Jalen Johnson’s fantasy stock took a serious hit, dropping him a full two rounds in per-game value when CJ McCollum is on the floor. Dude was a top-9 guy in 9-cat without CJ last year, but that plummets to 34th with him. Seriously, that’s a massive shift, and if you were banking on him as a first-rounder, you might wanna pump the brakes; second round is looking way more realistic now.
Eastern Conference Fantasy Shakes Up Early
Over in Boston, the real battle to watch is Neemias Queta versus Mitchell Robinson for center minutes. Queta was a top-75 guy in 9-cat last year, straight up delivering boards and blocks without eating up usage. Robinson’s always battling injuries, so even if they split time, Queta is probably gonna play more games. If Queta doesn’t win that job outright, his ADP is gonna look sus, no doubt. Oh, and can Baylor Scheierman actually snag that starting shooting guard spot? That’s a huge question for fantasy managers.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s got Egor Demin making waves. It’s not just the five assists in both preseason games; his offensive bag against the Sixers was legit, dropping 13 points in some wild, creative ways. His offseason bulk-up looks way more significant than, uh, some other guys we’ve seen. We’re still waiting on rookie Mikel Brown Jr. to show us what he’s got, but Demin is rising.
Down in Charlotte, the injury bug is hitting hard, with Coby White (calf) and Kon Knueppel (hamstring) out the entire preseason. That’s a short-term boost for Dennis Schröder at starting PG and Grayson Allen at starting SG. Both are probably free in most drafts and could be early-season steamers if the injured starters aren’t back for opening night. And don’t sleep on Diabate as a late-round big man for boards and blocks. He could surprise.
More East Coast Movers and Shakers
Chicago’s got Jalen Smith on the rise, putting up 13 points and 8 boards in just 20 minutes in a recent preseason game. With Nic Claxton out (hamstring, re-evaluated Oct. 19), Smith is the clearest injury fill-in available right now. Caleb Wilson will likely tank your efficiency, no lie, but his points-league appeal is real: 15 points in 29 minutes, with a path to over 30 mpg? That’s volume you can’t ignore.
Cleveland saw Peyton Watson look sharp in his debut with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. That hamstring issue seems to be totally behind him, which is huge. He’s good value after pick 100. Coach Kenny Atkinson even specifically shouted out the Jaylon Tyson-Watson wing pairing, and Tyson led the team with 14 points while James Harden was chilling. Those two could be a sneaky good duo.
Out of Detroit, Jalen Duren’s signed that five-year, $200M deal, thank goodness, so no more holdout drama. But the real story is Ausar Thompson. We all know about his stocks, but his offensive growth is insane. His shot profile is changing, he’s hitting confident middys, and his playmaking is totally underrated. No wonder his ADP is climbing like crazy. You gotta keep an eye on him.
And get this, Jarace Walker for Indiana? The dude handed out 10 assists with only one turnover in a team-high 28 minutes. That was easily the best playmaking game of his young career, and his +18 led the team. That’s the kind of stuff that pops for fantasy.
Keep an eye on those Hornets guards like Schröder and Allen, because their minutes are gonna be legit until White and Knueppel are back. And seriously, if you’re drafting in the next few days, Ausar Thompson and Jarace Walker? They’re showing out early and could be late-round steals or even mid-round grabs if their ADP keeps flying. Don’t miss out!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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