It might not make sense to read too much in to some early season surprises on the floor but there has certainly been some intriguing news in the first week of action. If you’re a fantasy player, here are the latest news and notes from around the NBA.
Jrue Holiday’s Minutes Cap Rises
The New Orleans Pelicans committed to a minutes cap for point guard Jrue Holiday heading in to this season and while they will stick with that plan, they have decided to change the number from 15 minutes per game to 20 minutes per game based on how he has responded early on. Holiday has averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game in just two games so far this year and with New Orleans being fairly banged up – especially with Tyreke Evans out until about Christmas – they need to stretch their roster a little bit more. They are trying trying to make the postseason in the loaded Western Conference they simply can’t afford a slow start. That’s why they can’t hold him back. This is good news if you own him in fantasy.
DeMarcus Cousins Undergoes MRI
The Sacramento Kings received some bad news when it was confirmed that DeMarcus Cousins will miss at least the next two games with an Achilles injury. Considering it was initially feared to be even worse – as evidenced by the fact that he needed an MRI – they have to be happy that it isn’t serious. In the short term, make sure you look to Willie Cauley-Stein and Kosta Koufas in daily fantasy as those guys will offer good value. In long-term fantasy, this won’t change a whole lot for you. Cousins is obviously an integral piece in the Kings lineup and they are going to need him healthy and playing to his potential to have any chance at making some noise in the Western Conference this season.
Meyers Leonard Injured
It might not be as big of a deal to a Portland Trail Blazers team that is clearly not going to contend for a playoff spot this season but fantasy owners have to be concerned about the status of Meyers Leonard. A lot of people took a shot with him after he was considered a sleeper pick heading into this season. Remember, he’s a starter on this team now following the mass exodus of players that left in free agency over the summer. He’s already shown what he can do with a bigger role as he had 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists, a block, a steal and two threes in the opening game of the season.
Leonard revealed he is dealing with numbness in his hand and while it is his non-shooting hand, it has clearly affected his early season performance. It could become a problem if it continues, so be careful with him in fantasy leagues.
O.J. Mayo Sidelined
The Milwaukee Bucks are considered a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference but they will be without O.J. Mayo for at least a couple more games as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. The Bucks have not revealed much about the injury or Mayo’s long-term status to this point but it could be a little more serious than his current day-to-day status indicates. Milwaukee is off to an 0-3 start that makes every issue a little more glaring at this point but don’t expect the Bucks to rush Mayo back until he is ready because they don’t want to risk him aggravating the injury.
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If you have in fantasy, you have to be concerned. Jabari Parker was just cleared and he’s likely to soak up a lot of Mayo’s minutes. With Mayo not fully healthy and no clear indication of when he’ll return, you can probably drop him and avoid using him in daily fantasy even when he gets back.
