Collin Sexton is averaging 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals across 31 minutes over his first three games with the Bulls.
The NBA’s truncated post-All-Star-break scoring period begins Thursday, and despite the tight window, we still have a solid amount of teams on three-game weeks and just one squad with a single contest on its docket. There are plenty of players flying under the radar that appeared to be gaining momentum before the All-Star break as well, providing us with a solid group to focus on for our Start suggestions.
Each week, we’ll aim to highlight a pair of Start candidates at each position for your fantasy rosters who may shape up as some tougher calls of the week to make, focusing on players with a start or roster rate of 50% or less in Yahoo leagues.
Likewise, we’ll spotlight one Sit candidate at each position who would normally not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, often focusing on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.
TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors
TEAMS WITH ONE GAME: Utah Jazz
Without further ado, let’s examine some tougher start/sit decisions for Week 18:
Guards
Start: Kon Knueppel, Hornets
45% start rate
Knueppel went into the All-Star break with a head of steam, averaging 21.3 points (on 49.5% shooting, including 48.4% from 3-point range), 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists across 34.1 minutes over his last seven games. The standout rookie has shown remarkable consistency in his first 54 career contests, particularly as a shooter, where he’s shown no evidence of first-year jitters while connecting on an elite 43.1% of his attempts from distance. Knueppel is also in particularly good position for Week 18, considering Miles Bridges will sit out all three of the Hornets’ three games due to a suspension. Knueppel is averaging 22.0 points and 11.8 points + rebounds per 36 minutes with his teammate off the floor this season.
Start: Collin Sexton, Bulls
17% roster rate
Sexton has hit the ground running in his new Bulls digs, averaging 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals across 31 minutes over his first three games. The absences of Josh Giddey and Tre Jones due to hamstring injuries certainly helped Sexton’s cause, and it’s uncertain what the status of each will be coming out of the All-Star break. However, Sexton appears to already be a good fit, and it would seem likely he’ll retain a solid role off the bench irrespective of the status of either of his injured teammates.
Sit: Keyonte George, Jazz
85% roster rate
George missed the last three games before the All-Star break with his troublesome ankle, and there’s certainly a chance his absence continues during the Jazz’s single game in Week 18. Even if George is able to get back on the floor, one game simply represents too sparse an opportunity for George to make more of an impact than a similarly talented two- or three-game option would.
Forwards
Start: Jarace Walker, Pacers
21% roster rate
The All-Star break arguably came at an inopportune time for Walker, who’s averaged 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals on 50% shooting over his last 10 games. The 2023 first-round pick is averaging a solid 12.4 shot attempts per game in that span, and he currently has a firm grasp on the starting small forward role. As the aforementioned stat line indicates, Walker is highly capable of offering multi-category production, making him a very viable and surprisingly low-rostered option on a three-game week for Indiana that includes two games against the vulnerable Wizards.
Start: Royce O’Neale, Suns
18% roster rate
O’Neale is enjoying a strong second full season in Phoenix, putting up career highs in points (10.3) and steals (1.2) while also tying his career best in 3-point shooting percentage (40.6). The veteran wing was particularly productive in the eight games leading into the All-Star break, averaging 11.1 points (on 42.4% from 3-point shooting), 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals across 28.8 minutes. Dillon Brooks also looks likely to miss Phoenix’s first game coming out of the All-Star break due to having picked up his 16th technical on Wednesday, which brightens O’Neale’s outlook further for the Suns’ three-game schedule.
ALSO CONSIDER: Justin Champagnie, Wizards (9% roster rate)
Sit: RJ Barrett, Raptors
69% roster rate
Barrett retains his Sit designation for another week, as the Raptors have just two games to work with in Week 18 and the veteran forward continues to provide adequate but not irreplaceable production. Toronto is also back to full health since Jakob Poeltl returned just before the All-Star break, a development that could lead to at least a slight hit in usage for Barrett.
Centers
Start: Dominick Barlow, 76ers
8% roster rate
Barlow is enjoying his most extensive opportunity yet as a pro this season and parlaying it into career highs in points (8.5), rebounds (5.0), assists (1.2) and steals (1.0). Barlow appears to have a firm grasp on the starting power forward role with Paul George suspended, and he went into the All-Star break with a solid 13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals over the last five games while shooting 56%, including 44.4% from 3-point range. Barlow’s floor spacing and solid work on defense rounds out his fantasy production nicely, and with three games to work with this week, he’s certainly worthy of consideration as a player available in a vast majority of leagues.
Start: Moritz Wagner, Magic
1% roster rate
Wagner made his long-awaited season debut on Jan. 11 after recovering from last season’s knee injury, and after taking a couple of games to get acclimated, the versatile big man picked up some momentum. Wagner went into the All-Star break with averages of 9.5 points and 3.3 rebounds across just 11.8 minutes per contest over his last 11 games, a sample in which he shot a blistering 51.4%, including 48.3% from behind the arc. Wagner especially saw a production boost over the last four contests before the pause in play, when he averaged 13.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists with 61.3% shooting overall. While Wendell Carter Jr. is still the unquestioned starting center, Wagner logged 16 or 17 minutes in the last three games before ASB, the most he’s seen since returning and perhaps a sign his workload will continue climbing during Orlando’s three-game Week 18.
ALSO CONSIDER: Maxime Raynaud, Kings (19% roster rate)
98% roster rate
Sabonis missed the last four games before the All-Star break due to a back injury, and he sat for six of the last seven games overall. The talented big man may well be ready to return when Sacramento’s two-game week kicks off Thursday against the Magic, but the Kings appear to be trending toward cycling out their veterans for younger talent in a lost season. Therefore, they may slow-play Sabonis’ return to action on what is a light schedule for Sacramento anyhow.
