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Coming into the season, we all assumed the Magic would get a breakout season from a young European wing with 3-point range, and that has definitely come to pass through the first week of the season. However, while most pegged rookie Mario Hezonja from Croatia as the next Magic star, we may have gotten our geography a bit wrong.
Through the first five games of the season, fourth-year Frenchman Evan Fournier is tied with Eric Bledsoe for 19th in the league in points per game, and even that per-game scoring average doesn't quite do justice to the hot streak he is riding. After scoring just three points in the Magic opener, Fournier is shooting 50.6 percent from the field and has made 11 3-pointers in four games, en route to a 25.0 points per game scoring average. Add in his 13 assists and five steals in that four-game span and Fournier has been a revelation in the early going for Fantasy. The question is, can this last?
We've seen flashes like this from Fournier in the past, including just about a year ago. Fournier averaged 22.8 points over a four-game span last November, and actually opened the season averaging 17.3 points in the Magic's first 12 games. He did that Victor Oladipo missing extensive time, however, and saw his scoring average dip to 10.7 points per game in his final 46 appearances before a hip injury cost him 21 of the final 23 games of the season.
So, we know Fournier is capable of these kinds of runs, which might mean he isn't necessarily a changed player. However, we're talking about a 23-year-old former first-round pick, so it isn't like the idea that he could be making a leap is laughable. It's just that expecting him to sustain a 20-PPG scoring average is unrealistic. The Magic have too many other players they are more invested in to keep featuring Fournier as their top scorer, and you have to imagine we'll see Fournier fall behind Oladipo, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic, at least, in the scoring hierarchy.
That doesn't mean Fournier will go away entirely, of course. His 3-point range is extremely important on this Magic roster, and he does have some ability to take small forwards off the dribble as a secondary ball handler. On this kind of hot streak to open the season, Fournier looks like an incredibly intriguing pickup off the waiver wire, even if his current production won't be sustainable. If he settles in as a 14-5-3 player, that is a starting caliber forward in all formats.
79-60 percent owned
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has the green light from Stan Van Gundy and a very long leash, which basically sums up his Fantasy appeal. He isn't a particularly efficient player, averaging less than 13 points per-36 minutes, so he really does need a ton of volume to provide value. He has a ceiling on his value, in other words, and it might mean his ownership doesn't deserve to go much higher than this. Still, he is also has room to improve on his current production, and could inch closer to 15 PPG, which would go nicely with his improving play making game.
Kevin Martin is a one-trick pony and, quite frankly, he hasn't done that trick quite as well in recent years as he once did. However, he has drawn 10-plus free-throw attempts in two of his first three games to open the season, a throwback to the days when he was one of the most efficient scorers in the league. He won't give you much beyond 3-point shooting, free-throw percentage and scoring, but that is fine in Week 3 (Nov. 9-15), when the Timberwolves are the only team in the league with five games on the schedule. You might not have much use for him in a 10-team league beyond that, but Martin should be in your lineup for at least the upcoming scoring period.
59-40 percent owned
The Hawks have been right behind the Spurs at the forefront of preventative rest over the last few seasons, and they have been consistent with that in the early going. Coming off season-ending injuries, Thabo Sefolosha and Kyle Korver are sitting out early back-to-back sets to avoid any undue wear and tear on their bodies. That has given Kent Bazemore the opportunity to step into a larger role, and the former Warrior, best known for his towel-waving on the bench, has acquitted himself quite nicely. He will never be a big scorer or play maker, but he can give you 10 points on most nights, with the occasional 3-5 assist night and some big defensive potential to boot. Like everyone else on this team, he has the green light to fire away from 3-point range, and has so far managed to avoid hurting you anywhere this season. The volume isn't there in points leagues, but Bazemore is an extremely interesting Rotisserie option.
Galloway is a lot like Bazemore, in that he has the ability to do a lot of little things but won't dominate any one category. Playing time should be more consistent for him in New York even coming off the bench, and he has opened up the season with nearly identical numbers to Bazemore. His hot shooting won't sustain, but I would expect more play making than the 2.2 assists per game Galloway is contributing right now. There's a chance that when Arron Afflalo returns from his hamstring injury Galloway will lose significant minutes, but as long as Afflalo is limited in practice, Galloway's role is locked up.
39 percent and under
Before the season, I said whoever ended up starting at point guard for the 76ers was going to be a Fantasy sleeper, and that has definitely proven true so far. Not so much with Isaiah Canaan, who was benched Wednesday and is being used as much more of a shooting guard than anything else. And not so much for the likes of Tony Wroten, Pierre Jackson (he's off the team) and Kendall Marshall, none of whom have even been able to play due to injuries. But little-heralded rookie T.J. McConnell has been a spark plug for the 76ers, averaging 8.0 assists per game in his first four NBA games and forcing his way into the starting lineup for a team that desperately needs play making. He isn't much of a scorer, and hasn't been looking for his own shot at all, but we just saw a player with a similar approach and track record in Ish Smith close out last season averaging 13.0 points and 6.5 assists per game in 13 starts last season. McConnell has little competition right now for playing time, and he will give you healthy assists numbers, if nothing else.
This isn't a pickup I can recommend with any kind of enthusiasm, but I also can't ignore what he is doing. Matthew Dellavedova isn't a particularly skilled offensive player, but he has developed a nice rapport with Tristan Thompson in the second unit, and that has played a big part in him averaging 6.6 assists in the Cavaliers first five games. Even coming off the bench, Dellavedova is playing significant minutes thanks to the injuries to Kyrie Irving, Iman Shumpert and now J.R. Smith, and he has at least deeper league appeal if nothing else for the time being.
Another player with an unexpected role to open the season, Powell is averaging 21.8 minutes per game for the Mavericks and he is just chucking up shots. The 24-year-old who played sparingly for two different teams last season is averaging 9.0 field goal attempts per game in his part-time role, and is putting up solid numbers through the first four games of the season. He is averaging 9.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, and has carved out his role as the team's third big man in the absence of any other healthier options.
With Andrew Bogut dealing with the effects of a concussions sustained the first week of the season, Festus Ezeli has stepped in for the Warriors and potentially given them a glimpse of their future. Ezeli is a very different player than Bogut, but he brings some real skills to the table and gives Warriors' opponents a wholly different set of headaches to deal with thanks to his offensive rebounding prowess. Consistency has been an issue, but Ezeli is averaging 8.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in his four starts, and could be a viable low-end starting option in category-based formats as long as Bogut continues to recover.
Because his career has had so many ups and downs, it is easy to forget that Marcus Thornton is still in what should be his physical prime at 28. It has been a while since we have discussed him as a Fantasy relevant player, but the veteran sharpshooter has stepped into the starting lineup for the Rockets and made an impact, scoring 51 points in his first three games, with nine 3-pointers made. He is starting in place of Terrence Jones, who is dealing with a troublesome eye injury that gives him no timetable to return, and Thornton looks comfortable in his role providing space for James Harden, Ty Lawson and Dwight Howard. You won't get much from him beyond shooting, but that has value if you didn't manage to get much on Draft Day. As long as Jones is out, Thornton is worth a spot on deeper league rosters.
