Fantasy Basketball Weekly Rookie Report: 12 Drummers Drumming

Welcome to the last pre-holiday weekly Rookie Report. Lots of quality players this week, with injuries giving way to good rookie minutes. We are about to hit the stride of the season and are at the precipice of the trade show. Be wary of each rookie’s standing before that happens to make sure you are well-informed! One trade could mean the world for a rookie, and we will have a deeper dive for fantasy basketball leading into the new year. Happy Holidays!

Fantasy Basketball Weekly Rookie Report: 12 Drummers Drumming

Players of Note

• Chet Holmgren (C, Oklahoma City Thunder)
  • Chet is not losing steam but the shooting has not been good from three for a while now. An overall better week than the last two.
  • Last three games: 16.0 PPG/9.3 RPG/1.3 APG/6.3 Stocks. 50% FG/30% 3P/77.8% FT.
  • Short Term: Buy again, the blocks numbers are still wild.
  • Long Term: Hard Buy. He’s going to be continually good. Maybe not 50/40/90 good, but good.
• Victor Wembanyama (Drumming Up Hype, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs)
  • Low and high-efficiency week. Shot well from three! Complete team hub offensively and defensively. 20 PPG/13.7 RPG/3.7 APG/6.0 Stocks.
  • Improved Free Throw percentage will improve points. The rebounds and defensive metric numbers are crazy.
  • Short Term: If someone is selling you Wemby, send them to the shadow realm.
  • Long Term: See above.
• Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Drumming on the Baseline, SF/PF, Miami Heat)
  • Had a great week, third best scoring rookie. It still amazes me that the Heat are not proving the Blazers right for not trading him, but are not NOT proving them right. Double negatives are fun. Essentially they don’t regret it. Yet.
  • Went 16.3/4.5/4.0/1.8 on 46.2/40/92.9 last week in four games. Really solidifying his value at only 22.
  • Short Term: Buy
  • Long Term: Hard buy still! May never be a star, but certainly someone to round your team out with.
• Brandon Miller (Drumming up shots, SG/SF, Charlotte Hornets)
  • Down efficiency week, still scoring. Has been steadily increasing defensive workload.
  • 15.5 PPG/3.3/2.5/3.8 stocks on 37.5/29.6/75.
  • Short term: Buy.
  • Long Term: Buy! Wings with defensive metric capability and good shooting are hard to find. Future second/third option.
• Bilal Coulibaly (Drumming up Shooting %, SF/PF, Washington Wizards)
  • 8th in scoring this week, but maintaining early shooting splits.
  • 12.5/3.8/1.0/1.6 Stocks in the last week on 53.1%/47.1%/66.7%
  • Short term: Buy, should be the number two option relatively soon.
  • Long-term: Buy.
• Toumani Camara (Drumming up Scoring!, SF/PF, Portland Trailblazers)
  • Improved pure stat line due to good shooting week! This is Toumani Camara’s potential.
  • 12.3/4.0/0.3/1.0 on 61.9%/54.5%/62.5%. Yikes.
  • Short term: Buy still, Jerami Grant very likely to depart!
  • Long-term: Buy, the stat line with rebounds and defensive metrics is what is the ceiling.
• Dereck Lively II (Drumming up Efficiency, C, Dallas Mavericks)
  • Had a down week. Not uncommon for rookie bigs.
  • 7.7/4.3/2.7 stocks on 64.7% shooting.
  • Short term: Buy. Lively, if nothing else, is an efficiency maestro.
  • Long-term: Buy as well if someone will sell. Future of the Mavs center position.
• Brandin Podziemski (Drumming up trade scenarios, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors)
  • Consistent starter. 6th in rookie scoring last week.
  • Last three: 13.3/7.0/4.3/2.5 on 45.8%/33.3%/60%. Still only averaging 1-2 free throws per game.
  • Short Term: Buy, the pod father strikes again! One of the best all-around guards/forwards.
  • Long Term: Buy!
• Scoot Henderson (Drumming up playing time, PG/SG, Portland Trailblazers)
  • We are starting to see the beginning of Scoot!
  • Averaged 16.7(!)/2.0/4.7/1 on 45%/33%/100%.
  • Short Term: Buy soon. Will be the absolute lead guard very soon.
  • Long Term: Buy, if people are selling. His efficiency is moving up.
• Julian Strawther (SG/SF/PF, Denver Nuggets)
  • 19.6 minutes per game. 10th in rookie scoring with Anthony Black!
  • 9.0/3.5/1.8 on bad efficiency. Obviously, the Nuggets see something or else he wouldn’t be playing. Could be traded to a worse team.
  • Short Term: Buy/Hold.
  • Long Term: Buy low!
• Ausar Thompson (SG/SF/PF, Detroit Pistons)
  • Back and forth in minutes played still. Not high on production like early on.
  • Last week: 23 minutes played. 6.8 PPG/6.3 RPG/2.0 APG/0.8 (!) stocks.
  • Short Term: I do not trust the Pistons. Has lost all immediate value without rebounding and defensive metrics.
  • Long-term: ???
• Cason Wallace (PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder)
  • Decreased playing time, negligible numbers.
  • Short Term: Sell! I was wrong on increasing minutes, that was short-term.
  • Long Term: Buy. His efficiency speaks for itself when he plays.
• Marcus Sasser (PG/SG, Detroit Pistons)
  • This was a false assumption too. Sasser has played more and is efficient.
  • 8.8 PPG on 78.6/83.3/80
  • Short Term: Buy? Don’t trust the Pistons. They are figuring out different ways to lose.
  • Long Term: Buy in deeper leagues.
• Keyonte George  (PG, Utah Jazz)
  • HURT!
• Anthony Black (Drumming up Defenses, G/F, Orlando Magic)
  • The good thing about Black is that he is prone to have good weeks too.
  • 9.0 PPG/5.5 RPG/3.5 APG on 53.8/50/0.
  • Short Term: Buy, then possibly sell. Depends on what happens with the Magic. Prone to being trade material.
  • Long Term: Buy!
• Olivier-Maxence Prosper (SG/SF/PF, Dallas Mavericks)
  • Not playing! 7 Minutes
• Kobe Brown (SG/SF/PF, Los Angeles Clippers)
  • Production is starting to pick up. 10.7 MPG, 3.8 PPG/1.5 RPG/1.8 APG on 54.5/42.9 and no free throws.
  • Holding on Buy/Sell
• Kris Murray (PF, Portland Trailblazers)
  • Getting minutes, 16.7 per game.
  • 6.0 PPG/5.0 RPG/3.0 APG on 28.6%/40% and no free throws.
  • Short Term: Buy low
  • Long term: Buy low, getting more minutes and shots.
• Taylor Hendricks (SF/PF, Utah Jazz)
  • Was at a steady 18.4 MPG.
  • Averaged 6.8 PPG/4.0 RPG/0.8 APG on 36%/35.7%/80%.
  • Short Term: Buy, Utah should start trading some of its veteran depth. Is a shooter!
  • Long Term: See above.
• Duop Reath (Drumming up shots, C, Portland Trailblazers)
  • Come onto the scene since the Robert Williams injury. Almost a point per minute.
  • 13.9 MPG, 13.0 PPG/5.0 RPG/1.0 APG on 45%/33.3%/100%. Is a shooting big!
  • Short Term: Buy.
  • Long Term: Buy low!

Other Rookies Getting Minutes

• Amen Thompson
• Maxwell Lewis
• Jalen Hood-Schifino
• Jett Howard
• Trayce Jackson-Davis
• GG Jackson
• Nick Smith Jr.
• Ben Sheppard
• Nathan Mensah
• Jarace Walker
• Jalen Wilson