Jalen Suggs started the season off strong averaging a career-high 12.3 points per game.
We’re already set for Week 4 of the NBA season, and this time around, we have a very close balance of teams on three- and four-game weeks. That narrows our player pool of ideal candidates slightly, but there are still a solid amount of under-the-radar options to consider at each position.
Each week, we’ll aim to highlight a pair of Start candidates for your fantasy rosters that may shape up as some of the tougher calls of the week to make, with the focus usually being on players with a start or roster rate of 50% or less in Yahoo leagues. We’ll also typically hone in on players with four-game weeks in an attempt to maximize opportunities for production.
Likewise, we’ll spotlight one Sit candidate at each position that would normally not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, with the focus there often on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.
TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors
TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES: Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers
Without further ado, let’s examine some of the tougher start/sit decisions for Week 4:
Guards
Start: Coby White, Bulls
45% start rate
It may have been somewhat easy to forget the last few seasons, yet White was highly regarded enough to warrant an investment of the seventh overall pick by the Bulls in 2019. Chicago has tried to replace him on numerous occasions, but with the Lonzo Ball experiment not working out due to injury and both Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso providing inconsistent results at point guard, White has worked his way back to a starting role. He’s scuffling with his efficiency (39.1% shooting), but he’s still contributing 12.3 points, 4.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals across 32.2 minutes per contest. What’s more, he’ll head into Chicago’s four-game Week 4 on a nice run, as he’s put up 14.8 points on improved 45.6% shooting, along with 5.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals, across his last five contests.
Start: Jalen Suggs, Magic
46% start rate
Suggs is another guard who doesn’t lack for draft pedigree (fifth overall pick in 2021) that’s enjoying a resurgence after a down 2022-23 campaign. The third-year pro is putting up a career-high 12.3 points per game with the help of a career-best 35.1% success rate from distance, and he’ll head into the new week with back-to-back 20-point efforts. Suggs’ starting shooting guard role is secure, and he should continue seeing a bit of extra usage on Orlando’s four-game schedule with Wendell Carter (finger) expected to remain out for the duration of that span.
ALSO CONSIDER: Malik Monk, Kings (42% start rate); Skylar Mays, Trail Blazers (20% start rate)
Sit: Russell Westbrook, Clippers
68% start rate
Westbrook has been solid thus far while operating within the Clippers’ star-laden first unit, averaging 14.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.9 steals while shooting a career-high 47.9%. However, he’s saddled with a two-game schedule over the next seven days, and as well-rounded as the future Hall of Famer’s stat line is, it’s a solid assumption you can find three- and four-game options that could match or exceed his projected production with reduced opportunity.
Forwards
Start: Sam Hauser, Celtics
12% roster rate
Hauser admittedly carries a bit of risk in that he’s far from proven, but there’s no denying the third-year wing’s increasing role on the Celtics’ second unit, not to mention his long-distance shooting prowess. The Virginia product heads into the new week with four consecutive double-digit scoring tallies, a span in which he’s drained a blistering 53.1% of his attempts, including 50.0% from 3-point range. Hauser isn’t just a source of offensive production, either, as he’s pulled down at least four boards in four of nine games. While you’ll likely get minimal contributions outside of those categories, he’s an interesting option on a four-game week if you’re in a pinch.
Start: Tim Hardaway, Mavericks
46% start rate
Hardaway earns another Start designation this week as the Mavericks’ busy early-season schedule continues. The veteran came through handsomely in Week 3 with averages of 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists across 28 minutes per contest over four games. Hardaway even came one rebound shy of a double-double Sunday against the Pelicans, and he’s currently averaging a robust 13.9 shot attempts per game, his highest figure since the 2018-19 season. With a second-unit role that regularly affords him minutes in the high 20s and an aggressive mindset each time he takes the floor, the potential is certainly there for another fruitful scoring period.
ALSO CONSIDER: Rui Hachimura, Lakers (24% roster rate)
Sit: Jabari Smith, Jr., Rockets
65% start rate
Smith is normally a fine Start candidate, and he’s particularly shown improvement as a shooter with a 48.4% success rate from the field following a 40.8% rookie-season figure. However, Smith will be working with just two games on his schedule this coming week, and he’ll also enter that sparse period in a bit of a slump – the second-year big has scored in single digits in two straight games, the first time that’s occurred this season. Smith’s solid-but-replaceable production earns him a seat for the next week.
CENTERS
Start: Goga Bitadze, Magic
16% roster rate
Bitadze has been pushed into a starting role over the last four games with Carter sidelined due to his aforementioned finger injury, and the fifth-year big man has responded well to the opportunity. Bitadze is averaging 7.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals over 22.5 minutes per contest in his first four games with the starting unit. The scoring is going to be inconsistent with Bitadze, but he actually has a pair of double-digit point tallies in that sample and can certainly give you some strong returns in rebounds and defensive categories on a four-game ledger.
Start: Andre Drummond, Bulls
9% roster rate
Finding centers with sub-50% start/roster rates on four-game weeks was a bit of a challenge this week, but Drummond makes for a sneaky starting alternative if you’re struggling with adequately filling a center spot on your roster. The veteran is essentially providing his usual contributions on a per-minute basis, only he’s now firmly stuck in a backup role behind Nikola Vucevic. Nevertheless, Drummond has averaged 7.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals across just 14 minutes per game in his last four, a testament to how active he’s been when on the floor. His typical allotment of playing time, which consists of minutes that have yet to eclipse the teens this season, is concerning, but Drummond’s track record and his four-game schedule suggest he could provide some serviceable production as an emergency fantasy starter.
ALSO CONSIDER: Bismack Biyombo, Grizzlies (28% start rate)
Sit: Ivica Zubac, Clippers
56% start rate
Zubac is off to another solid start this season despite sharing the floor with a bevy of high-usage options, as he’s averaging 10.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per contest. However, he’s scored in single digits in four of his last six games and now draws a two-game schedule in Week 4. Consequently, leave Zubac on your bench in favor of a similarly productive three- or four-game option.
