NBA week one is in the books. How did your team do? Good? Bad? Me too. We’re rolling over the Five Lists of Five into the NBA landscape to provide your weekly dose of fantasy tips.
Here are some buy-lows we can already start considering. Most managers will be savvy enough to be patient with their underperformers, but not everybody. Here are a few players who you can snatch up for a low price.
Buy ’em
Jalen Johnson, PF, Atlanta Hawks
After breaking out last season as a crucial piece of the Hawks’ core, Jalen Johnson has largely disappointed managers to begin this season. He came with a hefty price tag but simply has not yet justified the purchase. He’s averaging 11.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG with 1.7 SPG and 1.3 BPG. The minutes, shots attempted, and the ancillary numbers are all there, even improved from last season so far, but the shooting has not been. Johnson is logging a dreadful 29.7% FG and 58.8% FT, dragging managers into the depths of inefficiency hell. But Johnson is not a 30% shooter. These shooting numbers will go up, and when they do, the buy-low window on Johnson will snap shut.
Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Indiana Pacers
Like a desert mirage, Haliburton’s brief ascendancy into NBA superstardom was short-lived last season. Many hoped it would return. Many blamed it on his quad injury. Many are still waiting.
So far, Haliburton’s been averaging 12.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 3.7 APG. Perhaps most alarming are his assist numbers, currently sitting at a third of what we’d expect from a player of his price tag and caliber. The shooting has been woeful at 31.8% FG, and that will surely bounce back, but there’s reason for a bit of panic here. Tyrese has been passive so far this season, but he can and will be much better. I think it’s a reasonable time to float your second or late-first-round pick for him to see if someone will bite.
Josh Giddey, SG, Chicago Bulls
Giddey has historically struggled with defensive stats and free throw shooting, but he’s shown moderate improvement in those areas. We’re still waiting for those improvements this season.
Giddey’s role on the Bulls feels assured. He’s young, he is a very capable playmaker, and he has great size at his position which makes him a good rebounder. He is averaging 15 PPG, 6 RPG, and 5.3 APG. These numbers are satisfactory but aren’t close to the ceiling that managers hoped for when they drafted Giddey in the 5th or 6th rounds of drafts this season. Perhaps it’s his low minutes; he’s averaging 27 MPG, a dip below his first two seasons in OKC (31 MPG) and we’re unsure whether it’ll come up. I think it will, and I think Giddey has a lot to prove this season. Giddey up!
Darius Garland, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers
It’s tough to believe that Garland actually had an All-Star season back in 2021-22; we’re not that far removed from it. Since then, Garland’s production has been dwindling, culminating in a disappointing 57 injury-riddled and sloppy games last season. It’s surely one to forget.
Garland was a value target for me this season sitting at the back half of the 5th and 6th rounds. So far? No dice. He’s shooting well at 50% FG across three games, but has not been attempting many shots and has not been efficient with his playmaking, posting 5.7 APG with 3 turnovers per game. I’m not fully confident he can clean this up; Donovan Mitchell is clearly the preferred backcourt option on this team and a superior player overall. That being said, Garland will be better than this.
Bradley Beal, SG, Phoenix Suns
Statistically, Beal has not been too shabby this year, averaging 19.5 PPG and 5 APG along with strong shooting from both the field and the charity stripe. What makes his value low is his availability, or lack thereof. Managers surely knew his health would be questionable heading into this season, but they may be willing to part with him for a cheap price given the uncertainty surrounding his health. He hasn’t been a reliable fantasy option in a few years and that’s unlikely to change.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st].
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is thegreatdansby9) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information
