Jordan Poole, Dyson Daniels and eight other early-season surprises
The NBA season may be young, but it’s never too early to think about the players that have made immediate impressions and surprised even the most savvy fantasy basketball experts.
Here are André Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander to explain their biggest surprises early on this season.
Jordan Poole, PG/SG, Washington Wizards
Poole burned fantasy owners so badly last season that he fell to an ADP in the mid-90s in this season’s drafts. He’s having a bit of a revenge tour, racking up averages of 22 points, five assists, three steals and 5.3 3-pointers through three games. That’s good enough for first-round fantasy value and if you were able to draft him at a huge discount this year, so far, so good. There’s a chance for a Washington tank/shutdown, but I’m not concerned enough about it happening to move him. Poole is back. — Alexander
Norman Powell, SG/SF, LA Clippers
Powell was available on waiver wires after this year’s drafts and has been great, powered by the facts that Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely and Paul George is in Philly. I was a little late to the party, but it quickly became clear as the season started that the Clippers were going to have to lean on Powell for offense. He’s returning fifth-round fantasy value, has scored 17, 37 and 20 points in his first three games, and is also a nice source of 3-pointers. He’s not a great all-around fantasy player, but might be the best player available on your waiver wire given his offensive prowess. — Alexander
Evan Mobley, PF/C, Cleveland Cavaliers
There has been a somewhat unexciting aura to the development arc of Evan Mobley. Until now, that is – as the old-school defensive savvy and skills of this young big are suddenly showing up in the box score. It’s not so surprising that he’s enjoying a more modern approach to offense under Kenny Atkinson, but it is compelling and new that he’s sustained big numbers on both sides on a regular basis. Those who landed Mobley might have netted a league-swaying 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 surge in attention, chief among them being a fixture in the Hawks’ starting backcourt as a form of defensive and rebounding coverage for Trae Young. Sometimes, like with Jeremy Sochan last year, unique roles don’t play out well in real or fantasy regards. With Daniels, however, leveraging his size and athleticism to keep up with lead creators empowers his greatest assets and has led to big minutes and more than three stocks (steals plus blocks) per game. His offense, shooting, and rebounding merely need to be respectable to help support his dominant defensive results — and thus far they have been. Daniels should be considered one of the early-season waiver winners. — McCormick
Alexandre Sarr, PF/C, Washington Wizards
Sarr is making strides early on. Washington brought in Jonas Valanciunas this offseason, but it’s been Sarr getting the start. 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 may compare him to fast starters like Wembanyama and Holmgren, but development takes time. Sarr’s averaged 24.7 MPG, and he’s off to a solid start. Once he fully settles in, he could become a key piece for Washington. — Moody
Cam Thomas, SG, Brooklyn Nets
Thomas has delivered on his sleeper appeal, but he’s surpassed expectations. Two things stand out: his impressive 32.2% usage rate, which puts him in the league’s top 10, and his 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 paying off big time 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 over 45 points. — Moody
Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers
Maxey is most of Philadelphia’s offense when it is without Joel Embiid and Paul George, and it has been surprising to see Maxey’s early inefficiency and shooting struggles. Last season, when Embiid was absent post All-Star break, Maxey shot 45% from the field and he averaged 5.6 APG. Maxey carried the offense and fantasy rosters, and he looked good doing so. He will need to do that again this season because Embiid and George will not be lineup mainstays, and fantasy managers need him shooting a lot better than his current rate. — Karabell
Jay Huff, C, Memphis Grizzlies
Huff is no rookie. He is a 27-year-old undrafted journeyman who is suddenly hitting 3-pointers and blocking shots for the Grizzlies, his fourth team in as many seasons, and it sure looks like he is sticking around. OK, so nobody in the fantasy world had heard of Huff until this week, but this skill set is legit and valuable, and it can help in deeper fantasy leagues. Go Jay Huff! — Karabell
Dennis Schroder, PG, Brooklyn Nets
I’ve been surprised by Schroder during 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 has been playing at just as high of a level from the point guard spot. Schroder has three straight games scoring 20-plus points and is flirting with 20-10 status on the season. Schroder is still only rostered in 70.8% of ESPN leagues but 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 that to look like him settling in as the clear third option on the Lakers with the upside to ramp up production if either of his star teammates had to miss time. Instead, through the first week, Reaves has joined Anthony Davis as top-20 fantasy point producers on the Lakers, with LeBron James lagging as “only” a top-40 play. After a solid but pedestrian Game 1, Reaves has been a 22/6/6 guy with four 3-pointers and two steals a game. — Snellings
