Now over a month into the 2023-24 NBA season, here’s a fantasy basketball guide and analysis for week five.
Fantasy Basketball 2023-24: Week 5 Guide and Analysis
NBA Schedule
The teams with a high of four games this week are the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards.
The Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and Utah Jazz play three games.
Finally, the Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, and Oklahoma City Thunder have a low of two games.
Potential Waiver Wire Adds
Saddiq Bey – Despite previously being listed as a drop, Bey is surprisingly on a hot streak. He’s posted double-digits in points and solid numbers in threes, rebounds, and some defensive stats in a bench role over the past three games.
Alex Caruso – Caruso earned some starts for the Bulls last week and displayed his two-way prowess. He’s currently nursing a toe injury but is worth considering as an add if available to play.
Max Strus – The Cavaliers’ sharpshooter is harder to find on the waivers, but his roster percentage is lower than it should be. Strus is a valuable scorer, three-point shooter, and playmaker who can rack up rebounds and steals. With Cleveland’s backcourt star duo already dealing with injuries early in the season, Strus is seeing more usage.
Dereck Lively II – The rookie is still working on consistency, but he’s had several solid performances over the past month. As the Mavericks’ starting center, Lively has the potential to be a nightly double-double threat and strong shot-blocker.
Santi Aldama – Over the last three games, Aldama’s posted excellent numbers in points, threes, rebounds, and assists. He should continue to see big minutes as the Grizzlies deal with multiple injuries.
Duncan Robinson – A starting spot is what Robinson needed to elevate his game. With key players sidelined for the Heat, expect Robinson to continue to make a significant impact. Last week, he displayed efficient shooting, especially from deep, with excellent stats in the primary categories.
Dyson Daniels – Daniels continues to impress as CJ McCollum’s substitute in the starting lineup. He’ll maintain this value for the next few weeks and reward managers with points, rebounds, assists, threes, and steals.
Goga Bitadze – The Magic big man’s stats don’t jump off the page (aside from when he accumulates blocks), but he’s seeing increased minutes. His offensive and defensive numbers improved over the past few weeks, and they should be sustainable for a while.
De’Anthony Melton – Melton has taken on an increased workload with the 76ers due to injuries and is flashing his potential as a scorer. He also contributes to several categories while minimizing turnovers.
Eric Gordon – As the Suns continue to deal with injuries, the team will rely on Gordon for the next few weeks. He’s thrived offensively with increased minutes as a three-point shooter and playmaker and offers some defensive numbers.
Skylar Mays – Since Mays was thrust into a starting role, he hasn’t disappointed. He possesses excellent playmaking skills to pair alongside his scoring. Expect this production to continue until some Trail Blazers return from injuries.
Keyonte George – Putting poor efficiency and turnovers aside, George is a solid fantasy pickup now that he is the Jazz’s starting point guard. The rookie has tremendous potential as a playmaker and scorer.
Deni Avdija – Avdija is a bright spot for a struggling Wizards team. He is an excellent all-around player who should be let loose if the team embraces an early tank.
Bilal Coulibaly – Another Wizard with promising upside is Coulibaly. The rookie has had several strong outings so far and is starting to see consistent high minutes, a trend that should continue. He’s a decent scorer who can rack up rebounds, steals, and assists.
Potential Drops
P.J. Washington – The return of Miles Bridges indicates a decrease in Washington’s fantasy value. Bridges is currently in a sixth-man role, but it’s only a matter of time before he replaces Washington in the starting lineup.
Andrew Wiggins – Don’t let one standout performance fool you; Wiggins has been horrendous throughout the season. His value won’t increase unless the Warriors are dealing with several injuries.
Russell Westbrook – As the Clippers continue to sort out their roster, Westbrook coming off the bench is not a good sign for his fantasy value. This is more of a monitor situation, but he’ll likely be more valuable as a streamer.
Marcus Smart – An ankle injury is sidelining the Grizzlies’ starting point guard for 3-5 weeks. By the time Smart is healthy, Ja Morant will return from his suspension, significantly dampening the former Celtic’s usage and production.
Robert Williams – There’s no use in holding on to the Trail Blazers’ backup center as he is out for the rest of the season.
Tre Jones – After losing his starting spot, Jones has disappointed fantasy managers. Although he’s a decent source of assists, he is more of a streamer to pick up when he returns to the first unit.
Gary Trent Jr. – As long as he’s in a bench role, he provides little value for fantasy basketball managers. He also contributes to very few categories, posting mediocre numbers.
Notable Injuries/Suspensions
Ben Simmons – Dealing with a nerve impingement in his back. An update will reportedly be released soon.
Cam Thomas – Will miss at least two more weeks with an ankle injury.
Lonzo Ball – Out for the season.
Jamal Murray – Nearing a return from a hamstring injury.
Bojan Bogdanovic – Will be reevaluated this week.
Jalen Duren – Remains sidelined with an ankle injury.
Amen Thompson – Still out with an ankle injury.
Steven Adams – Out for the season.
Ja Morant – Suspended until December 19.
Marcus Smart – Diagnosed with a foot sprain and should return within three to five weeks.
Tyler Herro – Out of his walking boot and could return near the end of November.
CJ McCollum – Recovering from a collapsed lung.
Wendell Carter Jr. – Not yet ready to return following surgery on a fractured finger.
Kelly Oubre Jr. – Could return in two-plus weeks from his rib injury.
Bradley Beal – Sidelined for at least three weeks as he recovers from a back strain.
Scoot Henderson – Still out for about a week due to an ankle injury.
Anfernee Simons – Resumed on-court activities following a thumb surgery a few weeks ago.
Robert Williams – Out for the season.
Walker Kessler – Should return soon from his UCL elbow sprain.
Week 4 Observations
-Rookies:
- Brandon Miller – The second-overall pick led all rookies in scoring last week, averaging 19.5 PPG. This was mainly due to injuries on the Hornets, and his usage should decrease with the return of Bridges.
- Victor Wembanyama – As usual, Wembanyama was a dominant two-way force for the Spurs. He averaged an absurd 3.3 BPG as he continues to make a strong case for Rookie of the Year.
- Chet Holmgren – The other leading ROTY candidate posted excellent all-around stats in week four. Holmgren is one of the key reasons why the Thunder are on a roll.
- Jordan Hawkins – The Pelicans guard is continuing to see increased usage and is impressing with more responsibilities. He’s a solid scorer who adds threes, rebounds, and assists.
-Stars of the week:
- Kevin Durant
- Nikola Jokic
- Domantas Sabonis
- LeBron James
- Joel Embiid
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- LaMelo Ball
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- De’Aaron Fox
- Karl-Anthony Towns
-Breakout players:
- Jordan Clarkson
- Santi Aldama
- Herbert Jones
- De’Anthony Melton
- Duncan Robinson
- Miles Bridges
- John Collins
- Alex Caruso
- Dyson Daniels
- Eric Gordon
-Disappointments:
