As we near the two-month mark of the 2023-24 NBA season, here’s a fantasy basketball guide and analysis for week eight.
Fantasy Basketball 2023-24: Week 8 Guide and Analysis
NBA Schedule
The good news is that each team will play at least three games this week, with the majority having four.
The teams with four are the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, and Washington Wizards.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, and Toronto Raptors play a low of three matches.
Potential Waiver Wire Adds
Saddiq Bey/De’Andre Hunter – The two forwards are solid pickups as they continue to see increased minutes. Thanks to his consistency, Bey is the better stream, as Hunter may also miss some time this week. Both can provide points, threes, and rebounds.
Brandon Miller – Miller’s heavy workload is proving valuable for fantasy. He contributes good numbers in the primary categories, although his efficiency fluctuates. Nevertheless, he’s poised to remain in this starting role for a few weeks.
Nick Richards – With Mark Williams dealing with a back contusion, Richards should start at the five. He flashed some potential in that role last week, posting decent numbers in points, rebounds, and blocks.
Patrick Williams – An injury to one of the Bulls’ top offensive options opened up more opportunities for Williams, who had a rough start to the season. He started the past several games, and while his stats aren’t eye-popping, Williams contributes to several categories and will maintain a greater workload.
Dante Exum – One surprising fantasy breakout is Exum. Kyrie Irving’s injury moved him into a starting spot, and he impressed. He is a bit risky, but he displayed solid all-around effort. The guard is valuable in the primary categories in addition to threes and steals.
Obi Toppin – Toppin recorded some strong performances over the past few games. While he is a better option for deep leagues, his fantasy basketball value has been increasing lately. Toppin is a solid source of points, rebounds, threes, and blocks.
Caleb Martin/Orlando Robinson – Two stars of the Heat’s big three are out for the first matchups of week eight, with no clear timetable for their return. In their absence, Martin and Robinson are two players who have tallied impressive performances as of late. Martin holds value in the primary categories and threes, while the center has a two-way impact.
Naz Reid – Reid scored in double figures over the past three games while almost recording two double-doubles. Even though he’s in a bench role, the center makes his impact felt on both ends of the court.
Isaiah Hartenstein – One of the more riskier streams, Hartenstein moved into the starting lineup due to an injury to the Knicks’ primary center. He only contributes a handful of points, but his assists are surprisingly solid over the past few games. His main areas of value are rebounds and blocks.
Cole Anthony – A bench role hasn’t stopped Anthony from providing fantasy managers with excellent value. The guard is consistently providing multi-category value, even recording some dominant stat lines.
Deni Avdija – Avdija is posting career numbers on a struggling Wizards team. He also gives fantasy managers great stats in points, rebounds, and assists. His value is somewhat limited outside those categories but sometimes flashes versatility.
Potential Drops
Al Horford – With Kristaps Porzingis returning from injury last week, Horford’s value will likely continue to decline over the coming games. He should also miss a game this week with the Celtics playing a back-to-back.
Caris LeVert – Despite being a decent fantasy option earlier in the season, LeVert has significantly dropped off. A knee injury hasn’t helped, and he’s a safe drop until he recovers and the Cavaliers face injuries.
Reggie Jackson – Jamal Murray is increasing his workload each game since returning from a hamstring injury, meaning Jackson shifted back to the bench. He was excellent in Murray’s absence and should be streamed again if the starter misses more time.
Jaden Ivey – Just as predicted, Ivey’s move to the bench significantly declined his production. However, the Pistons’ horrible season means more lineup experiments are ahead, which will have fantasy implications. Ivey will likely return to the lineup at some point.
Isaiah Stewart– Even as a starter, Stewart’s fantasy basketball impact has been relatively quiet. He’ll have a good game here and there, but more often than not, he’s posting underwhelming numbers.
Andrew Wiggins – An increasing number of fantasy managers are realizing there’s not much value in holding on to Wiggins. His upside is capped, and he lacks the consistency and impact needed to maintain fantasy relevancy.
Bennedict Mathurin – Consistency is the primary issue with holding Mathurin. His fantasy output significantly fluctuates, and it doesn’t help that he is coming off the bench.
Norman Powell – Powell posts underwhelming numbers in most games, but he’ll have a solid outing here and there. However, those performances don’t occur enough to justify holding him.
Luguentz Dort – Despite a decent start to the season, Dort has been very up and down lately. He’s worth streaming when receiving significant minutes, but he could be a bit of a gamble.
Grayson Allen – With Bradley Beal set to return this week, Allen’s minutes will take a hit. The star won’t play significant minutes immediately, but it’ll be enough to decrease Allen’s role.
Scoot Henderson – The third-overall pick’s struggles have gone on long enough. Most fantasy managers gave him a chance by holding him, but Henderson has provided little in return. He’s a safe drop for now, but it’s possible he can turn things around later in the season.
Jeremy Sochan – Sochan recorded a string of rough games last week. His performances are very inconsistent, and his potential is limited. This is especially due to the Spurs’ experiment at point guard, as it doesn’t appear the situation is working in real life or fantasy.
Gary Trent Jr. – Trent doesn’t receive enough minutes or value in multiple categories to benefit fantasy basketball managers.
Notable Injuries/Suspensions
Jalen Johnson – Diagnosed with a wrist fracture and will be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks.
Ben Simmons – Had an epidural injection and could return in a few weeks.
LaMelo Ball – Out until late December with an ankle injury.
Lonzo Ball – Out for the season.
Zach LaVine – Will miss about three to four weeks due to foot inflammation.
Kyrie Irving – Diagnosed with a heel contusion. No timeline has been reported yet.
Jalen Duren – Will be re-evaluated in two weeks for an ankle sprain.
Steven Adams – Out for the season.
Ja Morant – Suspended until December 19.
Marcus Smart – Should return in mid-December from a foot injury.
Bam Adebayo – Will miss a few games with a hip injury.
Tyler Herro – Will miss a few more games due to a sprained ankle.
Wendell Carter Jr. – Nearing a return from a fractured finger.
Markelle Fultz – Expected to miss a few more games with a knee issue.
Robert Williams – Out for the season.
Jerami Grant – Sidelined for a few games with a concussion.
Week 7 Observations
-Rookies:
- Victor Wembanyama – Once again, Wembanyama led all rookies in averaged points (16.5) for the week. He complemented that with impressive stock numbers and an absurd 15 RPG.
- Brandon Miller – The second-overall pick was not far behind Wembanyama in scoring (16.0). Miller also made an impact on the playmaking end and provided solid numbers in rebounds and blocks.
- Bilal Coulibaly – Coulibaly stood out on both ends of the court last week. He scored with excellent efficiency while dishing out some assists. The Wizards rookie also recorded some rebounds and steals.
- Chet Holmgren – While his stats have slightly dipped in some categories, Holmgren didn’t disappoint fantasy managers that much. He averaged 4.5 BPG in week seven and was still effective as a two-way player.
-Stars of the week:
- Joel Embiid
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Luka Doncic
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- LeBron James
- Rudy Gobert
- Damian Lillard
- Nikola Jokic
- Devin Booker
-Breakout players:
- Derrick White
- Coby White
- Shaedon Sharpe
- Terry Rozier
- Keldon Johnson
- John Collins
- Malik Monk
- Tyus Jones
- Herbert Jones
- Caleb Martin
-Disappointments:
