Every fantasy season begins with a mad shuffle of adds and drops after the first week of action. There are always the "how did we miss that" adds that and "the way too soon" overreaction drops. But there is also everything in between, from players taking on bigger or smaller roles than expected, shifting value due to injuries and sneaky snags that require a good bit of foresight. In this article, we will take a look at adds and drops to consider early in the fantasy campaign.
"How did we miss that?"
Norman Powell provided a stunning 37-point performance in his second game of the season and is averaging 24.7 points on 51.9 percent shooting through three outings. It was foreseeable that he would get a bump up in the pecking order since the departure of Paul George, but more managers should have anticipated the trend of Kawhi Leonard missing games, which would instantly make Powell the second option for the Clippers. Even with Leonard in the lineup, Powell is a proven scorer, who averaged 16.9 points per game over the last five seasons.
Rui Hachimura established himself as a starter for the Lakers last season, where he averaged 13.6 points on 53.7 percent shooting, including 42.2 percent from deep. His size and skill set give him a very high ceiling and suggests there is still untapped potential from the 26-year-old. He is off to a great start this year, averaging 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists over his first four games.
Dereck Lively shined in his rookie season, where he made a solid contribution to the Mavericks' run to the Finals. He is off to a good start this year, averaging 9.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, and he should continue to benefit from playing with two elite playmakers. Lively delivered comparable fantasy totals to top-tier talents such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Bam Adebayo through the season's first three games.
"Sneaky snags"
Santi Aldama is off to a great start to the season, including surpassing the 20-point mark twice and recording one double-double within his first four outings. He has started in three of the Grizzlies' first four games and looks to be on track to play more than 25 minutes per game for a second consecutive season. He is also doing a good job racking up the assists with a career-high average of 4.3 per game, so far.
Dyson Daniels has been a revelation since debuting for the Hawks this season, averaging 2.8 steals through four games played, including a high of five steals in the season opener. Likely, he has already been picked up in many leagues where he was available. If not, he looks like a must-have, especially considering that he has already made a strong case to retain the starting job even after Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) makes his return to the lineup in December.
Onyeka Okongwu is another Hawks player who shined through the first week of the season, including a 28-point effort on 11-for-12 shooting from the field and 6-for-6 from the foul line in the season opener. He averaged 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 25.5 minutes per game last season and should continue to play a major role off the bench.
Wendell Carter has hauled in double digits in rebounds through each of his first four games this season. He has not typically been a big-time scorer, but he is a consistent contributor in his role and is in a great situation with a rising Magic squad. He is averaging 30.3 minutes per game this season, which is a career high.
"Take a flier"
Tre Mann opened the season with a 24-point performance and is averaging 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists through his first three outings this year, including shooting 40.0 percent from deep and a total of 9-for-9 from the foul line. He is also averaging a career-high 28.7 minutes per game and looks to be solidified as a key part of the Hornets' rotation.
Jordan Hawkins averaged 18.0 points on 52.9 percent shooting, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists through the first three games of the season. He came up a quieter in his most recent outing but looks like a potential sixth man for the Pelicans. He will also see increased opportunity while Trey Murphy and Dejounte Murray remain sidelined.
Scotty Pippen Jr. has two double-doubles with points and assists among his first four outings of the season. He made a strong impression in just 21 games played in 2023-24 and is looking ready to establish himself as a high-level distributor. He also has a knack for efficiency, as he is shooting 51.4 percent from the field, including 50.0 percent from deep this season.
"Way too soon drops"
Zach Edey entered the season as a highly anticipated player, whom many believed would be able to impose himself at the NBA level. He has been off to a slow start, scoring in double digits and logging more than five rebounds just once in four appearances. He is also averaging just 16.0 minutes per game.
OG Anunoby remains a key component to the Knicks' lineup, but his overall production is off to a slow start, especially with the addition of Mikal Bridges, which pushes him a step down in the offensive pecking order. He is also shooting a career-low 43.8 percent from the field, including just 16.7 percent from deep after three games.
Russell Westbrook got off to an unimpressive start, shooting just 20 percent from the field through his first three games. He bounced back with a 22-point effort in an overtime win on Tuesday, but it may be unlikely that he can maintain consistent production with the Nuggets' second unit.
"Not what I was hoping for"
Donte DiVincenzo has not been able to find a good rhythm with his new squad and is averaging 9.5 points on 31.0 percent shooting, 2.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals over his first four games. He is also back in a bench role and must compete with Nickeil Alexander-Walker for minutes.
Jonathan Kuminga is off to a slow start this season, shooting just 37.8 percent from the field and averaging 10.3 points per game. He has not been able to show significant confidence on the offensive end, while teammates Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Kyle Anderson and Gary Payton could all potentially eat into his playing time. He also dropped back into a bench role in the Warriors' most recent outing, despite the squad being shorthanded.
"Not working out"
Grayson Allen was an established starter last season but looks to be back in a bench role, while Tyus Jones has taken hold of the starting guard spot beside Devin Booker. Allen is unlikely to have the opportunity to put up competitive numbers in the reduced role.
Keldon Johnson finds himself firmly in a bench role, behind Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie at the wings. Additionally, he is at risk of losing minutes to Malaki Branham and Stephon Castle, and he will not benefit from the eventual return of Devin Vassell this month.
Brandin Podziemski went scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting in the season opener and had a total of 19 points across the next two games. He managed to bounce back with a better scoring performance in the absence of Stephen Curry on Tuesday, but he is shooting just 37.8 percent from the field, including 18.2 percent from long range through four games. Podziemski will likely be in a bench role for the majority of the season and will have to deliver a lot more efficiently to provide significant value.
