Twenty teams play four times during week 11, with the remaining 10 teams going around three times. Sitting players who only go three times has its advantages, but Fantasy managers still have to make smart decisions when figuring out who to start and who to sit, regardless of games played.
- Four Games: BKN, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, MEM, MIL, MIN, NOP, NYK, ORL, PHO, POR, SAC, TOR, UTA
- Three Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, LAL, MIA, OKC, PHI, SAS, WAS
- Two Games: N/A
Here are four potential starts and four potential sits entering the 11th week of the NBA season. Just keep in mind that this is based on games played for the week. If you play in a rotisserie league, the number of games played each week may not matter in your format.
Guards
Consider starting: Dante Exum, DAL (48% ROS, 25% START)
Opponents: @TOR, WAS, WAS, SAS
Managers are well within their rights to remain cautious regarding Exum's long-term value this season. He is playing the best basketball of his career and has managed to carve out a consistent role in Dallas. He has been a top-70 player over the past month, averaging 15.3 points per game, with 3.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, one steal and 1.8 3-pointers. Even with Kyrie Irving likely to return this week, Exum will remain in the starting unit. He doesn't have the highest upside but should be considered for a starting role given his importance to what Dallas is doing now.
Consider starting: Scoot Henderson, POR (89% ROS, 51% START)
Opponents: @PHO, @DAL, @DAL, @BKN
Although his season numbers remain underwhelming, Henderson has been on an upward trajectory of late. He is just outside the top 100 over the past week, compiling averages of 21.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.1 3-pointers. His efficiency from the floor remains a major issue, although anyone rostering him should be factoring that in as an ongoing flaw. He has played at least 36 minutes in two straight games and appears to be realizing some of the potential we saw coming into the season.
Consider sitting: Jordan Poole, WAS (96% ROS, 49% START)
Opponents: @CLE, @CLE, NYK
After seeming as though he may have figured things out, Poole has regressed over his past three games. During that span, he has scored 13, 5 and 14 points respectively, adding zero steals and only three 3-pointers. His upside makes him a tough player to drop, but with so many other teams playing four times this week, Poole is certainly someone to consider moving to the bench. Who knows, by the time Week 12 rolls around, perhaps he will have got things back on track.
Forwards
Consider starting: Josh Hart, NYK (45% ROS, 23% START)
Opponents: MIN, CHI, @PHI, @WAS
Hart has been wildly inconsistent this season, ultimately resulting in him being outside the top 150 in nine-category leagues. Based on what we have seen to this point, he has not even been a must-roster player. However, following the Knicks' acquisition of OG Anunoby, there is a good chance Hart slots into a larger role moving forward. He has played at least 30 minutes in five of the past six games and should maintain something similar given both RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are no longer with the team.
Consider sitting: Keldon Johnson, SAS (98% ROS, 58% START)
Opponents: @MEM, MIL, @CLE
Outside of a few poor performances, Johnson has been able to deliver a more well-rounded game this season. He is just outside the top 110 in standard leagues, averaging 17.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.9 3-pointers. Despite that, managers are going to have to make some tricky decisions this week, and with the Spurs playing just three times, Johnson could be expendable. Couple that with the fact he is currently dealing with a back injury, and managers may want to err on the side of caution by holding him out.
Consider sitting: Patrick Williams, CHI (49% ROS, 17% START)
Opponents: @PHI, @NYK, CHA
After a slow start to the season, Williams has been relatively consistent of late. He has scored double-digits in seven of the past eight games, playing at least 31 minutes in seven of those games. Despite the improvement, Williams has only managed to put up top-160 value, highlighting the lack of upside when it comes to his fantasy game. While he should be viewed as a must-roster player, he is likely to be at the lower end of the talent pool. Benching him this week shouldn't cause any major regrets come Sunday.
Centers
Consider starting: Trayce Jackson-Davis, GSW (46% ROS, 17% START)
Opponents: ORL, DEN, DET, TOR
Jackson-Davis has been a pleasant surprise for both the Warriors and fantasy managers. Although his playing time has been a little inconsistent, he has been a borderline top-120 player over the past two weeks. He started the last game for Golden State, scoring a career-high 17 points. His rim-running ability, as well as his pick-and-roll game, provides the Warriors with a new element, something they haven't had for many seasons. There remains some uncertainty, but a favorable schedule this week should provide some reassurance to managers.
Consider sitting: Onyeka Okongwu, ATL (57% ROS, 15% START)
Opponents: OKC, @IND, @ORL
After playing at least 30 minutes in three straight games earlier in the month, Okongwu has scaled back his production over the past two weeks. He has scored fewer than 12 points in four consecutive games, averaging 9.3 points per game to go with 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 combined steals and blocks. Despite the upside, his role remains underwhelming for anyone who drafted him. With only three games on the slate, Okongwu is certainly someone to consider as a bench candidate, given his limited playing time of late.
