NBA Fantasy: Notes on all 30 teams after Week 1

The Memphis Grizzlies are 4-0 to start the NBA season, led by fantasy breakout Ty Jerome.

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Every team has played two to four games, which is the perfect amount of time to be wrong about

everything

. Here’s my early take on all 30 teams, with extra attention to six who deserve it. Stats are through Monday, Oct. 26.

6 teams to talk about

Grizzlies:

Ty Jerome

coming back to earth?

Jerome was leading the league in scoring through three games at 34.7 points. He

dropped 45 in the opener, 28 against Golden State and 31 against Sacramento on Sunday to close out Week 1. Then came Monday: 15 points (4-for-15 shooting) and 8 assists in Memphis’ 110-105 win over Utah. That brought his average down to 29.8 points.

My early take: Jerome’s efficiency will keep coming down at this volume. How much remains to be seen, but imagine the return you could get right now if you sell high. You could also ride the wave without cashing out early on a league winner. The Grizzlies are one of five undefeated squads right now.

Thunder:

Ajay Mitchell

is next up

The Thunder have one of the league’s stingiest defenses, allowing just 102 points per 100 possessions. Unfortunately,

Jalen Williams

suffered a leg injury that will put him out for a significant portion of the season, along with

Cason Wallace

(torn labrum). It’s hard to find a silver lining — it’s unfortunate for Oklahoma City, fans and fantasy managers. However, it’s a next-man-up mentality and that player is Mitchell. He stepped up on Sunday, scoring 18 points with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in 27 minutes.

On Monday, he played even better, dropping 30 points, 5 assists and 1 block. He’s rostered in more than 60% of leagues, but if he’s somehow sitting on your wire, pick him up immediately. Mitchell is my pick to improve production the most, with

Jared McCain

and

Bennett Stirtz

next in line.

Lakers:

Luka Dončić

is still Luka Dončić

Dončić went off against the Jazz, dropping the first 50-point game of the young season. He scored 52 on 17-for-30 shooting with 8 3-pointers, 8 rebounds and 10 assists in 38 minutes. If not for Jerome, Dončić would have held the top-scorer title through Week 1. The Lakers lead the league in points, averaging 128, and this team is humming from a fantasy perspective, with Dončić,

Austin Reaves

Walker Kessler

all inside the top 30 in 9-cat leagues and top 50 in points leagues.

Heat: Winless so far

Miami is 0-4, allowing an average of 121.8 points and ranking in the bottom 10 in defensive rating.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

is carrying most of the load.

Bam Adebayo

is averaging 11.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and two steals while shooting 40%.

I’m sure the Heat will figure it out in time. The defense has to improve before anything else will.

Knicks: Heavy is the crown

New York is 0-3 and could still be dealing with a championship hangover. The defense is holding up, but their offense is pacing for a bottom-five finish.

Surely they’ll turn it around, making this a good buy-low spot for

Jalen Brunson

,

OG Anunoby

Josh Hart

Mikal Bridges

. I’d be patient and expect some offensive improvement soon.

Jazz:

Ace Bailey

is the add after a pair of injuries

Utah lost two of its best frontcourt players in Monday’s 110-105 loss to Memphis.

Jaren Jackson Jr.

(knee) went down in the second quarter after an opposing player landed on his leg, and

Lauri Markkanen

(wrist) left in the first quarter after playing six minutes. The severity of both injuries is still unknown, and the Jazz play Wednesday against the Spurs. Bailey stepped up with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks in a season-high 34 minutes, his second straight double-double. If he’s sitting on your wire (49% rostered), he’s the add.

For the deepest of leagues,

Mo Bamba

is also worth a look after his first appearance of the season, with 14 points on 7-for-8 shooting, plus 7 rebounds and 4 blocks in 29 minutes. Utah’s frontcourt is thin, with

Jusuf Nurkić

(toe) and

Jaxson Hayes

(shoulder) also dealing with injuries, so the minutes are there.

Quick thoughts across the rest of the league

Hawks

:

Dyson Daniels

is averaging 3.5 steals through four games. That’s propped up by games with 7 and 5 steals, but he’s still one of the best specialists in fantasy.

Celtics

Jayson Tatum

Jaylen Brown

will play against each other Tuesday, Nov. 10. The two will meet for the first time in the regular season since Brown was traded to the rival 76ers.

Nets

: The sixth pick of the 2026 NBA Draft,

Mikel Brown Jr.

, has received sparing minutes to start the season compared to his fantasy projection.

Hornets

: With

Kon Knueppel

Coby White

both out,

Brandon Miller

is living up to the breakout we expected. Over the past two games, he’s averaging 36.5 points, seven rebounds, 2.5 assists and three stocks.

Bulls

: I know it’s early, but rookie

Caleb Wilson

passed

Matas Buzelis

in Chicago’s pecking order. Wilson and

Norman Powell

are running the show.

Cavaliers

: More

Meleek Thomas

, please! The second-round rookie out of Arkansas was a microwave bucket and creator in Summer League. After Monday’s spark off the bench with 16 points in 19 minutes, we should be seeing him more in the rotation.

Mavericks

Cooper Flagg

brushed off a shoulder injury and returned on Monday to deliver a monster stat line: 29 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks in 40 minutes. Flagg currently leads the league in steals at 3.7 while averaging 5.4 stocks overall. Oh, and he’s the No. 1 overall player in 9-cat. First-round worthy, indeed.

Nuggets

: Denver’s top-three players are rewarding fantasy managers:

Nikola Jokić

Jamal Murray

and perhaps

Aaron Gordon

.

Pistons

Paul Reed

is a must-roster player with

Jalen Duren

sidelined for at least the next two weeks.

Warriors

Yaxel Lendeborg

had 31 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in Monday’s 134-114 win at Denver. He’s the first Warriors rookie since

Stephen Curry

to post a 30-10-5 line, and it’s only the fourth game of the season. He’s a steal in both fantasy and reality.

Rockets

: The Rockets are undefeated and have become a fantasy factory.

Kevin Durant

Alperen Sengun

should continue to be top-30 fantasy players.

Pacers

Jay Huff

will be better after a rough go starting in place of

Ivica Zubac

, but there could be some inconsistent performances over the next couple of weeks as fantasy managers chase his blocks and 3-pointers.

Clippers

Darius Garland

has lived up to the hype.

Kris Dunn

, though?! Wow. Pick him up everywhere as he ranks 19th in 9-cat (best on the team) and 61st in points leagues.

Bucks

Kyle Kuzma

is hooping. Three strong outings in a row. It’s time fantasy managers in points leagues take notice. Oh, and

Kel’el Ware

is all warmed up, with double-doubles in his last two games.

Pelicans

: Although

Jeremiah Fears

is starting at SG, I dropped him in a couple of 12-team leagues because his inefficiencies and lack of volume are hurting his fantasy stock. Being 30% rostered is a tad high.

Magic

Paolo Banchero

is out four to six weeks and

Jalen Suggs

dodged an injury bullet. Either way, that leaves point-forward

Franz Wagner

to handle more usage, with

Anthony Black

Tristan da Silva

taking on additional volume as well.

Suns

: Over three games,

Devin Booker

is the only Phoenix player ranked in the top 100 in 9-cat and points leagues.

76ers

: No need to talk about

Tyrese Maxey

doing his thing — first-round value all day.

Joel Embiid

, however, notched a triple-double in his last game and is moving better each contest.

Trail Blazers

: Portland is undefeated and ranks in the top three in offensive and defensive rating. Crazy!

Ja Morant

Damian Lillard

look great together.

Kings

Darius Acuff Jr.

is a gem for points leagues, averaging 24.3 shots. For fantasy managers, that volume matters even if it’s not converting at a high clip yet.

Spurs

: San Antonio has used a three-guard starting lineup through its first three games, sitting at 1-2. Could that first five change? I imagine there’s some slack, but they need some wins.

Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards

has my early ballot for Kia Most Valuable Player. He’s doing a mix of everything while pushing to lead the league in scoring. Edwards is playing hard on both sides of the ball and that energy could carry Minnesota into becoming a serious contender. Fantasy-wise, he was a top pick for a reason.

Raptors

Scottie Barnes

went 0-for-12 Sunday but had 4 steals.

Kawhi Leonard

(knee) is sidelined for a week, but thankfully his MRI revealed no damage. Let’s hope he returns soon.

Wizards

: We still haven’t seen the No. 1 overall pick,

AJ Dybantsa

, make his professional debut. He’s dealing with a sprained ankle.

Anthony Davis

Trae Young

look promising.