Two teams, one suspension, two risers and two fallers.
Let's waste no time with this week's Fantasy Forecast.
Top Fantasy Friendly Team This Week: Minnesota Timberwolves
Not only do the Minnesota Timberwolves have four games, but they play on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday — zero back-to-backs. Additionally, they're home for three games: The New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings; then they end the week in Memphis against the Grizzlies. No game the Sunday before or the Monday after this stretch — this is what you want. On top of that, you have at least three games that you'd expect to be competitive, which indicates that the meaningful players should play the requisite minutes you need.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert are rostered everywhere, and this is a great week to have them. Mike Conley is also likely rostered in your league, though his production is modest, he'll give you four bites at the apple.
On the waiver wire, consider Kyle Anderson, who is a moderate-ceiling but steady stat-filler. Naz Reid hasn't popped like some thought, but he'll have four chances this week and has the potential to breakout in one or two.
(It'd be nice if he rebounded more, but still.)
Jaden McDaniels is a standout defensive force but typically isn't one to pop fantasy-wise. Still, he may be a helpful stream this week for double-digit points per game and defense, as well as efficiency for those of you in category leagues.
Top Fantasy Un-Friendly Team This Week: Dallas Mavericks
On Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks will see the Lakers, and on Saturday, they play the Clippers — both in Los Angeles.
Moreover, the Mavericks are coming off a weekend back-to-back and have since cooled off following a 6-1 start to the season, standing at 9-5.
Dallas is also a top-heavy team in terms of fantasy. In your league, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are definitely rostered, barring any weird backdoor agreements.
Aside from them, there's a chance that you have every other Maverick available if you're in a shallow league. A standard league probably has a team rostering Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dereck Lively — both rostered in more than half of leagues in fantasy. Grant Williams is taken in leagues that I'm in, but — in Yahoo, for example — is available in 70 percent of leagues.
Other than those five, you might be desperately rostering or streaming Derrick Jones Jr. because he's a starter who could get defensive stats, but in reality, there are two holds on this team and others who, if they're rostered, are guys you might part with at any point this season — save for Lively if you're in a dynasty.
So yes, Luka and Kyrie could have big outings to help you this week, but the others would really need to shock you. Anyone outside of Doncic, Irving, Lively or Hardaway Jr. are droppable this week.
INJURY PIVOT
The entire league is a game-time decision, so we'll just focus on one key injury storyline to start the week.
Well… suspension.
Golden State Warriors
F Draymond Green
Green is still suspended for three more games, so we won't see him this week, given that his return will be on November 28. Kevon Looney should give you healthy production in an obvious uptick in importance sans Green. In two games without him, he's averaging 9.5 points and 13.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 stocks in 27 minutes per contest.
Jonathan Kuminga might be worth a look, given that he's probably available in your league. He's gotten 17.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game in his last two without Green at 23.5 minutes per contest. The Warriors play Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so if he sucks, you can drop him ahead of the weekend for someone else giving you usage.
Also consider Dario Saric. He was playing well prior to Green's suspension and is widely available in leagues. He's averaging 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his last four games.
RISERS
New Orleans Pelicans
G Dyson Daniels
Filling in for CJ McCollum, 2022 No. 8 overall pick Dyson Daniels has been a very effective fantasy waiver wire addition, one you should consider if you're guard needy. The Australian floor general is averaging 11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game in six starts on 46/33/89 shooting. McCollum is out indefinitely with a collapsed lung, and when dealing with this in the 2021-22 season, he missed six weeks. Daniels is getting it done, and the Pelicans have four games in each of the next three weeks, so he'll give you a lot of work.
New Orleans Pelicans
F Herb Jones
I really tried not to pick two dudes on the same team, but Herb Jones has been so good since coming back. He's not as readily available as Daniels, but still is in about 30 percent of Yahoo leagues, though he's apparently only rostered in 34 percent of ESPN leagues. After missing three games with a right fibula contusion, Jones is averaging 13.3 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. Maybe that's not completely sustainable season-long, but Jones' appeal starts with stocks, but could fill up categories at his best, and even if the Pels ever get whole (they probably won't, given their luck) he'll be a fixture on the team. Pick him up if he's available, especially in a categories league.
FALLERS
Houston Rockets
G/F Dillon Brooks
I don't care that he just made six threes.
Dillon Brooks was averaging about 18 points per game on 60/60/93 shooting splits through his first five games of the season, along with 1.6 steals per game, but it was silly to think this would continue for much longer. He was limited to 7.6 points and 0.6 steals on 42/33/67 shooting in the five games after. Then last night, he had six threes and got to 24 points along with four steals. The problem is, Brooks generally gives you little of anything other than points, and at his best, steals. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle for Brooks, and if that's so, there isn't a big need to roster him for lengthy periods save for the occasional stream for steals unless you can stomach the boom-or-bust shooting, or you're in a deeper league.
Charlotte Hornets
PF PJ Washington
It might already be drop time for PJ.
If you do, especially in a categories league, I kind of get it. Washington is a 6-foot-7 power forward who, at best, eats third in Charlotte, though it'll probably be fourth with Miles Bridges back, and could be as low as seventh depending on Gordon Hayward, Mark Williams and Brandon Miller on any given night. If he's not shooting well, Washington just doesn't offer enough at a position where you could possibly roster more versatile options who can also play small forward, i.e. the aforementioned Jones, or at center, like a Bobby Portis — and both of those guys give you something other than points. Washington had a 32-point game against the Miami Heat but scored three, three, and four points on a combined 3-for-21 shooting in the other of his current four-game stretch.
