NBA Fantasy Week 5 Start/Sit: Jared McCain Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down

We have an interesting Week 5 schedule on tap, as there are appreciably more three-game schedules than those consisting of four games, and we have the rarity of four teams with only two games on their ledgers. Nevertheless, injuries and rotation changes continue to open up opportunities at each position around the league, giving us some solid options again this week.

Each week, we'll aim to highlight a pair of Start candidates for your fantasy rosters who may shape up as some of the tougher calls of the week to make, focusing 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 to maximize opportunities for production.

Likewise, we'll spotlight one Sit candidate at each position who would normally not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, often focusing on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.

TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers

TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES: Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns

Without further ado, let's examine some of the tougher start/sit decisions for Week 5:

Guards     

Start: Jared McCain, 76ers

40% roster rate

McCain has taken hold of the 76ers' starting shooting guard role and doesn't seem likely to be letting go of it anytime soon, averaging 31.5 points (on 51.2% shooting) and 7.0 assists across his first two turns with the first unit. The rookie 16th overall pick has scored in double digits in five straight overall entering the new week, putting up 26.2 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds per contest in that span while shooting 44.0% from deep. With Tyrese Maxey (hamstring) still likely to be out throughout all of Week 5 and Joel Embiid having his playing time managed, McCain should be very busy once again throughout Philly's four-game schedule.

Start: Kris Dunn, Clippers

10% roster rate 

Dunn appears to be taking over the Clippers' starting two-guard role for the time being, as he's replaced Terance Mann in that capacity for the last three games and has generated 11.7 points (48.4% shooting), 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. Dunn is shooting 53.6% overall on the season, including 39.1% from 3-point range, and should continue enjoying a spot on the first unit given the consistency he's bringing to the position thus far. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Scotty Pippen, Grizzlies (32% start rate); Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies (4% roster rate) 

Sit: Terry Rozier, Heat

53% start rate

Rozier not only happens to play on one of the four teams with just two games this week, but he comes into that sparse schedule in a notable funk. The veteran guard has scored 11 points or fewer in four straight games – including a pair of single-digit outings – while shooting 34.9%, including a minuscule 6.3% from behind the arc. Those struggles have been accompanied by averages of just 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest, making Rozier totally expendable on your roster for the coming week.

Forwards          

Start: Tari Eason, Rockets

46% start rate 

Eason came through as a Start recommendation in Week 4, and with his start rate still hovering below 50%, he's right back in play on another four-game week for Houston. The 2022 first-round pick did see a six-game streak of double-digit point totals snapped Sunday against the Bulls, but that was only because foul trouble limited him to 18 minutes. Otherwise, Eason has been a strong source of points, rebounds, blocks and steals while filling a bench role that typically affords him minutes in the mid-20s, and that trend should continue during Houston's full schedule this week. 

Start: Buddy Hield, Warriors

45% start rate

Hield has been thriving off the bench for the Warriors, and he could be set to move into the starting shooting guard role heading into the new week. The 2016 first-round pick has scored in double digits in all but three games and is averaging his most points (17.7) since the 2019-20 season while shooting a career-best 49.4%, including a blistering 46.9% from 3-point range. Hield is contributing 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest as well, and even if he remains on the second unit, the 25.0 minutes per contest he's averaging clearly are proving more than enough for him to generate strong production. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Brandon Boston, Pelicans (39% roster rate); Shaedon Sharpe, Trail Blazers (37% roster rate)

Sit: Jimmy Butler, Heat

64% start rate

Butler enters the Heat's two-game schedule uncertain to suit up for either contest, considering he's now missed four straight games due to an ankle injury. Additionally, the veteran's production has been a bit up and down even when he has been on the floor this season, as he's averaging a modest 16.1 points per contest, his lowest figure since the 2013-14 season, and shooting only 15.4% from deep. With so many factors working against his outlook, Butler is best left on the bench this week.

CENTERS    

Start: Bobby Portis, Bucks

50% start rate 

Portis is enjoying another productive season as a reserve, averaging 13.6 points and 8.1 rebounds across 24.3 minutes per contest over 12 games. The talented veteran heads into Milwaukee's four-game week on a particularly productive run, as he's put up 16.2 points and 8.5 boards per contest in the last six games. Portis serves as the primary backup for both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez, helping lock in his minutes and making him very viable on a full schedule if you're somewhat thin at either forward or center. 

Start: Moritz Wagner, Magic

15% roster rate 

Wagner is somewhat quietly putting together his best season as a scorer yet, as the veteran big man is averaging a career-high 12.6 points while also pulling down 4.4 rebounds per game. Wagner's 34.2% success rate from behind the arc, while somewhat middling, is also a career-best figure, and he comes into Orlando's Week 5 schedule having logged at least 20 minutes off the bench in six of his last nine games. Wagner is averaging 13.6 points (on 53.9% shooting), 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals in the entirety of that span, and with Wendell Carter opening the week as doubtful due to his foot injury, the former could continue seeing extended opportunity. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Goga Bitadze, Magic (26% roster rate)

Sit: Jusuf Nurkic, Suns

82% start rate

Nurkic is another talented veteran who's been a bit underwhelming this season, and he's now set to take the floor only twice in the coming week. The big man's 8.5 points per game are his fewest since the 2015-16 season, while his 38.5% shooting percentage is a career low. Nurkic remains a formidable source of rebounds, but he comes into the light schedule having scored between zero and five points in the last four games while playing under 20 minutes in two of them, despite the ongoing absence of Kevin Durant (calf) and Bradley Beal (calf).