The Cavaliers possess a staggering four players in the top 30 when it comes to total fantasy points.
The opening quarter of the NBA regular season is nearing its close, and as early-season uncertainties dissipate, standout teams and players have shifted into focus.
Distinctions between the great and the good are becoming clear, leaving plenty for NBA Fantasy Salary Game players to digest.
Here’s what you need to know for Week 5:
Last Week’s Story
Headlines have regularly featured the Cleveland Cavaliers (15-0) and Golden State Warriors (10-2) given surprisingly strong starts, but teams lower on conference totem poles have made season-to-season improvements deserving of discussion.
The Detroit Pistons earned infamy with the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history last year at 28 games, en route to a dead-last finish in the Eastern Conference. But they’re already halfway to their previous win total at 7-8 in the 2024-25 campaign.
Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey’s development has constituted a productive young core, while the addition of Tobias Harris in free agency instilled much-needed veteran leadership. Cunningham has blossomed into one of the league’s finest fantasy options, ranking fourth among all players with 690.5 total points, while Harris and Ivey follow with 469.1 (36th) and 446.5 (49th), respectively.
And in the Western Conference, it’s been a far kinder season for the San Antonio Spurs than the struggles of a year ago. Victor Wembanyama remains a game-changer on both sides of the ball – averaging a fifth-best 51.0 fantasy points per contest – while support has come in the form of Chris Paul (418.9 total fantasy points) and Keldon Johnson (334.1 TFP).
At 6-8 right now following last season’s 22-60 finish, the Spurs have already secured marquee victories over the Houston Rockets (10-4), Minnesota Timberwolves (8-6) and Sacramento Kings (8-6).
Games to Watch
Teams across the league will play their second of four Group Play games this week as part of the Emirates NBA Cup 2024. Intrigue extends beyond that slate, though.
Cleveland Cavaliers (15-0) vs. Boston Celtics (11-3), Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET:
There are good matchups, there are great matchups, and then there is this matchup – the biggest battle of the regular season up to this point.
The Cavaliers continue to pursue the record books with an undefeated mark that’s now tied with the 1993-94 Rockets and 1948-49 Washington Capitols for the second-best start in NBA history, and with another win on Tuesday, can make a case as the team to beat in the east. They possess a staggering four players in the top 30 when it comes to total fantasy points, led by Darius Garland’s 547.7 (23rd) and Donovan Mitchell’s 545.7 (25th).
For the Celtics, there’s no better opportunity to remind the league why they’re defending champions. Week 4 was a weird one for the group, including a loss to the Trae Young-less Atlanta Hawks (6-8) and an escape act against the conference-worst Toronto Raptors (2-12). Jayson Tatum and Derrick White have made serious fantasy strides with their league-leading 712.0 and 33rd-place 493.6 total points, respectively.
Orlando Magic (8-6) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (9-4), Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET:
It’ll be a cross-conference contest between squads that have exceeded preseason expectations. Multiple players have risen to the occasion in Paolo Banchero’s absence – Franz Wagner (39.4 fantasy points per game) and Jalen Suggs (32.1 FPPG) top among them – to thrust the Magic into third place in the east.
On the other side, LeBron James’ four consecutive triple-doubles – the longest such stretch of his illustrious career – spearheaded what’s become a five-game winning streak for the Lakers. And the continuation of an MVP-caliber campaign for Anthony Davis (55.9 FPPG) has only helped slingshot the team into fourth place in the West.
Injury Report
The slew of big-name injuries subsided last week, leaving fantasy players with just two new absences of note – Nic Claxton and Jose Alvarado.
Claxton had totaled 285.0 fantasy points across 11 appearances for the Brooklyn Nets (5-9) prior to suffering a lower back strain, and is expected to return Nov. 22, while Alvarado’s fantasy contributions of 24.2 points per game with the New Orleans Pelicans (4-10) are set to disappear until at least Dec. 19 because of a left hamstring strain.
Tyrese Maxey (286.7 TFP), Ja Morant (309.5 TFP) and Kevin Durant (395.3 TFP) could return from multi-week absences as soon as Nov. 20, 25, and 26, respectively.
Transaction Tips
There are two bang-for-your-buck options on the rise, each serving as bright spots on teams shadowed by struggle.
Brandon Boston Jr. has excelled with greater minutes on the injury-riddled Pelicans. The fourth-year guard – third in value among all players this fantasy season – ranked among the top-five highest-value GameDay scorers three times in Week 4.
For a price of just $4.6M, Boston Jr. adds 27.1 fantasy points per game for your team, allowing you to free up your salary to spend on bigger players down the line while still possessing a respectable bench option.
Another Western Conference name worth keeping an eye on is Kyle Filipowski. The rookie center doesn’t yet stand among the top 30 in highest fantasy value, but he did finish top three among highest-value GameDay scorers on three occasions this past week.
Filipowski has notched 20 or more fantasy points in each of his last five games after an up-and-down start, and now that he’s become an established piece of the Utah Jazz puzzle, his $4.5M price tag will continue to be a bargain.
Weekly Advice
Don’t get too attached to the higher-end players on your roster. If one or more of your stars aren’t producing relative to their salary, be willing to trade one of them for a different star of comparatively better value.
Cunningham and De’Aaron Fox, for instance, are producing well above their respective $14.5M and $15.5M salaries, ranking fourth and 10th in total fantasy points. Both are overperforming on the regular – making them each wise investments.
But you should re-evaluate any commitments made to Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton. Both were All-Stars last season, and each cost $15.4M accordingly, but neither ranks among the top 30 in total fantasy points despite never missing a game thus far.
There are 19 more cost-effective players ahead of Brunson and Haliburton right now, and that’s far too many for you to still be holding onto either of them.
