NBA Fantasy Start/Sit: Can De'Andre Hunter Take Advantage of Starting Role?

We continue inching toward the conclusion of the regular season and the fantasy postseason is even closer, making this a critical week. Fortunately, we have an abundance of teams on four-game schedules, meaning there's no shortage of lower-rostered candidates to consider at each position for streaming opportunities.

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 percent 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 who would normally not be considered for a spot on your bench, often focusing on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.

TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors

Without further ado, let's examine some of the tougher start/sit decisions for Week 22:

Guards   

Start: Vasilije Micic, Hornets

29% roster rate

Micic seems set for another week's worth of starts thanks to LaMelo Ball's ankle injury, which may well keep the star guard sidelined for the rest of the season. The 30-year-old has mostly handled his starting opportunity well thus far, even when factoring in a dud against the Hawks on Saturday. Micic is averaging 15.5 points (on 50.9 percent shooting), 5.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds over his last 10 games, and similar numbers can be projected for him as Charlotte embarks on a four-game week.

Start: Alex Caruso, Bulls

45% start rate 

Caruso is dealing with a minor ankle sprain going into the Bulls' upcoming four-game schedule, but he's expected to continue playing through it. The veteran guard has been especially sharp of late, putting up 14.5 points (on 48.4 percent shooting, including 51.4 percent from three-point range), 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals across 33.5 minutes in his last six games. Caruso's ability to contribute across the stat sheet and to especially prop up the steals category could prove highly valuable and help make up for his occasional downturns in scoring due to the high-usage players he shares the floor with.

ALSO CONSIDER: Tre Mann, Hornets (21% start rate)

Sit: Jrue Holiday, Celtics

51% start rate

Holiday is already ruled out for Monday's game against the Hawks with the shoulder injury that's cost him four contests. That leaves him with just two potential games to work with this week, and with Holiday averaging just 10.5 points, 5.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in the 12 games before the current absence, he's a pretty easy Sit decision. 

Forwards        

Start: De'Andre Hunter, Hawks

40% start rate 

Jalen Johnson is slated to be out until late in the coming week at minimum with his ankle sprain, meaning Hunter is likely set for another full slate of starts. The fifth-year forward has averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists across his first two turns with the first unit during Johnson's current absence. Hunter is also shooting a career-best 40.2 percent from behind the arc this season, and with Trae Young (finger) also likely out through the next four games, Hunter should have plenty of opportunity to contribute strong offensive numbers. 

Start: Rui Hachimura, Lakers

36% roster rate

Hachimura has gotten into an impressive rhythm of late as a strong source of complementary scoring despite the future Hall of Famers he shares the floor with, as he's averaging 16.3 points (on 58.7 percent shooting, including 40.0 percent three-point shooting), 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game over his last eight contests. The floor-spacing big man's production does carry an element of risk since it's fairly scoring-dependent, but Hachimura appears to have achieved a level of consistency recently that helps assuage some of those concerns with a full schedule on his docket. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Jeff Green, Rockets (2% roster rate); Georges Niang, Cavaliers (16% roster rate)

Sit: Cameron Johnson, Nets

75% roster rate

Johnson is sidelined by a toe sprain entering the Nets' four-game week, as he's already been ruled out for Monday's contest against the Raptors. A second absence at minimum against the Wizards on Wednesday isn't out of the question given the nature of the injury, meaning Johnson could have very limited opportunity to contribute this coming week. 

CENTERS     

Start: Nick Richards, Hornets

38% start rate 

Richards' production has been a bit up and down of late, but when he's been good, he's been very good. The big man has five double-doubles in the last eight games, and despite a trio of single-digit scoring efforts during that span, he's still averaging a solid 9.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per contest over the entirety of the sample. Richards' only other contributions of note outside of points and boards have come in the form of occasional blocks, but even with the limited versatility of his stat lines, he stands to be a viable option as a starter on a four-game week.

Start: Trayce Jackson-Davis, Warriors 

25% start rate 

Jackson-Davis put together a solid body of work as a start recommendation last week, averaging 11.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.0 steals across 26.5 minutes per contest over his four games. Even when his scoring was down – as was the case in the last two games of the week – he made up for it with a 10-rebound effort in one of those contests and multi-steal tallies. Jackson-Davis is seeing minutes in the mid-20s and up despite his bench role, and that level of opportunity should persist during another full schedule for the Warriors. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Marvin Bagley, Wizards (35% roster rate), Richaun Holmes, Wizards (14% roster rate)

Sit: Jalen Duren, Pistons

75% start rate 

Duren heads into a three-game week with the Pistons having already missed two games with back spasms. He's in danger of missing a third Monday night against the Knicks due to the injury, potentially leaving him with just a pair of contests to work with during the scoring period. Duren is a valuable source of scoring and rebounds when he's on, but there's likely more risk than reward attached to him this week.