The NBA season may be young, but it’s never too early to think about the players who made immediate impressions and surprised even the most seasoned fantasy basketball experts.
Here are André Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander to explain their biggest surprises early this season.
Jordan Poole, PG/SG, Washington Wizards
Poole burned fantasy owners so badly last season that he fell to a mid-90s ADP in this season’s drafts. He’s on a revenge tour, averaging 22 points, five assists, three steals and 5.3 points from 3-point range in three games. He’s good enough for first-round fantasy value, and if you’ve been able to pick him up at a huge discount this year, so far, so good. There is a chance for a Washington tank/shutdown, but I’m not worried enough about that happening to move him. Poole returned. — Alexandru
Norman Powell, SG/SF, LA Clippers
Powell was available on the waiver wire after this year’s drafts and has been great, fueled by Kawhi Leonard being out indefinitely and Paul George being in Philly. I’m a little late to the party, but it quickly became clear once the season started that the Clippers were going to have to lean on Powell for offense. He’s returning to fifth-round fantasy value, scoring 17, 37 and 20 points in the first three games and is also a good 3-point source. He’s not a great all-around fantasy player, but he could be the best player available on your waiver wire given his offensive prowess. — Alexandru
Evan Mobley, PF/C, Cleveland Cavaliers
There was a somewhat unexciting aura to Evan Mobley’s development arc. Until now, that is – as this young big man’s old-school prowess and defensive skills suddenly show up in the box score. It’s not so surprising that he’s enjoying a more modern attacking approach under Kenny Atkinson, but it’s compelling and new that he’s put up big numbers at both ends on a regular basis. Whoever landed Mobley may have landed a major league talent. — McCormick
Dyson Daniels, PG/SG, Atlanta Hawks
It’s absolutely surprising that Daniels is the most added player in ESPN leagues over the past two weeks. There are several reasons for his increased attention, chief among them being a fixture in the Hawks’ backcourt as a form of defensive coverage and rebounding for Trae Young. Sometimes, as with Jeremy Sochan last year, unique roles don’t play well in terms of reality or fantasy. With Daniels, however, leveraging his size and athleticism to keep up with primary creators empowers his biggest assets and has led to big minutes and more than three possessions (steals plus blocks) per game. His offense, shooting and rebounding just need to be respectable to help support his dominant defensive output — and so far they have been. Daniels should be considered one of the early season waiver winners. — McCormick
Alexandre Sarr, PF/C, Washington Wizards
Sarr steps up early. Washington brought in Jonas Valanciunas in the offseason, but Sarr started. He’s already posted 24+ fantasy points in two of his first three games — a strong showing for a rookie still adjusting to the NBA stage. Now, some fans might compare him to fast starters like Wembanyama and Holmgren, but development takes time. Sarr is averaging 24.7 MPG and is off to a good start. Once he fully settles in, he could become a key piece for Washington. — Moody
Cam Thomas, SG, Brooklyn Nets
Thomas lived up to his bedroom calling, but exceeded expectations. Two things stand out: his impressive 32.2% usage rate, which ranks him in the top 10 in the league, and 21.8 field goal attempts per game, with 8.5 of those from beyond the arc. But it’s not just volume, Thomas is making shots, hitting 44.8% from the floor. Head coach Jordi Fernandez is giving him that superstar-level treatment, and it’s yielding very well for fantasy managers who targeted him in the middle rounds. Thomas has scored 26 or more fantasy points in four straight games, including two with 45+ points. — Moody
Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers
Maxey is the biggest part of Philadelphia’s offense when it’s without Joel Embiid and Paul George, and it was surprising to see Maxey’s early ineffectiveness and shooting struggles. Last season, when Embiid was out after the All-Star break, Maxey shot 45 percent from the field and averaged 5.6 APG. Maxey carried the offense and fantasy rosters and looked good doing it. He’ll need to do that again this season, as Embiid and George won’t be the mainstays of the lineup, and fantasy managers need him to shoot much better than his current rate. — Karabell
Jay Huff, C, Memphis Grizzlies
Huff is no rookie. He’s a 27-year-old journeyman suddenly hitting 3-pointers and blocking shots for the Grizzlies, his fourth team in as many seasons, and it certainly looks like he’s sticking around. Okay, so no one in the fantasy world had heard of Huff until this week, but that skill set is legitimate and valuable and can help in deeper fantasy leagues. Go Jay Huff! — Karabell
Dennis Schroder, PG, Brooklyn Nets
I was surprised by Schroder in the first week of the season. I fully expected Cam Thomas to explode (see my “bold prediction” about Thomas and the scoring crown), but Schroder played at an equally high level from the guard spot. Schroder has three straight 20-point games and is flirting with 20-10 on the season. Schroder is still only listed in 70.8% of ESPN leagues, but he is returning top-25 production thus far. — Snellings
Austin Reaves, SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers
I thought Reaves would play well this season, but I expected him to show up as the clear-cut third option on the Lakers, with the benefit of increased production if any of his star teammates should miss time. Instead, in Week 1, Reaves joined Anthony Davis as top-20 fantasy point producers on the Lakers, with LeBron James trailing as “just” a top-40 piece. After a solid but pedestrian Game 1, Reaves was a 22/6/6 guy with four 3-pointers and two steals per game. — Snellings
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