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Fantasy Basketball Week In Review: Week 1

Spencer Aguiar looks back at Week 1 of the 2019-2020 NBA season, including fantasy basketball risers, fallers and takeaways from each night of action.

Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we will highlight one key fantasy basketball takeaway from each night during the past week. These viewpoints can be both positive and negative and will hopefully help to provide insight into different roster moves you should consider making.

Fantasy basketball has a lot of moving pieces with all the different scoring settings that are possible to play under, so I will always do my best to spotlight where players gain or lose value in certain game types.

Without further ado, let's get right into the opening week of the season and try to figure out how to take advantage of what we saw transpire.

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Tuesday, October 22nd

The Toronto Raptors Are Not Extinct Quite Yet

I am not so sure that anyone knew quite what to make of the Toronto Raptors coming into the season. Losing Kawhi Leonard to free agency after leading your franchise to its first title in history was never going to be easy, but the team showed resolve on opening night by clawing their way to a 130-122 overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

If we use both Yahoo and ESPN ADP numbers, five players on their roster were being taken inside the top-100 selections, but only Pascal Siakam and Fred Vanvleet had substantial deviations between the two sites. Siakam, who inherited the new crown for the reigning NBA champions, was going 14th in ESPN leagues and 27th in Yahoo settings, while VanVleet just crept into the top-100 on Yahoo at an ADP of 92nd to go along with his going rate of 146th on ESPN.

Values between sites always create a fascinating dynamic since most owners tend to stick to the rankings placed before them. However, a thinking player can use that to their advantage when making both draft and trade decisions. While all that is good and well, that still doesn't help us to decipher what site was providing each to be over/undervalued.

Let's start with Siakam. Coming into the season, I would have said the 25-year-old was a much better option for those playing category leagues than point-based settings, but it appears that his new role might allow him to thrive as a top-20 talent in all environments. On the night, Siakam matched his career-high in made free throws and also set a new career-high in field goals attempted. His 18 boards had him fall just one short of tying his previous best, and it seems very clear that Siakam's new position as the man in charge of the offense will have him placed firmly in the spotlight this year. If we can continue to get this level of aggressiveness out of the Cameroon native, the sky is the limit.

As for VanVleet, it is safe to say that ESPN provided value for anyone savvy enough to scoop the former Wichita State product up during drafts. VanVleet exploded on opening night, scoring 34 points to go with five rebounds, seven assists, two steals and five three-pointers on 12-for-18 shooting from the field. That level of effectiveness will not be sustained for a player that shot just 41% last season, but as the teams' second option in go-to situations, VanVleet's aggressiveness will reward owners nicely in points-based leagues. His poor field goal percentage, middling assist total and subpar defensive statistics will reduce his value in category leagues, but it definitely seems as if Yahoo had his value closer to what was proper.

 

Wednesday, October 23rd

"This Game Has Always Been, And Will Always Be, About Buckets

Kyrie Irving went full Uncle Drew during his Barclays Center première as a member of the Brooklyn Nets, setting an NBA record for most points in a first game with a new team. His 50-point outburst topped Kiki Vandeweghe's record of 47 back in 1984, but while the game might be all about scoring buckets, the Nets ended up one basket short when Irving was unable to hit the game-winner in overtime on his 15-foot jump shot.

There were plenty of discussions during the offseason on if the Nets made the right decision in trading D'Angelo Russell away to the Golden State Warriors and signing Irving to a four-year, $141 million dollar deal, but let's be serious for a second. Despite coming up short as a team in the opening game of the year, there is a massive difference between the two men in terms of quality. Yes, Russell is a talented young player that can go through spurts of incredible production, but he is also the same member of the Nets that had to be benched during closing stretches of games last year because of his volatility. None of that is necessarily meant to be a putdown to Russell, but Irving is a six-time NBA All-Star that can carry teams on his back when push comes to shove.

Irving's debut in Brooklyn wasn't quite as raucous as it could have been because the team failed to find a victory, but with Kevin Durant a longshot to play more than a few games this regular season, Irving will be the face of the franchise and has a legitimate shot to take home league MVP honors. From a fantasy perspective, that makes the 27-year-old a first-round talent in practically all settings, although his most productive outputs will come in points leagues. If you drafted Irving this season, enjoy the ride. It should be a fun one.

 

Thursday, October 24th

Trae Young Sees His Value Soar Like A Hawk

I was a huge fan of Trae Young going into his sophomore season. Yahoo had him pegged at an ADP of 20th overall, while ESPN had him placed at 34th. I thought 20th was perhaps a little high, but I definitely acquired my fair share of the sharpshooting guard in ESPN leagues.

Part of my reason for optimism stemmed around his ability to produce in all scoring settings. Points league participants were able to draft him for his explosive nature and high assist numbers, and category league members didn't have too many things to gripe about. Sure, Young will drain your field goal percentage production and only provide marginal defensive numbers, but his ability for threes, points, assists, rebounds and free throw percentage made him an interesting addition to most roster constructions - especially in leagues where turnovers are not used as a counting statistic.

On Thursday, the former Oklahoma Sooner erupted for 38 points on 11-for-21 shooting from the field - adding seven rebounds, nine assists, one steal and six three-pointers during the teams' 117-110 road victory over the Detroit Pistons. It is naive to expect Young to remain that efficient from the field this year, but that general form of combustion should shine through sporadically throughout the year. It is never easy to land a player after a big performance, but players on ESPN do have a window of opportunity because of Young's perceived value coming into the year. If he doesn't replicate his output on Saturday against the Orlando Magic, you might still be able to get him for a bargain price compared to what his true value should have been.

 

Friday, October 25th

Will The Real Kemba Walker Please Stand Up?

Kemba Walker's season got off to an abysmal start on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. The three-time All-Star was only able to provide 12 points on four of 18 shooting - adding just two rebounds and two assists. It couldn't have been a much worse debut for Walker and the Celtics, especially after Kyrie Irving exploded in his first Brooklyn Nets appearance and left Boston fans wondering "why?"

Unfortunately for the All-NBA Third Teamer in 2019, things did not get off to a much better start on Friday against the Toronto Raptors. Walker struggled mightily throughout the entire first quarter, connecting on only one of his first eight shots from the field and entered halftime with only four points. However, like any true star in this league, the former Connecticut product came to life in the fourth quarter with an 11-point onslaught in his first three minutes on the court.

Walker will have to adjust to a life of having other playmakers and scorers around him, but that is not necessarily a negative. We should expect his usage to decrease from his past standards, which will cause his scoring and three-point outputs to dwindle slightly, but an eventual uptick in efficiency should take place once he becomes acclimated to his surroundings. Add that to the fact that extra scorers around him should mean more assists, and you start building a picture of one of the best buy-low players in the league right now. If you own him, be patient. But if you don't currently have him on your squad and could use a boost in scoring or three-point potential, it wouldn't hurt to test the waters to see just how anxious his current owner might be about his slow start.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nolan Arenado

Ready for Second Half
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

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Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
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