This article is part of our In-Season Strategy series.
Moving into the third week of the fantasy basketball season, lineup decisions become even more crucial, as injuries begin to pile up and teams' identities become more defined.
The good news for fantasy owners is none of the league's 30 teams play fewer than three games this week, while two teams -- Portland and Philadelphia -- have five games on the ledger. As a result, players like C.J. McCollum, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are even more valuable than usual, while mid-tier players become viable starting options.
Five games: POR, PHI
Four games: TOR, SAS, SAC, NYK, NOR, MIN, LAL, IND, DEN, CHI, BKN, ATL
Three games: WAS, UTA, PHO, ORL, OKC, MIL, MIA, MEM, LAC, HOU, GSW, DET, DAL, CLE, CHA, BOS
Here are nine players to consider starting or sitting -- or picking up off the waiver wire -- for the week ahead:
Cameron Payne, Bulls
I can't believe we've reached this point, but Payne is worth some fantasy consideration over the next few weeks with Kris Dunn sidelined. Payne had a rough night in Saturday's win over the Hawks -- 2 pts, 5 ast, 2 reb in 18 minutes -- but prior to that he put up 15 and 21 points in back-to-back games against Charlotte. In the first of those, Payne hit seven threes and added five rebounds and four assists. There are certainly better options, but on a four-game week Payne could have some value, provided he doesn't end up
Moving into the third week of the fantasy basketball season, lineup decisions become even more crucial, as injuries begin to pile up and teams' identities become more defined.
The good news for fantasy owners is none of the league's 30 teams play fewer than three games this week, while two teams -- Portland and Philadelphia -- have five games on the ledger. As a result, players like C.J. McCollum, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are even more valuable than usual, while mid-tier players become viable starting options.
Five games: POR, PHI
Four games: TOR, SAS, SAC, NYK, NOR, MIN, LAL, IND, DEN, CHI, BKN, ATL
Three games: WAS, UTA, PHO, ORL, OKC, MIL, MIA, MEM, LAC, HOU, GSW, DET, DAL, CLE, CHA, BOS
Here are nine players to consider starting or sitting -- or picking up off the waiver wire -- for the week ahead:
Cameron Payne, Bulls
I can't believe we've reached this point, but Payne is worth some fantasy consideration over the next few weeks with Kris Dunn sidelined. Payne had a rough night in Saturday's win over the Hawks -- 2 pts, 5 ast, 2 reb in 18 minutes -- but prior to that he put up 15 and 21 points in back-to-back games against Charlotte. In the first of those, Payne hit seven threes and added five rebounds and four assists. There are certainly better options, but on a four-game week Payne could have some value, provided he doesn't end up ceding time to Ryan Arcidiacono, who played 31 minutes Saturday.
Justin Holiday, Bulls
Sticking with the Bulls, Holiday doesn't have the highest fantasy ceiling, but his workload is considerably safer than that of Payne. Holiday played 37 minutes Saturday night, marking the fourth time in six games he's reached or topped that number. Holiday is yet to score more than 19 points in any game, but he adds decent rebounding (4.0 RPG) and above-average steals (1.8 SPG) production, while knocking down 2.3 three-pointers per game. As of Sunday, Holiday is available in more than 70 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Zach Collins, Trail Blazers
The Blazers began integrating Collins in the second half of last season, but he's now solidified his spot in the rotation and is averaging more than 20 minutes per game. Collins erupted for six blocks on opening night against the Lakers, and while that was an obvious anomaly, he's recorded at least two blocks in four of six games thus far. Owned in 31 percent of Yahoo leagues, Collins is also chipping in 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 made three per game, and he makes for an excellent weekly stream option with five games on the Blazers' Week 3 schedule.
Markelle Fultz, 76ers
Even with an overhauled jumper, Fultz still hasn't looked totally comfortable in Year 2, but with five games on the schedule he's worth another look in Week 3. Fultz is coming off another ho-hum showing Saturday against Charlotte -- 10 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast -- in which he didn't attempt a three-pointer in 25 minutes of action. At some point, the Sixers may have no choice but to go back to starting J.J. Redick, but regardless of role, Fultz will remain in the rotation. Thus far, he's been locked into roughly 25 minutes on most nights, and while he's been a disappointment, five games from Fultz could still be more valuable than three from someone like Reggie Jackson.
Devin Booker, Suns
Typically an obvious must-start, Booker has missed the Suns' last two games with a hamstring issue. The good news is after Sunday's matchup with OKC, the Suns are off until Wednesday. The bad news is we may not get a firm indication of Booker's status until well after weekly lineups lock. Keep in mind that Booker was deemed a game-time call for Saturday's game, so the hamstring doesn't look to be anything too serious. And with a few more days off, it would be somewhat of a surprise if his absence extends to a third straight game. Phoenix plays only three games this week, however, so if you're in a shallower league and you have another, less-risky option, sitting Booker is a reasonable option.
Andrew Wiggins, Timberwolves
Wiggins has missed two straight games with a bruised quad, but he was a partial participant in practice Saturday and should be back in the lineup this week. Assuming that's the case, Wiggins should be started in a four-game week, though the Timberwolves have a relatively difficult schedule in the short term. With the exception of the Lakers on Monday, Minnesota faces three tough defenses in Utah, Golden State and Portland. Entering Sunday, those three opponents rank fourth, second and 11th, respectively, in defensive rating.
Jonathan Isaac, Magic
It's still far too early to judge Isaac, who missed most of his rookie season with injuries, but he's off to a slow start. Through six games, Isaac is averaging just 7.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and while he's adding 2.1 combined blocks/steals, he's not racking up defensive stats at the blistering, per-minute rate he was a year ago. Coming off of his worst game of the season Saturday in Milwaukee, and with only three games on the schedule -- including a date with the Spurs -- Isaac may be worth sitting.
Gordon Hayward, Celtics
Hayward started to look more like himself Saturday in Detroit, finishing with 15 points and five rebounds in the Celtics' 20-point victory. Still, he's off to a bit of a shaky start overall and clearly isn't fully back to being the Gordon Hayward we've come to know over the last several seasons. He'll get there eventually, but he's currently playing under a soft minutes limit and is yet to see more than 25 minutes in any of Boston's first six games. In a three-game week, Hayward is a player to think about sitting.
Monte Morris, Nuggets
The second-year point guard made very little impact as a rookie, but he's quietly played at least 22 minutes in three straight games entering Monday's matchup with New Orleans. Morris had a career-high 20 points to go with seven assists, three steals and three rebounds in Thursday's game against the Lakers, and he also added two threes while not committing a turnover in 27 minutes. Morris, who is unowned in 82 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Sunday, may see a reduced role when Isaiah Thomas returns, but Thomas remains without a timetable, so Morris remains a viable streaming option with four games on his Week 3 slate. While that includes a difficult matchup with the Jazz on Saturday, Denver's other three games -- New Orleans, Chicago and Cleveland -- come against appealing fantasy opponents.
