This past week, we lost Stephen Curry for multiple months and Trae Young possibly for multiple weeks to respective injuries, thus it's been a rough start to the season at the point guard position. It hasn't been much better in the frontcourt, with Blake Griffin and Paul George yet to play while recovering from respective ailments, while Zion Williamson and Deandre Ayton won't see the floor until late December, at the earliest.
Given these missing bigs represent huge losses to fantasy rosters, it's worth highlighting some of the stronger power forward and center performances during this past weekend that could surface as helpful alternatives to these missing stars.
The Knicks' Marcus Morris Sr., for instance, exploded for 57 points across two games this past weekend, thanks to not just stellar 3-point shooting, but also with nine free throws per game during this successful scoring binge. With coach David Fizdale going full Tom Thibodeau in regards to his rotation, we find Morris averaging a robust 34 MPG through seven appearances. You can find Morris in free agency in nearly 80% of ESPN leagues.
Memphis' Brandon Clarke can be found in fantasy free agency in more than 60% of ESPN leagues as of Monday morning despite producing at least one block in each appearance. This rookie is quite advanced as a defensive force out of Gonzaga, evidenced by being one of just nine players averaging at least 1.6 BPG and 1.2 SPG this season.
The Heat's Duncan Robinson was a gifted shooter at Michigan (career 41.9% from 3-point range in three seasons with the Wolverines) and that skill has translated to the pros; he's lofted at least five 3-pointers in five of his six appearances this season and just made a career-high seven from beyond in Sunday's drubbing of the Rockets. Serving a Ryan Anderson-like role (sans the rebounding acumen) as a floor-spacer for Miami, Robinson is eligible at small forward while being rostered in just 0.2% of leagues at the moment.
Rounding out this review of surging frontcourt options from the weekend, we find Villanova product Eric Paschall has scored at least 20 points in two of his past three games, and during his past three is averaging 17 PPG with 1.7 stocks (steals plus blocks) for the Warriors. Given Golden State's somewhat extreme need for production on both sides of the floor, Paschall is an emergent name to consider for those in need of frontcourt support.
For some other compelling free agent acquisitions to consider, check out this week's edition of free-agent finds. Names such as Jonathan Isaac and OG Anunoby lead a strong group of endorsements.
Weekend recap
Highlights
Saturday
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: 36 points (14-20 FG_), 15 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 blocks, 3 TO
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons: 25 points (10-16 FG ), 20 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 5 blocks, 4 TO
Sunday
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat: 18 points (7-15 FG), 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, 1 TO
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks: 29 points (9-17 FG), 14 rebounds, 15 assists, 5 TO
Lowlights
Saturday
Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets: 2 points (1-10 FG), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 TO
Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards: 4 points (2-11 FG), 2 rebounds, 1 TO
Sunday
LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs: 8 points (2-9 FG), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 TO
Otto Porter Jr., Chicago Bulls: 4 points (1-10 FG), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 TO
Weekend takeaways
Doncic has delivered triple-doubles in consecutive games for the second time in his career and impressively became just the second player with 25 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in consecutive games in NBA history, joining Oscar Robertson -- who had three such streaks, per Elias. Doncic is the youngest player with consecutive 25-point triple-doubles in NBA history.
Sticking with this theme of historic production, Drummond became the first player with at least 25 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks and 3 steals in a game since Hakeem Olajuwon back in 1989. His current streak of three straight games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds is tied for the longest streak since the NBA-ABA Merger in 1976-77. Per Elias, Drummond is just the 10th player in NBA history with at least 150 points and 125 rebounds through his first seven games of a season and the first in the past 40 seasons, as this feat was last achieved by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76.
It's been fun to see Isaiah Thomas play well off the pine for the Wizards thus far; the former fantasy superstar has produced at least 16 points in each appearance with positive net ratings in two of three games this season. With 20 3-pointers lofted across three games in just 21 MPG, Thomas could ascend as a meaningful fantasy option if he gets more minutes at any point this season.
With seven dimes in a win on Sunday, Malcolm Brogdon has 58 assists through six games this season, the most by any Pacers player in the past 35 seasons (previous high was 54 by Mark Jackson in 1998-99). Brogdon now has five games with at least 20 points and five assists, already one more than he had in 64 games with Milwaukee last season. We find Brogdon ranked ninth on the Player Rater at the moment, and while this level of production isn't likely entirely sustainable once Victor Oladipo returns to the fold, it's clear that there is an impressive breakout campaign underway for this gifted combo guard.
It's been a rough start for Chicago, especially for Porter Jr., who played through an ankle ailment on Sunday but again struggled badly from the floor. One positive has been the play of Wendell Carter Jr., with the Duke product quietly thriving. Foul trouble and poor shooting from the perimeter are part of the package, but so are 1.9 career stocks per game to go with 61.5% shooting from the floor this season.
Injuries of note
The Bucks' Wesley Matthews left Saturday's win over the Raptors with an ankle injury. It's unclear if Matthews can go tonight against the Timberwolves, while some blend of George Hill and Sterling Brown will pick up the slack if the veteran shooting guard can't suit up.
Miami's Justise Winslow didn't play on Sunday due to a back ailment and has now missed consecutive games. There is some hope for a return to action this week, with Winslow set to travel west for Tuesday's tilt with Denver.
Hassan Whiteside sat out of Saturday's close loss to the Sixers but is considered probable for tonight's matchup with the Warriors.
Whiteside figures to be in a great spot tonight, given the lack of size and experience in Golden State's lineup with Draymond Green due to miss the game with a torn ligament in his finger. D'Angelo Russell, meanwhile, is questionable with an ankle injury that sidelined him this past Saturday.
Analytics advantage for Monday
Tonight's six-game slate features three games with opening point totals of at least 230, while each game has an opening total of at least 223. Translated to a fantasy context, this information from Vegas informs us that it's a strong offensive slate, as there aren't any games hovering around 210 points dragging down the market for streaming options and DFS values.
Of tonight's slate, I'm most intrigued by focusing on the New Orleans Pelicans visiting the Brooklyn Nets and the Houston Rockets in Memphis to face the Grizzlies. Both games claim totals of at least 231 points, while in Memphis we find a gem of a fantasy climate with Houston ranked first in the NBA in pace with 109.1 possessions per 48 minutes and Memphis at third in the league in tempo (107.6). The Pelicans rank ninth, while the Nets sit at seventh in pace, suggesting both of these games should host an atypically high number of possessions.
The streaming crop from these games is quite impressive; the likes of Brooklyn's Joe Harris and Taurean Prince can serve as shooting specialists for those streaming, while more enduring shares of Josh Hart and his elite rebounding rate is another savvy angle to consider.
From Houston, we find Danuel House Jr. widely available and yet producing awesome shooting (10th in the league in catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts per game) while also proving helpful on defense. With Russell Westbrook due to rest in Memphis, House could prove busier on offense. The aforementioned Clarke for Memphis is in a strong spot against a Houston team that just got run out of the gym by the Heat.
Top players to watch tonight
Philly's Al Horford took a career-high 24 field goal attempts on Saturday night, and in two games this season with Joel Embiid out of the lineup, he's averaged 24.0 PPG and 6.0 APG. With increased offensive equity and more work around the rim as the team's leading center sans Embiid, who will miss the second of a two-game suspension tonight in Phoenix, Horford is an awesome DFS option to consider, given the obvious uptick in usage.
On the other side of the floor is Uncle Al's former teammate from the Celtics, Aron Baynes, who has thrived in place of the suspended Ayton. Baynes is doing his best Brook Lopez impersonation, and as ESPN's Kevin Pelton noted on Twitter this past weekend, he's become a legitimate stretch center for Phoenix.