The start of week four of the NBA season featured five games, all of which started at 8pm ET. It may have made it difficult to keep up with all of the games at once, but we’ll make sure to hit on the players that are worth picking up after Monday night.
Donovan Mitchell (36 points) helped Cleveland move to 12-0 with a win over the Bulls. Without Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason combined for 13 steals and blocks in a win over the Wizards. The Nets escaped with a win in New Orleans thanks to a clutch stepback 3-pointer from Cam Thomas (17 points). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 45 points as the Thunder beat the Clippers to move to 1-0 with their new small ball starting unit. Victor Wembanyama (34 points) helped the Spurs blow out the Kings, who were playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
Those were the headlines from Monday night, and here are the players worth adding:
Brandon Boston Jr.- 37% rostered in Yahoo leagues
Boston Jr. has taken advantage of his opportunity to play for the Pelicans. He had some big scoring nights, but his performance on Monday was his most impressive yet. The shot wasn’t going in, but he was still able to impact the game with seven rebounds, 10 assists and three steals. When the team gets healthy, the minutes will take a hit. Until that happens, stream Boston Jr. with confidence.
Bub Carrington- 25%
This just doesn’t make much sense to me. Carrington ranks in the top-100 in 9-cat leagues and has been closer to a top-50 player over the past two weeks. He finished with 10 points, two rebounds, six assists, four steals, two blocks and two triples in Monday’s loss. Bub’s starting job is safe. He is a player that you can invest in for the rest of the season, since Washington will be prioritizing his development over winning. If he’s on your waiver wire, change that immediately.
Yves Missi- 10%
Missi’s inconsistencies have been a headache this year, but his performance on Monday showed why he should be rostered. He finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, both of which were career-highs, as he recorded the first double-double of his career. The rookie’s previous game was a scoreless night with one rebound in 20 minutes. Hopefully, he can build off his most recent performance and have more nights like Monday.
Keon Ellis- 9%
Malik Monk is set to miss at least two weeks with an ankle sprain, which means more minutes for Ellis. Monday’s game didn’t go well, but he was still able to get two steals, which is his strongest category. It was a bad game all around for the Kings, and the minutes aren’t going anywhere. Ellis should be a solid source of defensive stats and 3-pointers in an extended role.
Ty Jerome- 7%
He may not be worth rostering in 12-team leagues, but Jerome is a great option in deeper formats. He is ranked just outside the top-100 in 9-cat leagues despite playing just 16.5 minutes per game. With Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell healthy, he’ll be difficult to rely on for consistent production, though he did have 12 points, four rebounds, six assists, three steals and two triples in 21 minutes on Monday.
Mason Plumlee- 3%
Jusuf Nurkic (ankle) is questionable to play on Tuesday. If he is forced to sit out, Plumlee should start and play a massive role. He played 26 minutes in their last game and finished with six points, 11 rebounds and six assists. He won’t impact many categories, but he should be a solid source of big man stats in an increased role.
Ausar Thompson- 44%
He’s not back yet, but the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel has cleared Thompson to return to play. He provided excellent value in rebounds, steals and blocks during his rookie season, and while they’ll likely ease him back into the rotation slowly, he’s worth stashing if he’s sitting on your waiver wire.