Dereck Lively II is a suggested start at the center position for the second consecutive week.
Each week, we’ll aim to highlight a pair of Start candidates for your fantasy rosters that may shape up as some of the tougher calls of the week to make, with the focus usually being on players with a start or roster rate of 50% or less in Yahoo leagues. We’ll also typically hone in on players with four-game weeks in an attempt to maximize opportunities for production.
Likewise, we’ll spotlight one Sit candidate at each position that would normally not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, with the focus there often on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.
TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz
TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES: Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors
Without further ado, let’s examine some of the tougher start/sit decisions for Week 3:
Guards
Start: Marcus Sasser, Pistons
21% roster rate
Sasser is the least-known and perhaps riskiest quantity of my recommendations this week, but he makes for an intriguing option if you find yourself in a pinch at guard. The rookie 25th overall pick has been blistering hot from the field to open his career, draining 58.1% of his shots, including 59.1% from behind the arc. The elite efficiency has started to carve him out some solid minutes, as the Houston product has logged 23 or more in three straight, topping out at 30 against the Suns on Sunday. Sasser parlayed that latter opportunity into 22 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal while going 9-for-16 from the floor, including 4-for-6 from distance. With Monte Morris still slated to be out through Detroit’s four-game week due to his quadriceps injury, Sasser should continue to see plenty of run as the backup point guard to Killian Hayes and could enjoy close to starter-level minutes as a strong source of offense.
Start: Tim Hardaway, Mavericks
48% start rate
Hardaway is always a solid streaming candidate anytime the Mavs are on a full schedule, as is the case in Week 3. The veteran wing – somewhat notorious for being a streaky shooter – has gotten the season off on the right track, putting up 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 29 minutes per contest. There are admittedly a couple of caveats – Hardaway is primarily getting his scoring numbers over the top with career-high volume from 3-point range (9.0 attempts per game) and an impressive 38.9% success rate from distance, plus he’s recently had the benefit of additional usage thanks to Kyrie Irving’s two-game absence due to a foot sprain. However, Hardaway still averaged 29.5 minutes and 12.5 shot attempts during Irving’s first two games back, so there shouldn’t be inordinate concern about his role going into a four-game week.
37% start rate /91% roster rate
Rozier is normally an automatic start, even on a three-game week like the Hornets draw. Nevertheless, there’s an injury at play that looks like it could reduce the veteran guard’s opportunity by one game at minimum, as Rozier is dealing with a groin issue that already cost him Sunday’s contest against the Mavericks. Even if Rozier does get back on the floor, there’s always a risk of limited mobility and/or re-injury with that type of ailment, meaning it might be prudent to look toward a similarly talented three- or four-game option you may have access to this week.
Forwards
Start: Dorian Finney-Smith, Nets
37% roster rate
Finney-Smith has seen his offensive game come alive to start the season, with the veteran big averaging 15.2 points on 54.8% shooting, including 48.9% from three-point range. Finney-Smith is also offering solid rebounding contributions (5.5 RPG), and he’s played 30 or more minutes in five of his first six contests. Cameron Johnson (calf) and Nic Claxton (ankle) both project to remain out for all of the Nets’ four-game Week 3 schedule, meaning Finney-Smith’s opportunities should remain as robust as they’ve been from a playing time and usage perspective.
Start: Naz Reid, Timberwolves
43% start rate
Reid has long been a reliable real-world fill-in and bench contributor, along with a solid fantasy streaming option as well. He qualifies in each of those aspects again to start this season, considering he’s contributing a career-high 16.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Moreover, what’s led to the scoring surge is some elite floor spacing on the veteran’s part, as he’s connecting on a career-best 45.8% of his career-high 4.8 3-point attempts per contest while putting up double-digit point tallies in each of Minnesota’s first five games. With a solid average of 23.6 minutes per game and an allotment as high as 28 already – plus a four-game week ahead – Reid is certainly in play.
ALSO CONSIDER: Bobby Portis, Bucks (46% start rate); Grant Williams, Mavericks (51% roster rate)
50% start rate
Siakam garners a rare Sit designation for a couple of reasons this week. Not only are the Raptors playing two games, but the big man is also in an early-season funk. Siakam is averaging nearly nine points fewer per game than last season’s career-high 24.2 – he’s sitting at 15.4 per contest seven games into the new season – with the downturn a byproduct of a career-low 41.2% success rate from the field. Siakam’s 13.9 shot attempts per game are also his lowest figure since the 2018-19 campaign, and he’s already scored 11 or fewer points on three occasions after doing so just once last season across 71 games.
CENTERS
Start: Dereck Lively, Mavericks
41% start rate
Lively came through nicely as a Start recommendation in Week 2, so he’ll retain his spot this week at a position that’s always a bit challenging to find diamonds in the rough in for fantasy purposes. The rookie earned the encore appearance by averaging 8.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals over his three Week 2 contests while shooting 70.6%. Lively is certainly still in need of plenty of development as a 19-year-old, but at 7-foot-1 and in possession of a seemingly secure starting role that’s yielded 30 minutes per contest in the last three, he’s a strong Start candidate on Dallas’ four-game week.
Start: Ivica Zubac, Clippers
51% start rate
Like Hardaway, Zubac is a tried-and-true standby that’s always worth a roster spot on a four-game week. There is an X-factor at play with the Clippers beginning Monday in the form of James Harden’s debut, which figures to lead to a usage hit for every other member of the starting five. However, Zubac always seems to get his numbers to solid levels irrespective of how many high-usage options he shares the floor with, and he’ll actually head into L.A.’s four-game week averaging a career-high 11.6 points and 1.6 blocks, along with 8.0 rebounds, while taking a career-high 7.8 shots per contest. With plenty of defensive attention focused elsewhere, Zubac should still have his fair share of opportunities down low on both the scoring and rebounding front.
Sit: Deandre Ayton, Trail Blazers
54% start rate
Ayton has been solid in his brief Portland tenure thus far, although he’s far less involved offensively than he was with the Suns. The 2018 first-overall pick is averaging a career-low 10.4 points and 8.9 shot attempts per contest, but he’s partly offsetting that decline with a career-best average of 13.3 rebounds. Nevertheless, Ayton only has two chances to take the floor this coming week, so consider a three- or four-game big man that can outpace Ayton’s overall production.
