I don’t even know where to begin. There are 11 games to choose from, and we’re gonna throw out some names to consider in your fantasy ventures. Yesterday wasn’t terrible. Kyrie Irving smacked the Jazz as called, Keldon Johnson came through, Enes Kanter bombed with two points despite 10 rebounds, and Zach LaVine was meh. He got you nine assists and a game-sealing three, but shot 6-for-18 to no one’s surprise. We look ahead to today, beginning in Milwaukee, and ending in Atlanta. (Shoutout to Georgia on that note.)
Tier 1, Elites:
👍 Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF/C, Milwaukee Bucks
Yahoo: $51
DraftKings: $10,900
FanDuel: $11,400
C’mon, son. Giannis just had 43 against the Detroit Pistons on Monday. The only reason he didn’t have even more fantasy points is because he only (by his standards) had nine rebounds, four assists, and a single block. He’s averaging over 26 points, 11 rebounds, and nearly six assists per game while also providing 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks per on defense. Don’t overthink this. Buuuut, if you want to penny-pinch and fill out elsewhere, Domantas Sabonis and Eastern Conference Player of the Week Tobias Harris are reliable alternatives a little further down.
👎 Jayson Tatum, SF/PF, Boston Celtics
Yahoo: $43
DraftKings: $9,000
FanDuel: $9,400
As usual, it isn’t a referendum on the unlucky ‘Nah’ choice, but Tatum, Brandon Ingram, Kris Middleton, and Victor Oladipo (SF on Yahoo and DK) are cheaper alternatives. Tatum has figured it out, coming off 40 points against a struggling Toronto Raptor team, but he’s been up and down mostly despite impressive counting stats. Plus, he’s facing the Miami Heat, and they might make that shit ugly. Consider the guys mentioned above, or even his teammate Jaylen Brown, who has been nearly as good fantasy-wise and arrives at a better dollar amount. Almost went with Russell Westbrook, but he’s doing the triple-double shit again, and DFS is where that counts the most.
Sleepers:
👍 Derrick Rose, PG, Detroit Pistons
Yahoo: $20
DraftKings: $5,800
FanDuel: $6,000
Remember this guy? He’s toiling away with the Pistons but has handled himself quite well, even going back to his 2018-19 reinvigoration with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rose averaged 18 points in each of his last two seasons, and his assists have risen from 4.3 in Minnesota to 5.6 with Detroit last year. Through six games, the former MVP has posted 16.2 points and 6.2 assists while coming off the bench. He’s only shooting 42 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from three so far this season, which should elevate moving forward.
But the counting stats for his cheap price tag is more than reasonable at a position where it’s unpredictable on a nightly basis. Plus, Detroit sucks, so the touches and usage will be there for Rose, even against Milwaukee, whom he had 24 points and eight assists against two nights ago. If not, strongly consider the slightly more expensive Markelle Fultz here. I’ll get more in-depth on him soon, but he’s figuring it out.
Fuck it:
👍 Terry Rozier, SG, Charlotte Hornets
Yahoo: $22
DraftKings: $6,300
FanDuel: $7,100
I’m not gonna make any jokes about the rollercoaster ride that is Terry Rozier’s fantasy production because the man has a tattoo on the back of his head. That said, why not? It’s a bit of a boom or bust, but it’s a better alternative than his struggling teammate Devonte’ Graham. Plus, Rozier’s quietly outperforming his solid 2019-20 season, earning the contract that made us collectively react in ways that I’ll avoid pontificating over, because again, tattoo on the back of his head.
Scary Terry’s averaging 21.6 points while shooting 48 percent from the field, nearly 45 from three, and about 83 on free throws. He’s only at three rebounds and assists per contest, but again, it’s a Fuck It play for a reason. Through seven, here are his point totals in order: 42, 19, 19, 18, 6, 35, 12. In his price range? Buddy Hield, Terrence Ross, Eric Bledsoe, a bunch of other dudes y’all are scared of. Rozier is better than you think, but is also as inconsist … nope, not gonna do it. Good luck, though!