The start of any season brings with it an abundance of overreactions, as well as intriguing performances and subpar efforts, impacting fantasy basketball rankings. The trick is navigating this while others in your league make some hasty decisions. Week 2 provides us with plenty of action, with 15 teams tabled for four appearances and 14 teams taking the court three times, leaving the Clippers as the only team with two games. Sitting players who only go three times has its advantages, but fantasy managers still have to make smart decisions when figuring out whom to play, regardless of game count. Being aware of back-to-back sets is also a key factor, especially with so many teams now sitting players during the home stretch.
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Four Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, GSW, LAL, MEM, NOP, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, TOR, UTA
Three Games: BKN, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, POR, SAC, SAS, WAS
Two Games: LAC
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Here are four potential starts and four potential sits entering the second 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.
Guards
Consider starting: Tre Jones, CHI 
Opponents: ATL, SAC, NYK, @NYK
The start of any season brings with it an abundance of overreactions, as well as intriguing performances and subpar efforts, impacting fantasy basketball rankings. The trick is navigating this while others in your league make some hasty decisions. Week 2 provides us with plenty of action, with 15 teams tabled for four appearances and 14 teams taking the court three times, leaving the Clippers as the only team with two games. Sitting players who only go three times has its advantages, but fantasy managers still have to make smart decisions when figuring out whom to play, regardless of game count. Being aware of back-to-back sets is also a key factor, especially with so many teams now sitting players during the home stretch.
Don't forget to check out RotoWire's NBA Schedule tool to see upcoming games for each team!
Four Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, GSW, LAL, MEM, NOP, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, TOR, UTA
Three Games: BKN, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, POR, SAC, SAS, WAS
Two Games: LAC
Visit RotoWire's NBA Daily Starting Lineups and NBA News for up-to-the-minute information!
Here are four potential starts and four potential sits entering the second 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.
Guards
Consider starting: Tre Jones, CHI
Opponents: ATL, SAC, NYK, @NYK
A preseason calf injury to Coby White immediately saw Jones shift into the starting lineup, a role we saw him fill down the stretch last season, before suffering an ankle injury. Through the first two games of the season, Jones has been a pest on the defensive end, tallying eight combined steals, adding 16 assists and 25 points. White is slated to miss at least another week, meaning Jones should be able to hold down the starting role for all four upcoming games. He could be sitting on waivers in some leagues, and not only is he a no-brainer as a pickup, but he also makes sense as a starter with four games on the card.
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Consider sitting: Bradley Beal, LAC 
Opponents: @GSW, NOP
Beal, on the other hand, has been woeful to begin the season and has now popped up on the injury report with a back issue. Through his first two games, he has averaged 5.5 points in 20 minutes per game, despite starting both games. Having played in fewer than 55 games in each of the past three seasons, Beal's time as a viable fantasy asset may be coming to an end. He is worth holding onto, just in case he can figure things out, but with only two games this week, he certainly makes sense as a bench candidate.
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Consider sitting: D'Angelo Russell, DAL 
Opponents: OKC, IND, @DET
Much like Beal, Russell was invisible to begin the season, averaging just 11.5 minutes per game through two games, playing off the bench. He was seen as a potential late-round flyer heading into the season, largely under the presumption that he would be the starting point guard. While Russell's first two games were a concern, he had a big performance against the Raptors on Sunday, posting 24 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes. That should at least give fantasy managers some more confidence to hold, but he's still a risky start and may be better suited to keep on the bench.
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Forwards
Consider starting: Sam Hauser, BOS 
Opponents: @NOP, CLE, @PHI, HOU
Seen as a potential breakout season for Hauser, things have gotten off to a solid enough start. Hauser started the first two games of the season while coming off the bench for Sunday's game against the Pistons. However, coming off the bench didn't affect his minutes. Through three contests, the forward is averaging 11.3 points (3.3 threes) and 3.0 rebounds in 24.7 minutes. The Celtics have four games this upcoming week, making him a viable starting piece on most fantasy squads.
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Consider starting: Cedric Coward, MEM 
Opponents: @GSW, @PHO, LAL, @TOR
Coward has been a revelation to begin the season, providing the Grizzlies with hope despite another early-season injury crisis. While a lot of what he has done is likely unsustainable, there is certainly enough there to warrant attention in fantasy leagues. Through three games, he is averaging 19.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 2.7 three-pointers in 22.7 minutes per game, shooting 70.4 percent from the field and 91.7 percent from the line. Obviously, the shooting is going to regress, which impacts multiple categories. However, he has been very active on both ends of the floor, and it appears as though he has earned the trust of the coaching staff already. Despite being unproven, Coward is definitely someone to consider starting with four games coming up.
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Consider sitting: Tari Eason, HOU 
Opponents: BKN, @TOR, @BOS
Eason was a seemingly safe target in the seventh or eighth round of drafts this season, a range that looks too high at this early stage. The Rockets have lost two straight games to begin the season, with Eason basically a non-factor in both games. In 25.0 minutes per game, he has averaged just 3.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 combined steals and blocks. While there is almost no way he could get any worse, his on-court decision-making has raised some questions as to his long-term value in Houston. He should be held, at least for now, but sliding him to your bench could alleviate some frustrations this week.
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Centers
Consider starting: Wendell Carter, ORL 
Opponents: @PHI, @DET, @CHA, @WAS
Following a strong preseason, Carter has started the season proper with some solid performances. Across three games, he is averaging 9.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. While the numbers aren't going to blow anyone away, the fact that he is playing upwards of 30 minutes on a nightly basis is a step in the right direction. Goga Bitadze has done very little to convince the coaching staff that he should be playing more minutes, giving Carter some leeway when it comes to playing time. With four games coming up, Carter is a relatively safe option to start as your second or third center this week.
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Consider sitting: Dereck Lively, DAL
Opponents: OKC, IND, @DET
Even with Daniel Gafford injured, Lively has been largely underwhelming to this point, averaging 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 blocks in 17.0 minutes. All signs point to him being the starting center, even when Gafford is cleared to return. However, we could be looking at something close to a minutes split, making both players tough to roster with any confidence. I would recommend holding Lively wherever possible, as he is coming off an injury himself. For this week, leaving him on your bench could provide him with an opportunity to ramp up, without limiting your overall fantasy squad.
Agree with these recommendations? Give them a spin with various combinations of other players in RotoWire's NBA DFS Lineup Optimizer.
