What a crazy start to the NBA 2022-23 season. Monster fantasy performances from early MVP leaders: Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, and Jayson Tatum. While other players and teams surprised the league with their TrailBlazing start with Portland and Utah. We will dive into specific key players on these scorching hot teams and MORE in this blog article. With numerous days throughout the week as basketball fantasy managers it’s vital you are strategic with which players to start or sit based off of match-ups, injuries, and hot streaks – well we got you covered with our Starts & Sits for week 2.
Fantasy Basketball Starts and Sits
Starts of the Week:
Santi Aldama – Grizzlies (C/PF)
Second-year preseason breakout candidate – Santi Aldama should be at the top of your waiver wire claims and slotted right into your starting lineup. (Right now he is rostered in 65% of Fantrax leagues)
Santi Aldama scored 18 points while shooting ⅜ from downtown to go along with 11 rebounds on Wednesday against the Knicks. Santi is turning into a premier stretch big who can shoot efficiently from beyond the arc and has underrated athleticism crashing hard to grab contested boards.
Aldama started for the Grizzlies with Jaren Jackson Jr. sidelined and he looked solid overall as a stretch big. It sounds like he should remain a starter early in the season. Even with JJJ back in the lineup in December, I feel Aldama will carve valuable 25+ min for his two-way versatility. The Grizzlies have been on point with their drafting the last couple seasons and looks like they got another hit with Santi.
Trey Murphy III – Pelicans (SF/PF)
Trey Murphy has made the most of his product coming off the bench to start the season posting 13.3 points along with 7 rebounds while shooting 60% from downtown. With Brandon Ingram (concussion protocols) & Zion (back contusion) out this week, the Pelicans will look to Trey to provide an ample amount of scoring opportunities. When Trey plays for 23+ minutes he is averaging 32.50 FPPG. Expect his larger role to provide you with a surge of scoring, three-pointers, rebounds, and high field goal percentage. Trey is a starting option as well as a hold in deeper leagues
Jarred Vanderbilt – Jazz (C/PF)
I have been big on Vando since he claimed the starting PF spot on the T-Wolves last year. Jarred Vanderbilt last year finished the season averaging 23.8 Fantasy points per game. Even after a breakout year, the 23-year-old is still being immensely undervalued in current ADP rankings ranging from 160-180th pick during draft night. Now being rostered in only 68% of Leagues, Vando is stepping into the clear-cut starting power forward position on a Jazz roster that lacks depth in big men. I projected Vanderbilt to post 12 points per game and 9.8 rebounds, while also picking up 1.5 blocks. Well, to start the season, Vanderbilt is averaging 10+ boards along with 3.5 steals. The main nit-pick to Vando’s game is his foul trouble issues, however, whenever he soaks up 30+ minutes he finishes the game with 33+ Fantasy points per game.
The most fascinating aspect of Vanderbilt’s defense is the high intensity and effectiveness in which he defends multiple positions. Despite playing the power forward role, Vanderbilt was the most switchable defender on the Timberwolves last season.
Vando has elite recovery quickness with an explosive first step to swarm the help side.
Josh Hart – Trail Blazers (SG/SF)
Talk about the epitome of a valuable role player, Josh Hart is as good as it gets. Josh is an elite rebounder as a guard, finishing as a top-10 rebounding guard in each of the last 4 seasons. After 4 games Hart is averaging an impressive 8 rebounds along with 11 points and 1.3 steals.
After last year’s trade deadline coming from the Pelicans, in a 13-game span for the Blazers, Hart averaged 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.4 three-pointers, and 1.2 steals in 32.1 minutes. Finishing with 28+ Fantasy points per game. With the Blazers reloading with talent this year adding Jerami Grant and expectations of Ant Simons to have a larger role after signing a 4 year $100 mil extension, I see Josh Hart playing 27+ min per game as Blazer’s utility man starting and coming off the bench to spark the second unit. Hart provides valuable scoring off the bench and pushes the pace in transition.
Sits of the Week:
Tari Eason – Rockets (SF/PF)
For my first sit, I’m gonna go with Rookie Tari Eason. We have been getting a lot of questions on whether or not to add Tari on Waiver Wires. Eason proved capable of being a per-minute stats machine during the preseason, but coach Stephen Silas seems hesitant to give the rookie significant minutes, including being cautious in giving sophomore Alperen Shengoon more run. Which, I don’t get why Shengun is playing behind – Bruno Fernando…..
But what’s more concerning for fantasy managers who drafted Eason is that Jae’Sean Tate (ankle) didn’t play. Once he’s back in the fold, Eason’s minutes could be reduced. In deep formats, he’s a hold — the upside is too high — but fantasy managers in standard leagues need to keep a close eye on the situation
Long term in deeper redraft leagues I would hang tight for Eason to get more meaningful minutes and in dynasty is an absolute hold. I’m still high on Eason, but we have to be patient.
Russell Westbrook – Lakers (PG)
What a nightmare of a start from one of the biggest names discussed during the NBA offseason. Well, Russell Westbrook did not shy away from the hype – and I mean this in the most negative way. Russ is posting a miserable 10.3 PPG while shooting 28.9 from FG% and a grotesque 08.3% from downtown which is resulting in a Laker’s historic low percentage from deep this year. To literally add insult to injury, Russ is now doubtful to play on Wednesday with a “mysterious” hamstring injury which was just announced moments ago. Does this mean Westbrook is on the trading block? Or does he need more time to collect himself for a long season ahead full of turbulence in La La Land? Sit Russ and sit back relaxed knowing your field goal percentage will not be lit on fire this week.
Kyle Lowry – Heat (PG)
Although (hopefully) you didn’t pick up Lowry until the last few rounds, Kyle has been underwhelming to start the season, to say the least. Lowry clearly hasn’t been himself this year, struggling to score double-digit points and failing to facilitate the ball effectively. His age may finally have caught up to him, and if that’s the case, that could be troublesome for the 1-3 Heat. The veteran may ramp things up as the season wears on, but he remains almost a non-factor in fantasy leagues currently.
Also, with the rise of younger players performing well (Gabe Vincent and Max Strus) Heat may look to push the pace and fade Lowry due to his lack of burst and transitional skillset. I also expect Tyler Herro to post career-high numbers in minutes after signing a massive contract extension. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lowry dealt before the trade deadline.
Written by Don Whigan from The Fantasy Hoops