Fantasy Basketball Week 5 Starts and Sits: Top Picks and Sleeper Alerts

Your fantasy basketball strategy is useless without the latest fantasy basketball news on NBA injuries. Week 5 brings a front-loaded schedule, forcing managers to make tough Start/Sit decisions. We analyze evolving NBA depth charts and NBA starting lineups to find waiver wire value. Is Kris Dunn a viable pickup now that the Clippers face new injuries? We'll leverage the full NBA injury report to evaluate risky low-game players like Marcus Smart and Jabari Smith, helping you maximize your NBA player stats and optimize your roster for this crucial week in NBA fantasy.

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Upcoming NBA Schedule

Four Games: ATL, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, LAC, MIA, NOP, OKC, ORL, PHI, POR, TOR

Three Games: BKN, BOS, DET, GSW, IND, MEM, MIL, MIN, NYK, PHO, SAC, SAS, UTA, WAS

Two Games: HOU, LAL

Visit RotoWire's NBA Daily Starting Lineups to find out starters for every game on the schedule!

Here are four potential starts and four potential sits entering the fifth week of the NBA season. Just keep in mind that this is based on games played for the week. If you play in a rotisserie league, the number of games played each week may not matter in your format. 

Fantasy Basketball Starts and Sits

Guards

Consider starting: Kris Dunn, LAC

Opponents: @PHI, @ORL, @CHA, @CLE

Despite having limited upside, the Clippers are simply running out of options, meaning Dunn is likely to have a sizeable role for the foreseeable future. Bradley Beal will miss the remainder of the season due to a hip injury, while Kawhi Leonard continues to deal with ankle and foot issues. Derrick Jones left Sunday's game after suffering a knee injury, adding another name to the injury list. Dunn has played at least 30 minutes in three of the past five games, having started in seven straight appearances. While his value typically comes from his defensive contributions, he could see a short-term bump in his assist and scoring numbers, making him a risky yet viable starting candidate.

Check out where all the players on your fantasy basketball team fit into RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet!

Consider sitting: Brandin Podziemski, GSW

Opponents: @ORL, @MIA, POR

Podziemski continues to float in and out of the starting lineup, limiting his overall upside. He has now come off the bench in the past four games, offering very little outside of some consistent, yet low-volume scoring. An improved performance against the Pelicans on Sunday probably says more about New Orleans than it does about Podziemski. While he is someone who should still be rostered, the uncertainty regarding his role makes it tough to start him with any amount of confidence heading into a three-game week.

Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's NBA Projections!

Consider sitting: Marcus Smart, LAL

Opponents: UTA, @UTA

Although Smart has managed to turn things around over the past two weeks, the simple fact is that the Lakers only play twice this week. Smart also missed Saturday's win over the Bucks due to an illness, while LeBron James could return from his injury very soon. In six games over the past two weeks, Smart has averaged 11.0 points, 3.8 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.2 three-pointers in 30.8 minutes per game. These numbers are enough to have him rostered in most formats, at least until we see what his role looks like once James is back in the lineup. However, with only two games coming up, managers will likely have the week to re-evaluate while Smart is on your bench.

Forwards

Consider starting: Toumani Camara, POR

Opponents: PHO, CHI, @GSW, @OKC

Camara's start to the season has been serviceable, at best. Through 13 games, he is averaging 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.1 three-pointers. While the numbers have been slightly below expectations, his role appears secure, having started every game thus far, logging at least 30 minutes in each appearance. At this point, his shooting has been the real drag, going at just 41.2 percent from the field. This feels like a number he can turn around, given time. With four games coming up this week, having him in your starting lineup, despite the modest production, seems to make sense.

Consider starting: Derik Queen, NOP

Opponents: OKC, DEN, @DAL, ATL

Following the appointment of James Borrego as the interim head coach, the decision was made to move Queen into the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Warriors. While it wasn't his best performance, he did finish with nine points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 25 minutes. As a rookie playing on a team with very little direction, there are certainly going to be some ups and downs moving forward. However, it does appear as though he is going to be prioritized, providing him with an opportunity to learn on the fly. Assuming you can absorb the downs, Queen makes sense as a start this week.

Consider sitting: Jabari Smith, HOU

Opponents: @CLE, DEN

Much like with Smart, Smith's next seven days include only two games. While he has been playing well early in the season, his overall upside remains somewhat limited. He is coming off a 10-point performance Sunday, his second-lowest points total of the season. Over the past six games, Smith has recorded just two steals and two blocks, barely impacting those categories at all. His lack of overall production and the fact that he will only play twice make him a tough but sensible bench candidate.

Centers

Consider starting: Andre Drummond, PHI

Opponents: LAC, TOR, @MIL, MIA

Unsurprisingly, Joel Embiid is already dealing with knee issues, presenting Drummond with an opportunity to prove he can still be a worthwhile contributor in the NBA. While Adem Bona was the early-season favorite to assume the backup role behind Embiid, it has been Drummond who has taken advantage of the situation. In five games over the past two weeks, Drummond has averaged 12.0 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 29.6 minutes per contest. Embiid has already been ruled out for Monday's game, and with a back-to-back later in the week, we can safely assume Drummond will get at least two starts in the next seven days. He obviously isn't for everyone, but if you have him on your roster, make sure he is running with your starters this week.

Consider sitting: Isaiah Jackson, IND

Opponents: @DET, CHA, @CLE

While we have had some glimpses of what Jackson can do thus far, we are probably getting to the point where he can not only be benched but even dropped altogether. In seven appearances over the past two weeks, Jackson has averaged just 10.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 21.0 minutes per game. He has come off the bench in the past three games, with Indiana continuing to shuffle its rotation, seeking a winning formula. The Pacers play three games this week, two of which are against the Pistons and the Cavaliers. In what could be considered an unfavorable week, moving Jackson out of your starting lineup makes a lot of sense.