RADIO
We are no into week 5 and like most our fantasy teams, NBA teams are still figuring out the direction they plan to head as we hit the grueling part of the regular season. Younger players that have yet to adapt to the conditioning of the season will slowly start to fall off, opening the door for other players to find some much needed usage. Teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies will take serious dips in production over the next month or two, as both young players and veterans start to deal with wear and tear of the season.
Just because only player is struggling, it doesn't mean they can't turn it around. Be patient with the players you trust, but don't feel tied down to any one or two players. The NBA is a constant trend of momentum and you need to be the first one noticing some of those trends if you want to stay ahead of the game. Injuries are starting to plague teams around the league, and in some cases like the Brooklyn Nets, an injury to Caris Levert has completely altered the projection of the season. Look for Allen Crabbe and Shabazz Napier to have massive upside while the Nets hunt for offensive playmaking.
As a reminder, for standard (10-12 team) league adds, we use a general rule of thumb of an ownership rate of under 50% on Yahoo. All position eligibility based on Yahoo leagues.
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Standard League Adds for Week 4
Allonzo Trier, PG – New York Knicks
Ownership: 10%
11.3 PPG / 1.4 APG / .475 FG% / 2.9 RPG
This might seem a week or two late, and especially how his minutes are growing more and more inconsistent every game. With that, the Knicks are looking toward their more consistent options, where Trier might fall through the cracks. His hustle on both sides of the ball guarantee him minutes, but he will absolutely need to score to find use. With Kevin Knox returning his role might be smaller than ever, but he can offer scoring unlike any other player. The Knicks need more than just Tim Hardaway Jr. as the "score in bunches" player, and I'm confident coach David Fizdale will find a way to help Trier see more run. The Knicks have mishandled just about every other decision they have been given, but Trier is the captain of his own ship....as long as he is hitting shots.
Juan Hernangomez, PF – Denver Nuggets
Ownership 4%
7.8 PPG / 4.6 REB / .527 FG% / 1.4 3PM
This seems ambitious, but Juancho Hernangomez has been an up and coming player behind talented veterans for almost three years. It was only a matter of time before he contributed and he managed to make the most his opportunity against Atlanta. Yes, the Hawks barely have a defense, but this is still the type of momentum that younger players thrive on. His height makes it hard for other teams to really stop an outburst and the Nuggets will continue to keep the scoring spread out to whoever has the hot hand. He gets minutes when it matters and he will have extremely respectable upside now that he is clearly the garbage time scorer. Think of this as the really good role player that struggles to score against starters, but destroys the second team.
Alex Len, C – Atlanta Hawks
Ownership 20 %
10.3 PPG / 5.6 RPG / .517 FG% / 1.1 BPG
Alex Len has been playing really well recently, but injuries to both John Collins and Dewayne Dedmon have really helped his upside. It's hard for him not to produce given his size and role in the offense, but he will still struggle to score on harder match-ups. That should not be enough to scare anyone away from picking up Len for the short term, but if he can keep up his scoring and rim protecting he will actually be a useful long-term add. If Len has already been scooped up, look for Damian Jones and Kevon Looney to have upside while Steph Curry is out.
More Fantasy Basketball Analysis
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