Over his last month of play, the Heat’s Norman Powell is averaging 25.3 points per game.
The Spurs and Knicks will decide this year’s NBA Cup champion Tuesday, but we otherwise have a semi-normal schedule to work with in Week 9. However, we only have three teams with four-game weeks and plenty with just two games on the docket, so there are still some tricky situations to navigate when setting lineups.
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 FOUR GAMES: Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors
TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES: Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers
Without further ado, let’s examine some tougher start/sit decisions for Week 9:
Guards
Start: Mikal Bridges, Knicks
35% start rate
Bridges is putting together another fine season for the Knicks, flashing his versatile skill set on his way to averages of 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest. The veteran wing’s crisp 52.6% success rate from the field is also his best since the 2021-22 season, and he’s draining 40.7% of his 3-point attempts as well. As those numbers indicate, there’s not an area where Bridges fails to help your lineup if you roll with him, and he’ll have three games that count in the fantasy standings this week beyond his NBA Cup Finals matchup Tuesday.
Start: Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies
21% roster rate
Wells has been a steady presence throughout a rough season for the Grizzlies that’s seen Ja Morant miss significant chunks of games yet again, with the former showing improvement across the board in his second season. Wells checks into Week 9 playing what might be his best basketball to date, as he’s posted eight consecutive double-digit scoring tallies and averaged 18.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest in that span, along with just under a steal per game (0.9). Perhaps most important of all is the fact he’s displaying vastly more efficient shooting, as he boasts a 59.7% success rate from the floor in that sample, including 56.7% from behind the arc. With three games to work with this week, including a home matchup against the generous Wizards, Wells is firmly in play.
ALSO CONSIDER: Davion Mitchell, Heat (28% roster rate)
Sit: LaMelo Ball, Hornets
62% start rate
Ball is on a two-game team this week, and the talented but oft-injured guard isn’t even guaranteed to play in either contest. Ball has missed the last three games heading into Week 9 due to an ankle injury, and he’s listed as questionable heading into the new week. With so much uncertainty and so little opportunity, it’s best to steer clear of Ball this week in the event he can only take the floor once or remains sidelined altogether.
Forwards
Start: Norman Powell, Heat
44% start rate
Powell helped carry the Heat over the first few weeks of the season while Tyler Herro completed his recovery from offseason ankle/foot surgery, and he’s remained very productive since his teammate’s debut despite the usage hit. The veteran wing checks into Week 9 with averages of 25.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per contest in the 13 games covering his last month of play, a span where he’s also shot 51.6%, including 42.6% from 3-point range. Powell is still averaging a healthy 17.0 shot attempts per contest, including 7.8 from distance, during the sample, corroborating he remains a key part of the attack.
Start: Keegan Murray, Kings
33% start rate
The Kings are mired in a season-long malaise despite the plethora of big names on their roster, but Murray’s play has been one of the brighter spots following his delayed season debut on Nov. 20. The fourth-year forward is averaging 14.9 points (the second-highest figure of his career), along with a career-high 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.7 blocks. Murray has never provided a versatile a stat line in his three seasons prior, and while his shooting efficiency still has plenty of room for improvement, he’s averaging a career-high 37 minutes per game, which should continue to give him ample opportunity to continue churning out strong numbers across the stat sheet.
ALSO CONSIDER: Josh Hart, Knicks (33% start rate)
74% start rate
Miller is another member of the Hornets that will get the Sit treatment this week due to his sparse schedule. The third-year forward has managed to remain healthy for four consecutive games. His production over the eight games he’s played since returning from an extended absence due to a shoulder injury – 18.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest – is solid, yet not indispensable when he only has two opportunities to take the floor.
Centers
Start: Naz Reid, Timberwolves
38% start rate
Reid came through handsomely as a Week 8 suggestion, delivering 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals over his final two games of the week while shooting 53.8%, including 50% from long range. The versatile veteran is now boasting the second-highest scoring average of his career (13.9) and complementing it with a career-best 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals per contest. Reid’s 39.1% success rate from downtown is also the second-best figure of his career in that category, making him a valued source of multi-category production going into his three-game week.
Start: Jabari Smith Jr., Rockets
38% start rate
Smith is another floor-stretching big who’s enjoying his most productive season yet as a scorer. The 2022 third overall pick is averaging a career-high 15.4 points per game, adding 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest. Smith has been on a multi-week heater coming into Week 9 as well, as he’s put up 16.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists over his last 12 games, delivering a trio of 20-plus-point efforts and double-doubles apiece in that stretch. Smith also has the luxury of four games to work with this week, making him especially appealing.
76% start rate
Holmgren will see the floor only twice this coming week as well, and the 2022 second overall pick therefore loses some of his usual appeal. The Thunder has also gotten healthier in the last couple of weeks, including getting Holmgren’s frontcourt mate Isaiah Hartenstein back in the fold. Consequently, Holmgren’s usage has taken a bit of a hit, and there are certainly similarly talented three- or four-game options that will likely make bigger contributions to your roster this week.