes per game if healthy, though his stock may dip when Nic Claxton returns from a hamstring injury.
On the fallers side, Milwaukee center Myles Turner, rostered in 52.4% of leagues, failed to score in Saturday's loss to Philadelphia. He played only 20 minutes because of foul trouble and is averaging 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds across three games, with four threes and six blocks. Meanwhile, Kel'el Ware put up 19 points, 13 rebounds, a steal, two blocks and two threes in 29 minutes. Turner remains the starter and is described as an easy trade target at a low price, but he could become a headache if the coaching staff favors Ware.
Atlanta's Onyeka Okongwu, rostered in 80% of leagues, has not topped 10 points or six rebounds in any of his three games, and recorded his first block and steal of the season on Saturday. Teammates Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum and Aaron Wiggins have all started hot. The analysis expects Okongwu to improve and sees this as a possible window to trade for him, while warning he could remain the Hawks' fifth or sixth offensive option.
The harshest verdict goes to Golden State's Draymond Green, rostered in 26.7% of leagues. At 36, Green has scored just seven points with two blocks, one steal and one 3-pointer through two games, and sat out the second night of a back-to-back on Saturday. With the Warriors struggling and both Green and Stephen Curry already getting rest nights, the analysis doubts either will play a full workload. It recommends dropping Green for Jalen Smith, Yaxel Lendeborg or Wendell Carter Jr., saying his name is simply bigger than his game at this point.
