We’re only two days into the fantasy basketball season, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t players already surging, getting injured and struggling in their first game.
Dejounte Murray suffered a devastating hand injury on Wednesday, while Dyson Daniels piled up stats for the Atlanta Hawks and Brandin Podziemski failed to impress for the Warriors.
Here are your early-season risers and fallers.
Risers
Dyson Daniels, PG/SG, Atlanta Hawks (16.8% rostered in ESPN leagues)
There was some early buzz about Daniels, but it quickly died down after a quiet preseason. However, he showed up ready to play on opening night for the Hawks, racking up 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, five steals, a block and two 3-pointers on 6-of-12 shooting. The steals were not a fluke (he averaged 1.4 per game last season), but going 1-of-4 on free throws wasn’t a fluke, either. He’s not very good from the charity stripe, but the good news is he shouldn’t get to the line enough to negatively impact your fantasy team too mcuh. He played 35 minutes in the opener and looks like an automatic pickup to me.
Onyeka Okongwu, C, Atlanta Hawks (32.8%)
Clint Capela got the start, but it was the Okongwu show in Atlanta on Wednesday when he hit 11-of-12 shots and 6-of-6 free throws for a career-high 28 points to go along with eight rebounds and three blocks. He obviously won’t shoot it this well every night, but his strong performance off the bench could cause the Hawks to rethink keeping 30-year-old Capela as their starting center. In any case, if you need a big man, Okongwu is worth an add.
Santi Aldama, PF/C, Memphis Grizzlies (8.8%)
Jaren Jackson Jr. is “week-to-week” with a hamstring injury and Aldama went nuts in the opener while filling in for Triple J in the starting lineup. Aldama led the team with 27 points, five rebounds and five 3-pointers on 10-of-16 shooting in 31 minutes. The Grizzlies would not have won this game without him and he’s a solid, experienced player who started 35 games for the Grizzlies last season. The fact he didn’t have a steal or block is a bit of a letdown and he may only be a temporary plug-in while we await Jackson’s return, but Aldama should probably be in lineups until that happens.
Yves Missi, C, New Orleans Pelicans (2.7%)
The Hornets didn’t have many options at center and with Zion Williamson out with an illness, Missi got 23 minutes off the bench and made the most of them with 12 points, seven boards, a steal and three blocks on 5-of-8 shooting. Starter Daniel Theis (0.8% rostered) played just 19 minutes and finished with eight points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks, also drawing some attention. We’ll have to see if the Pelicans are really going to play Zion at center, but either way, Missi or Theis is going to have a big role this season. And I like what I saw from Missi on Wednesday.
Jordan Hawkins, SG, (2.0%) and Jose Alvarado, PG, New Orleans Pelicans (0.7%)
Dejounte Murray sadly went down with a fractured hand and will probably miss at least a month, if not two, so the Pelicans will be looking for another ball handler not named CJ McCollum. Hawkins played 28 minutes and hit 4-of-9 shots and three triples for 13 points, seven rebounds and a block off the bench. Jose Alvarado played just 13 minutes and hit 1-of-3 shots for three points and three assists, and it looks like Hawkins may be the guy they go with to replace Murray at point guard. If nothing else, the 28 minutes were promising and Hawkins is bound to get solid run until Christmas.
Fallers
Dejounte Murray, PG/SG, New Orleans Pelicans (97.0%)
A fractured left hand will likely keep Murray out for four-to-six weeks and he may not be fully up to speed until Christmas season is here. It’s a terrible blow for his fantasy managers, as he was being taken in the mid-30s in drafts. If you’re in an eight-team league and don’t have an IR spot on your roster, it may be tough to hang onto Murray for the next month or two. I would not recommend cutting him, but it all depends on your league size, format and whether or not you can put him on the IR.
Immanuel Quickley, PG/SG, Toronto Raptors (88.5%)
Quickley left Wednesday’s game with a pelvic contusion and is currently listed as day-to-day. He was reportedly very sore and the Raptors will likely be careful with their star point guard. Don’t drop him, as he may not miss a ton of time with the injury. In the meantime, Davion Mitchell played 25 minutes and finished with eight points, three assists and a steal, but he has rarely risen to the occasion when given opportunities. I’d recommend picking up Dyson if you need a guard to replace Quickley over the next few games.
Brandon Miller, SG/SF, Charlotte Hornets (88.0%)
Miller left Wednesday’s game with a left hip injury after just 11 minutes and Tre Mann (8.3% rostered) stepped up with 24 points, four 3-pointers, six rebounds and a block on 8-of-16 shooting in 29 big minutes. Whether or not Miller is out for long, given LaMelo Ball‘s injury history, it makes sense that Mann is rostered in more fantasy leagues than he currently is. Miller is day-to-day, but if Mann has another big game against the defensively challenged Hawks on Friday, he’s going to become a pretty hot pickup.
John Collins, PF, Utah Jazz (57.6%)
Collins came off the bench behind Taylor Hendricks (6.9% rostered) and played just 18 minutes to finish with 11 points, five boards, a steal and a block on 5-of-12 shooting on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Hendricks played 29 minutes and had 12 points, five boards, two steals, a block and three 3-pointers as the starter. I don’t have a crystal ball to know whether Hendricks will out-minute Collins by this much every night, but as of now, I would recommend dropping Collins for Hendricks given the fact he’s starting and played so much more than Collins in the opener.
Brandin Podziemski, SG, Golden State Warriors (37.7%)
The bad news is that Podziemski came off the bench and missed all five of his shots, failing to score on Wednesday, although he did add seven rebounds, three assists and a steal in his 25 minutes. The good news is that this game was a blowout and Podz tied Trayce Jackson-Davis and Stephen Curry for the team lead in minutes played. Another interesting takeaway was that the Warriors played 14 guys in the opener. However, it’s early, the Warriors love Podziemski and the minutes were there. I expect him to bounce back against the Jazz on Friday, but there’s no doubt it was a rough ride for Podz and his fantasy managers in the opener. If Friday goes poorly, managers have every right to think about looking for a replacement, especially in smaller leagues.
