Fantasy Basketball Mailbag: Scoot's Slow Start, Stashing Keyonte George + More

The NBA season is now a week old and things are starting to take shape and some interesting timeshares, rotations and story lines are starting to develop. Keyonte George, Khris Middleton and Scoot Henderson are a few of the guys attracting some attention in fantasy circles for various reasons. I got a nice peppering of questions this week. Please keep them coming on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so we have plenty to discuss in this column each Thursday! Follow me on Twitter at @Docktora in order to submit your questions!

Chris Boucher or Obi Toppin in H2H cat league? - Unclerukusnorelation (@unclerukusisme)

As much love as I have historically given Chris Boucher, I think the answer here is Toppin. Having said that, I also think it has to be bigger than a 12-team league to make either of them worth considering, at least right now. But if I had to pick one for now, it's Toppin.

14-team, nine-cat league, thoughts on sacrificing a streaming spot to stash Keyonte George ROS? - Justin King (@JustiinKing)

Can someone explain to me why the obsession with Keyonte George by fantasy managers? - Docktora (@Docktora)

As you may have noticed, I broke the main rule of a mailbag column by using a question I asked on X that got a ton of replies and activity. Keyonte George is a rookie who plays for the Jazz and is averaging 7.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.5 three-pointers in just under 20 minutes through four games. 

Given the number of times I've seen his name mentioned, as well as being asked for my thoughts, I simply was curious as to where the hype was coming from. It turns out my good buddy Josh Lloyd (@RedRock_bball) made some comments in a podcast about picking him up and stashing him for later in the season, and it created a reaction. The thought being that the Jazz don't have a true point guard and Talen Horton-Tucker, Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn have all been disappointing, meaning the Jazz will eventually turn to the 19-year-old rookie (George). 

It could happen and is certainly not a bad take. But if you're in a 12-team league or smaller, I'm not sure you'll be able to sit on a kid playing fewer than 20 minutes a night and not producing big numbers. For me, George is a watch-list guy and as soon as he gets hot or shows signs of breaking out, managers should be ready to move on him. But I'm not stashing him in standard leagues just yet. However, I'd like to thank Josh and X Nation for turning me onto him and getting our attention. My guess is he will become a hot pickup at some point this season. 

Miles Bridges or Mark Williams in a standard ESPN points league? - Barkhan (@BarkhanTiger)

I'm not going to pretend to know if or when we'll see Bridges this season and I love everything about Williams and his game. However, he's not as valuable in a points league that rewards pure scorers more than category guys but I'd still rather have Williams in any format right now. If Bridges is ever cleared and enters the rotation for the Hornets, he'll be worth a flier, but the future is just too cloudy to tell if Bridges will make an impact or not this season. 

Are you dumping Khris Middleton in a 12-teamer? - Cary (@CBoers)

Through two games, Middleton was averaging just 5.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 three-pointers in just 16.5 minutes a night. Things are going a little better on Wednesday night but it's clear that Middleton is still working his way back from a tough injury. I don't know if he'll ever live up to expectations this season and I stayed away from him in every draft I had specifically for these reasons. 

It all depends on who you would pick up if you dropped him, but as my good buddy Bob Rathbun said in Tuesday's Podcast (Link Here), we really won't know where a lot of these teams and players stand until we're 20 games into the season. But in all honesty, if I had Middleton on a roster I probably would have dumped him for a hot free agent after those first two duds. And as I type this, the Bucks are getting steam rolled by the Raptors 85-66 late in the third quarter. 

Was me putting $10 on the Pacers to win it all at +26000 a smart bet? - Steve Whitehead (@HoosiersTechLax)

This dude and I have known each other since fourth grade at John Strange Elementary School in Indianapolis and we're both mourning the loss of Bob Knight tonight. And while I don't know if Whitehead heard me say this on a podcast or not, but one of my bold predictions for this season was that the Pacers would win it all and pay out +26000. They asked me for a bold prediction and I gave it to them. 

Do I honestly think the Pacers will win the East or the Championship? No. Do I think it's a possibility? Yes. Would I throw $10 at them to see if it might happen? Yes. So the answer to Steve's question is yes, it was a smart, low-risk bet that could pay off in a big way. The Pacers have a nice combination of veterans, youth, superstars, role players and guys who will do the dirty work, along with a coach that doesn't mess around. I haven't been this excited about a Pacer team in a long time. 

Of course, as I wrote this the Pacers were in the process of getting run out of the gym by the Celtics, but whatever. 

Rest of season outlook: Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe? P.J. Washington or Miles Bridges? - Illgobbo (@Illgobbo)

I love Sharpe and I think Scoot is in a second tier of rookies this season and he's got a long way to go to be a true fantasy asset. Sharpe went off again on Wednesday night, while Scoot also had a decent game, but until Sharpe falls off a cliff, I'm rolling with him all day. And on a side note, Scoot left Wednesday's game with an ankle injury and will not return, meaning he could miss some time with the injury. Stay tuned. 

Washington has looked very good for the most part and we simply don't know what the future holds for Bridges. And until we get some concrete information on the status of Bridges, I'm just rolling with guys like Washington and Mark Williams, and not looking back. 

What could someone get for Xavier Tillman guard-wise? - John Alves (@javles_82)

Trade value is in the eye of the beholder so it's impossible for me to tell you what you can get for Tillman. The key is to target some guards that are posting similar production or are ranked similarly with Tillman and then get out from under him if you're loaded at center. Maybe a guy like Derrick White, Buddy Hield, or RJ Barrett could be had for him? But you won't know unless you throw him out there in some offers. 

Is Tre Jones worth holding in 12-team leagues? - Mallaroface (@mallaroface) 

I think so but it all depends on who you can pick up. I don't know that I'd call Jones a must-hold player so if he's not getting it done for your team and you want to make a move, you should do it. But generally speaking, I think he's worth rostering in most leagues, but it is disappointing that he's not starting for the Spurs. 

Is it time to take the Cedi Osman pill yet? Tough one to swallow. Also, what are your thoughts on Isaiah Stewart ROS? - FlybyFantasyNBA (@FlybyNBA)

Cedi is worth keeping an eye on and has looked pretty good for the Spurs thus far, but isn't a must-have player at this point. I feel like the "Cedi pill" bit I did over the last couple years should go on my greatest hits record.

As for Stewart, he's played very well next to Jalen Duren and even though he's lost in his shadow, he's playing well enough to be rostered until further notice. And the young Pistons have no reason not to keep rolling him out there every night for the rest of the season. 

What is Brandon Miller's role in Charlotte? - Mark Squires (@squidthunder)

Miller has scored in double figures in all three games thus far and is off to a decent start in Game 4. He's the sixth man, has plenty of time to figure things out and has been a little better than I thought he would be this far into the season. He's a borderline hold in 12-team leagues but I could see him being a player who bounces on and off of the waiver wire all season long. 

Why is T.J. McConnell not getting any run? - Richard Wright (@IndianaHooopsFan)

I guess Rick Carlisle has decided that McConnell is No. 3 on the depth chart behind both Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard. That means he'll play on some nights, like he did when the Pacers used a 10-man rotation against the Cavaliers on Saturday, and won't play on others (like when they only played nine players in the opener and on Monday). 

I got excited and started him in DFS on Wednesday night with Haliburton out for the Pacers and while I was disappointed he didn't get the start, it was nice to see him go off in a blowout loss. But for now, he looks like the Pacers' 10th man. 

I was offered Victor Wembanyama for Karl-Anthony Towns. Good deal in H2H points league? - Sean (@itwaswritten988)  

Personally, I would probably do it because I'm a Wemby believer and have a serious man crush on him. KAT's field goal percentage has been an early disaster and Wemby is coming on and starting to turn some heads after the big win over Phoenix on Tuesday. If you want to make that deal feel free to do so, but I think the smart money is still on KAT to finish the season as the better fantasy player. 

Are Scoot Henderson and Austin Reaves busts? And is it the end of the Dereck Lively train? - Mark Hernandez (@markhernz) 

I'm not calling anyone a bust until we're at least 20 games in. Scoot got hurt tonight and Reaves has yet to get it going for the Lakers, but rest is coming for the studs at some point, which is when he'll take off. No, they're not busts, but they have been underwhelming thus far. I'm not dropping Reaves anywhere until we're at least three or four weeks into this thing. 

As for LIvely, he was in foul trouble for one dud, a matchup disaster in the other and looks much better on Wednesday night against the Bulls. I will still argue the Mavericks need him to play well in order to keep winning and the minutes are going to be there. I'm sticking with him until further notice. Additionally, Maxi Kleber left tonight with a foot injury, so they're out of big men other than Lively. 

Is Isaac Okoro worth a pickup? - C. (@nchrisitianw)

Okoro has put up solid numbers and is playing nearly 30 minutes a night, despite the nice numbers that Max Strus and Caris LeVert are also posting for the Cavaliers. But yes, if you have someone you want to drop and like what Okoro is doing, feel free to pick him up. He's averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers through four games.