We’re entering week two of the NBA season, which means overreactions are happening across the league. Is Tyrese Haliburton a bust this season? Were we too high on Jalen Johnson? Is Denver cooked? A lot of those questions were answered on Monday night to kick off a new week on the fantasy schedule.
Monday’s 11 games provided plenty of context for us, and there are plenty of players that are clearly not rostered enough, whether it be because of an injury or because they’re simply playing too well. Here are 12 guys that could be worth adding at this point.
Christian Braun- 34% rostered in Yahoo leagues
Braun played well in a win over Toronto on Monday, but he has been fantastic in each of their three games. He is averaging 14.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 blocks per game on efficient shooting splits. Braun won the starting shooting guard job during training camp, and it doesn’t seem like Julian Strawther will be taking it from him anytime soon. He should be worth rostering in 9-cat leagues for the rest of the season.
Jeremy Sochan- 43%
He hasn’t been perfect, but Sochan has made some real strides this season. He scored a season-high 22 points on Monday and is averaging a career-high 19.0 points per game thus far. The defensive numbers aren’t there, and the free throw shooting is still poor, but Sochan is still having the best 9-cat season of his career, even if the sample size is small. They play three more games this week, and Sochan should continue to provide solid value.
Payton Pritchard- 16%
Boston’s sixth man struggled in the season opener, but he has been on fire since then. He had 28 points on eight 3-pointers on Monday and is now averaging 16.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 4.8 triples per game this season. Pritchard has been a fifth-round asset thus far in 9-cat leagues, with most of his value coming from beyond the arc. If Pritchard continues to play this well, he’ll certainly have a case to win Sixth Man of the Year.
Scotty Pippen Jr.- 29%
Pippen Jr. didn’t get the start with Ja Morant sidelined, but he still played a lot and was incredibly effective. He played a season-high 31 minutes and recorded his second straight double-double. He has also recorded at least one steal and one block in three of their four games this season. He has still been effective when Morant plays, but he has been an elite streaming option when Ja is sidelined, even if he doesn’t start in his place.
Moses Moody- 4%
Stephen Curry and De’Anthony Melton have been ruled out for at least the Warriors’ next two games, and Andrew Wiggins isn’t expected to play on Tuesday. Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield are obvious winners, but they’re not easy to find on the waiver wire. Moody should play a large reserve role on Tuesday and potentially on Wednesday if Wiggins remains sidelined. He was a solid source of points in their first two games, both of which were blowout wins.
Cody Williams- 1%, Brice Sensabaugh- less than 1%
Taylor Hendricks suffered a nasty injury that resulted in him fracturing his right fibula and dislocating his ankle. There is a good chance that his season is over, and while John Collins should be the biggest beneficiary of minutes, both Williams and Sensabaugh will have a chance to play larger roles. They may not be great in fantasy hoops immediately, but they’re both worth keeping an eye on.
Davion Mitchell- 2%
Mitchell saw a second straight start with Immanuel Quickley sidelined with a pelvic injury. After having eight assists in the first start, he had 16 points and six dimes in this one. Assuming IQ misses another game, Mitchell should be a solid streaming option in deeper leagues, though managers should only expect the assist production to continue. The points are nothing more than a nice bonus.
Ochai Agbaji- 10%, Jonathan Mogbo- 2%
Scottie Barnes exited early from Monday’s game after getting hit in the face, and if that holds him out of Wednesday’s game, one of these guys will likely fill the void in the starting lineup. Agbaji replaced Barnes when he came out of this game, but Mogbo should be productive in deeper category leagues if he gets the extra minutes.
Larry Nance Jr.- 1%
With Onyeka Okongwu out on Monday, Nance filled the void as Atlanta’s backup center. It was his first appearance this season, but he finished with 15 points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals, one block and three 3-pointers in 23 minutes. Quin Snyder doesn’t seem to have much interest in playing Clint Capela more than 25 minutes, so if OO continues to miss games, Nance should continue to play a large role off the bench.
Tim Hardaway Jr.- 6%
If you need some triples, THJ is your guy. He had 20 points and three 3-pointers in Monday’s loss, and he has started all four games for Detroit this year.
