We’re nearing the first of the month, and it’s time to do a temperature check on the fantasy basketball rookies. My first rookie column featured the notable first-year players, but seven weeks into the NBA season, we’ve had a couple of young hoopers rising up the ladder.
Let’s dive into the latest rookie report in fantasy basketball.
1: Chet Holmgren – PF/C – Oklahoma City Thunder
Last rank: 2
Draft pick: Pick 2, 2022
Chet Holmgren
PF – OKC – #7
2023 – 2024 SEASON
17.9
Pts
8
Reb
2.7
Ast
2.2
Blk
30:07
Min
Holmgren leap-frogged prized phenom Victor Wembanyama in my latest rookie rankings, as he’s 12th in nine-category leagues and 40th in points leagues. His unique combination of efficiency and defense is a cheat code for fantasy, and he’s already pacing to be an elite fantasy player.
Fellow Yahoo fantasy basketball contributor Justin Henry and I debated whether Chet is better than Kevin Durant through 17 games, and the numbers don’t lie.
Chet Holmgren: 663.2 fantasy points
Kevin Durant: 542.8 fantasy points
KD finished his rookie season 84th in category leagues, and with so much upside in Holmgren’s defensive game and better rebounding, he could be the best rookie in OKC/Seattle history.
2. Victor Wembanyama – PF/C, San Antonio Spurs
Last rank: 1
Draft pick: Pick 1, 2023
Victor Wembanyama
PF – SA – #1
2023 – 2024 SEASON
19.2
Pts
9.5
Reb
2.6
Ast
2.6
Blk
30:04
Min
Wemby takes a small step back, but let’s not forget he’s still the favorite to win Rookie of the Year and is living up to the hype. He is 30th in category leagues and 26th in points leagues as of Thursday and notched his first 10 stock performance this past Sunday. He’s closing in on averaging 20 and 10, and through 17 games, he has more fantasy points than Tim Duncan did in his rookie season. I’m not saying that will hold, but it’s an excellent marker for his potential despite the Spurs winning only three games thus far.
Imagine a world where Coach Popovich decides to do less of the “point-Sochan” experiment and play Wembanyama with Tre Jones more frequently at the point. Just look at the difference between each player on the court with Wemby.
Wemby w/ Tre Jones and no Jeremy Sochan
54.6 FPs/g, 1.5 FPs/min
22.2 pts, 12.2 reb, 2.7 asts, 2.4 stls, 3.4 blks and 1.5 FPs/min
Wemby w/ Jeremy Sochan and no Tre Jones
Avg 44.8 FPs/g, 1.2 FPs/min
18.6 pts, 11.5 reb, 3.8 asts, 1.2 stls, 2.5 blks, and 1.2 FPs/min
(Data courtesy of Rototwire)
To keep up with all things Wemby, I suggest checking out Victor Vector by Yahoo Sr. Writer Ben Rohrbach, where he tracks how Wembanyama stacks up against some of the best rookies in the history of the NBA. Spoiler alert: no one will ever surpass Shaq’s dominance as a rookie — an absolute MONSTER.
3. Ausar Thompson – SG/SF, Detroit Pistons
Last rank: 3
Draft Pick: Pick 5, 2023
Drafting Thompson is a rare W for the Pistons based on how the season is going. Through seven weeks, he continues to be one of this class’ best rebounders and defenders. Thompson has yet to hit his stride as a scorer, but fantasy managers can’t complain too much about him shooting 46% from the field while stuffing the stat sheet across the board.
Ausar Thompson
SF – DET – #9
2023 – 2024 SEASON
11.4
Pts
9.3
Reb
2.9
Ast
1.6
Blk
29:43
Min
He’s an underrated playmaker, too, averaging 4.5 potential assists per game. And given that he has the third-most drives per game on the roster, I’d expect his assist rate to go up once sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic is back in the lineup.
There’s still room for improvement, which is scary considering he’s 64th in points leagues and 71st in category leagues through Thursday.
4. Brandon Miller – SF, Charlotte Hornets
Last rank: 5
Draft pick: Pick 2, 2023
Brandon Miller
SF – CHA – #24
2023 – 2024 SEASON
14.4
Pts
4
Reb
1.9
Ast
0.4
Blk
30:44
Min
It’s Miller time. With LaMelo Ball (ankle) facing a lengthy absence, Miller joined the starting unit on Tuesday, finishing with 18 points (7-18 FG, 4-8 3PT) with three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 36 minutes. Between injuries and Hornets HC Steve Clifford wanting to get Miller some meaningful minutes, he’s actually started in nine of his last 10 games, so the arrow is pointing up.
Miller’s value is similar in category and points leagues, ranking 158th and 137th, respectively. He’s not doing much outside of scoring, but he’s at least doing that efficiently (for the most part). His 46/37/78 shooting splits are respectable and certainly something fantasy managers can use in 12+ team leagues.
He’s locked into the rotation, playing over 30 minutes in 11 of his 15 games this season, so if the Hornets decide to become sellers shortly, that’s only more usage and opportunity that could be coming Miller’s way.
5. Jaime Jaquez Jr. – SF, Miami Heat
Last rank: unranked
Draft pick: Pick 18, 2023
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
SF – MIA – #11
2023 – 2024 SEASON
11.3
Pts
3.8
Reb
2.6
Ast
0.2
Blk
26:13
Min
I could be undervaluing the UCLA alum, as I stated earlier in the week that he’s on a heater and likely isn’t going away anytime soon. He’s been the perfect fit for “Heat Culture” and is playing at a level where he’s nearing must-roster territory in all league sizes and formats.
He’s 50% rostered at the moment despite being a near top-100 player in points and category leagues over the past two weeks.
Over that span, he’s averaging 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.9 threes and 0.9 steals with 55/54/78 shooting splits in 31.4 minutes per game. Yes, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro have missed a handful of games, but in fantasy basketball, you have to take advantage of players who play well when given the chance to play.
Jaquez Jr. has looked every bit the part, and I’m hard-pressed to think he won’t produce in only 20 minutes per game.
6. Keyonte George – PG/SG, Utah Jazz
Last rank: unranked
Draft Pick: Pick 16, 2023
Keyonte George
SG – UTA – #3
2023 – 2024 SEASON
9.8
Pts
3.1
Reb
4.9
Ast
0.6
Stl
25:07
Min
George took over as the starting point guard of the Jazz nine games ago, and I am surprised that he’s not rostered in more leagues. Remember that it’s a long season, and guards often struggle out of the gates. That said, George’s shooting woes may have fantasy managers hesitant on wanting to hold in shallow leagues — which is understandable — he’s hitting 32% of his shots over the past nine games. However, I don’t see why you wouldn’t want him as bench depth for everything else that he provides. Since becoming the starter, he’s averaging 12.2 points, 6.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 threes and 0.8 stocks.
I’m a staunch believer in his game and what he can do from a fantasy perspective, and the more experience he gains, the better it’ll be for fantasy. Trust the process here.
7. Scoot Henderson – PG, Portland Trail Blazers
Last rank: 4
Draft pick: Pick 3, 2023
Scoot Henderson
PG – POR – #00
2023 – 2024 SEASON
9.1
Pts
2.6
Reb
4
Ast
0.5
Stl
26:00
Min
Scoot Henderson has returned to the court after recovering from an ankle injury that cost him nine games. He’s looked a bit different, sporting new goggles after he was prescribed corrective lenses to improve his vision. The early results are positive, as he’s 5-for-7 on three-point attempts in his last two games.
He’s been coming off the bench since he re-joined the team, capping his upside a bit, but it won’t be long before he reclaims the starting nod.
He’s the future of the franchise and at 5-12 on the season, the Blazers won’t be striving for anything other than the development of their core of young players. Still, until Scoot starts seeing 30+ minutes and shows progress in either assists, scoring or defense, he’s best viewed as a stash in category leagues who will have little value in points league in his current role.
Terms/Privacy Policy
Privacy Dashboard
About Our Ads
Basketball Pickups: Derrick Rose turns back the clock
4 min read
The Memphis Grizzlies have hit hard times this season, with Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension and multiple injuries to key players being significant reasons for the team’s poor start. Entering Wednesday’s game against the Jazz with an 0-8 home record, Memphis made two changes to its starting lineup, and it worked. Derrick Rose (3% Yahoo) and David Roddy (2%) were in, with Jacob Gilyard and Santi Aldama returning to reserve roles.
Rose (14/4/9) and Roddy (19/6/1 with five 3-pointers) each shot 7-of-11 from the field in the 105-91 victory, Memphis’ first at home this season. The one concern regarding the former is availability, as Rose had a stretch earlier this month in which he missed eight out of nine games due to a sore knee. He played 25 minutes on Wednesday, and that number has been his sweet spot in recent seasons when getting rotation minutes. But with the Grizzlies set to finish Week 6 with a road back-to-back against the Mavericks (Friday) and Suns (Saturday), it’s possible that fantasy managers will only get one more game out of Rose instead of two.
As for Roddy, the points, 3-pointers, and rebounds make him an enticing option in deep leagues. He’s yet to miss a game this season, so durability hasn’t been a concern for the 2022 first-round pick. Also, it should be noted that Aldama will retain all fantasy value with his move back to the bench. He played 25 minutes off the bench, posting a line of 11 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer. Rostered in 60% of Yahoo leagues, fantasy managers might as well hold onto Aldama due to how shorthanded the Grizzlies remain in the post.
Let’s take a look at a few more of Wednesday’s top pickups:
Simone Fontecchio (13%)
Fontecchio has started Utah’s last three games in place of the injured Lauri Markkanen (hamstring), scoring in double figures in each. Shooting 4-of-8 from three in Memphis, he scored 12 points with four rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 25 minutes. Utah plays two more games this week, the first being Thursday night at Minnesota. Fontecchio is worth streaming until Markkanen is cleared to return.
Robert Covington (6%)
RoCo didn’t start Wednesday’s loss to the Pelicans, but he became more valuable once Nicolas Batum had to exit with a right index finger injury. Covington logged 30 minutes, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one block, and four 3-pointers, shooting 4-of-5 from the field. Should Batum miss time, Covington would be the next man up, especially with Marcus Morris Sr. being used as a center (he started in place of the ill Joel Embiid on Wednesday). Are we returning to the “glory years” of RoCo’s run as a quality fantasy option? Probably not, but experienced players know what he’s capable of when given solid minutes.
Jordan Hawkins (30%)
With CJ McCollum back in action for the first time since November 4, many fantasy managers were eager to see how the minutes would be distributed on Wednesday. McCollum started and played 28 minutes, with Dyson Daniels (14 minutes) taking the biggest hit. Hawkins still managed to play 24 minutes, scoring 16 points with five rebounds, two assists, and three 3-pointers. While McCollum’s workload will increase in time, Hawkins’ value may be tied to the availability of Trey Murphy III (knee) due to the Pelicans’ need for shooters who can provide spacing. New Orleans finishes Week 6 with a home/road back-to-back against the Spurs (Friday) and Bulls (Saturday). Hawkins’ rostered percentage shouldn’t dip much, if at all, with Murphy sidelined.
Reggie Jackson (40%)
As expected, Jackson’s minutes decreased on Wednesday due to the return of Jamal Murray from a strained hamstring. However, with the Nuggets’ star guard on a minutes restriction, he played 22 minutes to Jackson’s 24 in Denver’s win over Houston. Shooting 6-of-14 from the field, Jackson recorded 14 points, two rebounds, two assists, one block, and two 3-pointers. The upcoming schedule keeps him on the fantasy radar in the short term, as the Nuggets finish Week 6 with a difficult road back-to-back against the Suns (Friday) and Kings (Saturday). Maybe Murray can play both games, but Jackson should not be immediately dropped onto waiver wires, especially in deep leagues.
