As the 2023-24 NBA season kicked off on October 24th, fantasy basketball seasons are now also underway. To help managers get off to a strong start, here is a guide and analysis of week one (Oct 24-29).
Fantasy Basketball 2023-24: Week 1 Guide and Analysis
NBA Schedule
In the opening week, every team will play either two or three games. The teams that play three are the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, and the Utah Jazz.
Fantasy Basketball Transaction Trends
Here is a collection of transaction trends from Yahoo, ESPN, and CBS this week.
Some of the top adds across these sites are:
- Xavier Tillman
- Taurean Prince
- Josh Okogie
- Jeremy Sochan
- Santi Aldama
- Jonathan Kuminga
- Kevon Looney
- Naz Reid
- Tyus Jones
- Daniel Gafford
- Shaedon Sharpe
- Bilal Coulibaly
Some of the top drops are:
- Steven Adams
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- Santi Aldama
- Christian Wood
- Kevin Porter Jr.
- Kelly Olynyk
- Tari Eason
- Robert Williams
Potential Waiver Wire Adds
Saddiq Bey – He is likely to start for the Hawks and is an efficient shooter who can provide threes and rebounds.
Brandon Miller – The 2023 second-overall pick will either be a starter or one of the first players off the bench. The uncertainty around Miles Bridges means he should have more usage.
Coby White – The Bulls’ starting point guard has been a mystery, but many signs indicate White will fill the role. His stats have declined over the years, but a contract extension this offseason implies that Chicago believes he can return to his usual self.
Kevon Looney/Jonathan Kuminga – Both are options to consider streaming with Draymond Green sidelined. They are projected to increase their stats with a bigger role.
Ausar Thompson – The rookie impressed in Summer League, and head coach Monty Williams has hinted towards him being a lock for the starting spot.
Xavier Tillman – He is projected to replace the injured Adams as the starting center. His stats didn’t jump off the page last season, but he has potential with increased minutes.
De’Anthony Melton – The James Harden drama suggests that Melton will help fill his hole on the 76ers. He shone in the preseason and exploded offensively.
Jeremy Sochan – He was named the starting point guard for the Spurs over Tre Jones. Expect his playmaking and scoring duties to increase. We’ve already seen flashes of him in this role in preseason, and it was promising.
Dennis Schroder – Schroder is coming off a FIBA World Championship and is tasked with replacing Fred VanVleet. He won’t match his production but he should still be valuable for fantasy managers.
Deni Avdija– The forward appears poised for a breakout season as he’ll see more minutes with two of the Wizards’ superstars gone.
Drops
It’s still relatively early to drop, but players like Adams and Porter Jr. are surefire removals.
Injuries/Suspensions
Miles Bridges – The Hornets forward will be suspended for the first 10 games of the 2023-24 season. However, a warrant for his arrest after allegedly violating his protection order led to him turning himself in to the police. It is currently uncertain how this will affect his return to the Hornets.
Lonzo Ball – He has already been ruled out for the season as he continues to rehab from his knee injury.
Bojan Bogdanovic – The Pistons forward is sidelined for at least four weeks due to a calf injury and will be re-evaluated in late November.
Draymond Green – He suffered an ankle injury just before training camp, initially sidelining him for three to six weeks. He is reportedly participating in five-on-fives and is ramping up for a return.
Tari Eason – The sophomore was recently diagnosed with a lower leg injury and is expected to be out until mid-November.
Steven Adams – The Grizzlies’ center is undergoing season-ending surgery.
Ja Morant – Memphis is also without Morant, who is serving a 25-game suspension after appearing to flash a gun on Instagram Live for the second time. He should return on December 19 against the Pelicans.
Jaden McDaniels – He is considered day-to-day after recently experiencing a calf strain.
Trey Murphy III – The 24-year-old suffered a knee injury during a practice in early September, which required surgery. His current timeline has him returning in late November.
James Harden – It’s unclear when Harden will return to the 76ers. Recent reports say he was absent from the team as he tended to his ill mother. However, he is said to have rejoined the team on Wednesday but needs to undergo conditioning before he can suit up. Still, a trade request clouds his availability.
Other Fantasy Basketball Tips
It’s only the season’s first week, so it’s not in a manager’s best interest to immediately drop someone if they have one or a few lousy games. Instead, monitor the transaction trends and each team’s lineup experiments.
