Keldon Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs start their season against the Charlotte Hornets tonight.
Day 2 of the 2022-23 season offers up a massive 12-game slate, and the player pool is full of interesting choices. Below are some players to consider playing and some to consider avoiding Wednesday. What sort of lineup will you put together for $200?
GUARDS
Trae Young, ATL vs. HOU ($37)
The infusion of Dejounte Murray ($32) into the Atlanta backcourt should only help Young, who has had to carry enormous weight for the Hawks over his four-year tenure with the team. Murray can hit threes and is one of the best rebounding guards in the business, and while his presence could signal a modest reduction in Young’s stellar 27.2 point-per-game average from last season, his assist totals shouldn’t falter at all with a ballhandler like Murray beside him. He finished last season with the league’s third-highest assist average (9.7 per game). The high over/under, coupled with Young’s efficiency as a shooter and ballhandler, make him a worthwhile high-end option at the guard position.
Terry Rozier, CHA @ SAS ($25)
LaMelo Ball (ankle) begins the season sidelined, making Rozier a great streaming option for Charlotte’s offense against a Spurs team in rebuild mode. The guard is an apt multi-category contributor who should have a great season with or without Ball in the lineup, especially with Miles Bridges out of the picture. Rozier figures to be one of the team’s highest-usage players, especially during the month of October.
Guard to Avoid
Cole Anthony, ORL @ DET ($19)
Wednesday’s matchup against Detroit has one of the lowest projected point totals on the slate. The Magic have a new toy in Paolo Banchero ($25), and he is likely to start and have an immediate impact on the offense. It will be incumbent on Anthony to send the ball his way, and while his assist totals will likely be just fine, one wonders how he’ll figure into the offensive production otherwise. The team is very committed to Jalen Suggs‘ development, and we saw how Anthony’s stat lines took a hit whenever Suggs was healthy. Markelle Fultz (toe) is once again sidelined, so the job is Anthony’s to lose, but he’ll need to shoot much better to keep it. He held a meager 39.1 field-goal percentage last season and had equal difficulty finding success beyond the arc.
FORWARDS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs. OKC ($32)
Towns is a perfect example of how Yahoo’s restricted position designations help us out. Towns’ role is bound to change with the insertion of Rudy Gobert ($28) into Minnesota’s starting lineup. Hopefully, Gobert’s presence will allow Towns to take a huge leap forward offensively. Towns is freed up to stretch the floor as a dominating four who can drain threes at will. He’s a better shooter than most of his fellow big men in the league, and it will be showcased this season in his new role. We may see a dent in his rebounding totals, but that may be the only category to suffer from the shift. He’s also in a smash spot Wednesday night against the Thunder, who lack frontcourt experience.
Keldon Johnson, SAS vs. CHA ($25)
The departure of Dejounte Murray should cause Johnson’s usage rate to skyrocket, as the Spurs failed to add a comparable playmaker in the offseason. Johnson will end up acting as a primary offensive engine for the Spurs, who seem destined to dwell in the cellar this season. While that makes Johnson a bit of a risk as a seasonal draft pick, that’s not our concern. Johnson’s current situation has value written all over it, and we can take advantage of it at a reasonable salary point.
Forward to Avoid
Buddy Hield, IND vs. WAS ($23)
Hield’s salary point is entirely too high relative to what you might get from him in the season opener. After moving to Indy halfway through the 2021-22 season, Hield eventually broke into the starting lineup in short order, but things may end up a little different this season. Chris Duarte ($11) is expected to take a huge step forward this season, and although Jalen Smith (knee) is a game-time call Wednesday, he represents a potential roadblock to Hield’s offensive success.
CENTERS
Domantas Sabonis. SAC vs. POR ($37)
There are several appealing budget centers out there, but if you’re looking for video game-like numbers from your big man, look no further. The former Pacer became the Kings’ premier player in no time at all. The Kings will go as far as Sabonis can take them, and he’ll be a pivotal difference-maker in every game he appears in. He’ll face off against Jusuf Nurkic, against whom he’s had success in the past.
Clint Capela, ATL vs. HOU ($18)
Capela is a great salary saver, so if you’re looking for some relief after spending up at guard and forward, this is your spot. This game represents a sort of mini-revenge scenario against his former team, and he’s historically put good numbers up against Houston since joining the Hawks. The Rockets are also almost exclusively running with Alperen Sengun at center, who shouldn’t prove to be much of a challenge against the veteran.
Center to Avoid
Steven Adams, MEM vs. NY ($10)
It’s easy to buy into a starting center at 10 bucks, but I would advise against it. The Knicks have one of the best frontcourts in the NBA thanks to Julius Randle ($32) and Mitchell Robinson ($20), and while Adams is a bruiser who can mix it up, Randle and Robinson are just as tough and will give the Grizzlies a lot of problems Wednesday night. Memphis will rely on Brandon Clarke ($15) to out-maneuver the dominating duo, and it just doesn’t look like a favorable spot for Adams, who stacks up much better against teams with only one standout frontcourt player.
* * *
Jeff has provided sports content for numerous sports outlets and has played fantasy sports since scores had to be tabulated via newspaper. He started working with RotoWire in 2017. Originally from South Carolina, he’s a lifelong Clemson fan now enjoying the sun in Los Angeles.
