Fantasy Basketball Week 2 Start/Sit: Tari Eason has not lived up to his draft slot early this season

The start of a season brings with it an abundance of overreactions, as well as scheming performances and mediocre efforts. The trick is to navigate this situation while others in your league make hasty decisions. Week 2 gives us plenty of action, with 15 teams split for four appearances and 14 teams taking the court three times, leaving the Clippers as the only team with two games. Sitting players who only go three times have their advantages, but Fantasy managers still need to make smart decisions about who to play, regardless of the number of games. Being aware of back-to-back sets is also a key factor, especially with so many teams now having players down the stretch.

Four games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, GSW, LAL, MEM, NOP, OKC, ENT, PHI, PHO, TOR, UTA

Three games: BKN, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, POR, SAC, SAS, WAS

Two games: LAKE

Here are four potential starters and four potential seats for the second week of the NBA season. Just keep in mind that this is based on games played during the week. If you play in a rotisserie league, the number of games played each week may not matter in your format.

Guards

Consider Getting Started: Tre Jones, CHI

Opponents: ATL, SAC, NYK, @NYK

A calf injury to Coby White in pre-season immediately saw Jones moved into the starting lineup, a role we saw him fill throughout last season, before suffering an ankle injury. Through the first two games of the season, Jones has been a pest on the defensive end, totaling a combined eight steals, adding 16 assists and 25 points. White is expected to miss at least one more week, meaning Jones should be able to maintain the starting role for the next four games. He could be on waivers in some leagues, and not only is he a no-brainer as a pickup, but he also makes sense as a starter with four games on the card.

Consider sitting down: Bradley Beal, BAC

Opponents: @GSW, NOP

Beal, on the other hand, has had a dismal start to the season and has now appeared on the injury report with a back issue. In his first two games, he averaged 5.5 points in 20 minutes per game, despite starting in both games. Having played in fewer than 55 games in each of the last three seasons, Beal’s time as a viable fantasy asset may be coming to an end. He’s worth keeping around, just in case he can figure things out, but with only two games this week, he certainly makes sense as a bench candidate.

Consider sitting down: D’Angelo Russell, DAL

Opponents: OKC, IND, @DET

Much like Beal, Russell was invisible early in the season, averaging just 11.5 minutes per game over two games, playing off the bench. He was considered a potential late-season player heading into the season, largely under the assumption that he would be the starting point guard. Although Russell’s first two games were concerning, he had a big performance against the Raptors on Sunday, posting 24 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes. This should at least give fantasy managers a little more confidence, but he’s still a risky start and might be better suited to staying on the bench.

Attackers

Consider Getting Started: Sam Hauser, BOS

Opponents: @NOP, CLE, @PHI, HOU

Considered a potential season for Hauser, things are off to a pretty solid start. Hauser started the first two games of the season, coming off the bench for Sunday’s game against the Pistons. However, coming off the bench hasn’t affected his minutes. Through three games, the forward is averaging 11.3 points (3.3 3s) and three rebounds in 24.7 minutes. The Celtics have four games next week, making them a viable starter on most fantasy teams.

Consider getting started: Cédric Coward, MEM

Opponents: @GSW, @PHO, LAL, @TOR

Coward has been a revelation to start the season, giving the Grizzlies hope despite another early-season injury crisis. While much of what he’s done is probably unsustainable, there’s certainly enough of it to merit attention from fantasy leagues. In three games, he is averaging 19 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 2.7 3-pointers in 22.7 minutes per game, shooting 70.4% from the field and 91.7% from the line. Obviously, shootings will decline, which impacts several categories. However, he has been very active on both ends of the court and it appears he has already earned the trust of the coaching staff. Although he’s still unproven, Coward is definitely someone to consider as a starter with four games remaining.

Consider sitting down: Tari Eason, HOU

Opponents: BKN, @TOR, @BOS

Eason was a seemingly safe target in the seventh or eighth round of the draft this season, a range that seems too high at this early stage. The Rockets have lost two straight games to start the season, with Eason barely a factor in either game. In 25 minutes per game, he averaged just 3.5 points, five rebounds and a combined steal and block. While it’s almost impossible for his condition to get worse, his on-field decision-making has raised questions about his long-term value in Houston. He should be held back, at least for now, but sliding him onto your bench could alleviate some frustrations this week.

Centers

Consider getting started: Wendell Carter, ENT

Opponents: @PHI, @DET, @CHA, @WAS

After a strong preseason, Carter began the season proper with strong performances. Over three games, he is averaging nine points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. While the numbers aren’t going to wow anyone, the fact that he’s playing over 30 minutes a night is a step in the right direction. Goga Bitadze hasn’t done much to convince the coaching staff that he should play more minutes, which gives Carter some wiggle room when it comes to playing time. With four games remaining, Carter is a relatively safe option to start as the second or third center this week.

Consider sitting down: Derek Lively, DAL

Opponents: OKC, IND, @DET

Even with Daniel Gafford injured, Lively has been largely disappointing thus far, averaging 5.3 points, five rebounds, three assists and 1.3 blocks in 17 minutes. All signs point to him being the starting center, even when Gafford is cleared to return. However, we could be looking at a split close to a minute, which would make both players difficult to line up with confidence. I would recommend keeping Lively around if possible, as he is coming off an injury himself. For this week, leaving him on your bench could give him the opportunity to step up, without limiting your overall fantasy team.