X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 3: Dynasty Risers And Fallers For Fantasy Basketball

Cam Thomas - NBA DFS Lineup Picks, Daily Fantasy Basketball Rankings

Fantasy basketball risers and fallers for dynasty leagues heading into Week 3 of the 2023-24 NBA season. Alex Fischbein looks at players with rising values.

Welcome to Week 3 of the NBA season, Rotoballers! The new in-season tournament has debuted, James Harden has been traded, and plenty of teams have gotten blown out while giving up 140+ points. What a time to be a fan of the NBA!

We're back again this week to discuss dynasty fantasy basketball formats for all of those fantasy managers who want to feel like they're the general manager of a real team. Dynasty leagues in both fantasy baseball and football have taken off and that's flowed over to the basketball world. Each manager has to weigh their options and decide who is worth buying or selling so that they can actually upgrade their roster outside of just the rookie draft.

What we're aiming to do each week is show which players are losing value and those that are gaining value. Hopefully, this will help some of you buy low, sell high, or just brag to your league mates that you chose the right players from day one. Without further ado, let's check in on some of the risers and fallers through the first couple of weeks!

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

Risers For Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Leagues

Jordan Hawkins (PG/SG, NOP)

The 14th overall pick in the latest NBA Draft put his talent on display over the past couple of games after CJ McCollum unfortunately suffered a small collapsed lung. Jordan Hawkins took advantage of his opportunity and he's made Dyson Daniels look quite expendable for both the Pelicans and fantasy managers.

Hawkins is already seeing 27.3 minutes a night so far in his rookie year but that number increased to 32.2 in the last week. While his field goal percentage hasn't been pretty, he's able to contribute in more ways than just scoring. Over this last week, he's averaged 15.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.5 threes per game while hitting 88.9% of his free throws. To add even more to that, he only turned the ball over once per contest.

While everyone is obsessing over some of the big-name rookies, Hawkins can perform as the sleeper pick for many fantasy managers who were selecting near the later half of the first round or even second round. When McCollum returns, it will surely eat into his minutes and opportunities, but moving forward, Hawkins has been showing that he has some real long-term value.

 

Cam Thomas (PG/SG, BKN)

If anyone hasn't tuned in to the Cam Thomas show by now, they're missing out on some must-see TV! In five of his seven games played this season, he's scored 27 or more points with his most recent performance coming in at 45. He not only found his way to the starting lineup, but he's receiving 34.2 minutes a night as well.

Thomas has already shown flashes of a big-time scoring ability throughout his first two seasons when the team was hurting for some bodies to throw into the backcourt. Almost every time he got the call, he delivered. Right now, the 22-year-old is averaging 28.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.4 threes per game while shooting 48.3% from the floor and 84.4% from the free throw line.

According to Basketball Monster's z-score rankings, Thomas sits at 26th in terms of category-league value. Fantasy managers will want to proceed with a bit of caution because the 21.6 field goal attempts per contest are bound to cause his field goal percentage to come back to Earth. Also, while his value has increased, there are still questions surrounding his playmaking before he becomes a full-time fantasy asset when the Nets add more weapons. Until some sort of shake-up happens, it's full speed ahead!

 

Marcus Sasser (PG, DET)

Before anyone starts trying to either buy or sell Marcus Sasser stock for first-round picks, let's clear something up about him being considered a "riser." Yes, his stock is rising in dynasty formats as a rookie who has seen a big boost in playing time and has taken advantage of it. With that being said, his stock has not hit a high that makes him worth the same as the two mentioned above or even some of his other draft classmates.

In his first four games, Sasser wasn't playing more than 14 minutes on any given night. Over the last four games, however, he saw his playing time take a huge jump to 27.4 minutes per game. Across that period, he posted 14.0 points, 4.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 2.5 threes per game with shooting splits of .524/.500/1.000. I'm sure that fantasy managers did the same thing I did while taking a look at his efficiency and traditional box score while he was sharing the floor with Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Killian Hayes, and Jalen Duren.

The biggest reason for pumping the brakes about the rise of Sasser is that the guard rotation for the Pistons is still confusing at best. Hayes remains in the starting lineup while the entire world was banking on him moving to a bench role after the team spent first-round capital in two separate drafts. Cunningham is still the go-to player while Thompson and Duren look like the other two pieces of the future, so Sasser still has a long road ahead to be considered big value in dynasty formats.

 

Fallers For Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Leagues

Jaden Ivey (PG/SG, DET)

While we're on the topic of the Detroit Pistons and their strange guard rotation, this would be a great time to bring up their fifth overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft. There haven't been any reports on the topic yet, but it feels as though Jaden Ivey somehow landed in Monty Williams' dog house.

The Purdue product started in all but one of the 74 games he played last year while averaging 31.1 minutes per contest. This season, he hasn't started a single game yet and has only seen 20.7 minutes a night. Due to that fact, Ivey has seen decreases in all of his traditional stats except for his shooting percentages. He's been quite efficient in his limited time as he boasts shooting splits of .491/.409/.833. With the big improvement in efficiency, it begs the question of why is he losing minutes to Killian Hayes.

Ivey's value isn't completely gone because he still has displayed the talent to contribute both in fantasy and on an NBA court when he's given the opportunity. As long as he keeps coming off of the bench, and seeing his minutes taken away by rookies and players that weren't expected to be getting more opportunities, his value will continue to decrease by the day.

 

Robert Williams III (C, POR)

Unfortunately, we've already arrived at the point of the season where someone has either suffered a season-ending injury or has to undergo a big procedure. Robert Williams III can't seem to catch a break when it comes to lower body injuries. His knee, hip, and ankle have all caused him to miss a considerable amount of time throughout his career.

Now, he's on the cusp of selecting to undergo knee surgery that will either end his season or keep him out for months, after just six games. While Williams is just 26 years old and can still come back from this next season and contribute at a level that isn't known just yet, it will be much more difficult to get back to a level that helps fantasy managers.

On top of that, after he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, he didn't see many opportunities playing behind Deandre Ayton. Hopefully, managers with some stock in Williams can get a bit of value in return from someone willing to take a flyer on his future.

Andrew Wiggins (SF/PF, GSW)

On another episode of "What is going on here," we have Andrew Wiggins and his insanely slow start to the new season. Yes, insanely slow! After his performance in the NBA Finals, and his top-65 finish in category formats last season, Wiggins seemed in line to expand on that and maybe even reach the top 50. Instead, he's dropped to an all-time low at 412th in Basketball Monster's z-score rankings for category leagues.

Not only is he receiving fewer minutes this season (25.3 minutes per game), he's hitting career-low marks in almost every stat category except for turnovers. Even his free throw shooting has suffered as he's knocking down just 53.6% of them. His field goal percentage sits at 41.5% and his true shooting is at a career-low 45.6%. It's truly astounding how low every stat is across the board for Wiggins so far which is also highlighted by the fact that he is a putrid -29.6 in net plus/minus per 100 possessions.

The reason that his dynasty value is falling, and not just his redraft value, is that he's 28 years old and should be in the prime years of his career. Instead, he's not playing as much and not coming close to capitalizing on the time that he does get. Fantasy managers may want to call out to the Fantasy Gods to give him a stretch of good play so they can sell him for some more assets than he would call for right now.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jameson Williams

Extending Tenure in Motor City
Pittsburgh Steelers

Cameron Heyward, Steelers Reach Agreement on Revised Deal, Will Play in Week 1
Bubba Chandler

to Make First Start on Sunday
Samuel Basallo

Exits Early with Hand Injury
Jeremy Swayman

Ready to Get Back on Track
Travis Hunter

to be Every-Down Wide Receiver
Connor McDavid

Aiming for More Goals
Shedeur Sanders

Unlikely to Play in 2025
NJ

Luke Glendening Signs Tryout Deal With Devils
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Leaves Early on Saturday After Fouling Ball Off his Knee
Dylan Harper

Hoping to be Ready for the Opener Versus Dallas
Christian McCaffrey

RapSheet: Signs Pointing Towards Christian McCaffrey Playing in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Signs Fully Guaranteed Deal with Cleveland
EDM

Derek Ryan Retires From Hockey
Connor Zary

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Flames
Carey Price

Canadiens Trade Carey Price to Sharks
Quentin Johnston

Scores Twice in Brazil
Justin Herbert

Spectacular in Win Over Chiefs
Marquise Brown

Sees Absurd Target Share Friday
Bobby Witt Jr.

Dealing With Back Spasms
Bobby Witt Jr.

Exits Early on Friday
Xavier Worthy

Injures Shoulder Early in Brazil, Questionable to Return
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Placed on Injured List With Quad Strain
Tyler Glasnow

Scratched on Friday With Back Tightness
Jayden Reed

Questionable to Play in Season Opener
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Questionable for Season Opener With Calf Issue
Tyreek Hill

Cleared for Week 1
Rasmus Hojgaard

Finishes Tied For Second at Omega European Masters
Tyrrell Hatton

Finishes Tied for 32nd at LIV Indianapolis
Matt Fitzpatrick

Finishes Fifth at Omega European Masters
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied For Second in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Xander Schauffele

Finishes 42nd in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Tyler Glasnow

Scratched From Friday's Start for Undisclosed Reasons
Christian Kirk

Ruled Out for Week 1
Shohei Ohtani

Returning to the Mound on Friday
Kyle Finnegan

Lands on Injured List With Adductor Strain
Aaron Judge

Returns to Right Field on Friday
De'Von Achane

Without Injury Designation Heading Into Week 1
Christian McCaffrey

Seen Working on Side Field During Friday's Practice
Malik Nabers

Cleared to Play on Sunday
Willson Contreras

' Suspension Reduced, to Start Serving it on Friday
Kodai Senga

Mets Send Kodai Senga to Triple-A to Get Right
Chris Godwin

Officially Ruled Out for Week 1
Malik Nabers

' Reps Limited Friday Due to "Tight" Back
Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card
Axel Sola

Alex Sola Set To Make His UFC Debut
Saquon Barkley

Scores Touchdown in Low-Yardage Outing
Jalen Hurts

Rushes for Two Touchdowns on Thursday
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Expected to Return on Friday
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Exits With Knee Contusions
Will Smith

Unlikely to Play This Weekend
Shohei Ohtani

to Pitch on Monday
Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP