Welcome to another season of Risers and Fallers, where we look at three players making an early push for fantasy impact and three whose stock has dipped in the first week of the season. Call it "who's hot and who's not."
Ty Jerome of the Memphis Grizzlies is already rostered in 89.7% of ESPN leagues, but his value is so high that it may be time to trade him. Jerome scored 45 points against Utah on opening night and followed with 28 points and five assists against Golden State. Part of that hot start comes from weak opposition, as both the Warriors and Jazz have struggled early. Memphis has built its offense to help him succeed, but he will have a hard time sustaining this shooting pace all season.
Dennis Schroder of the Charlotte Hornets, rostered in just 9.7% of leagues, has been a strong waiver-wire pickup. He put up 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and three 3-pointers against Miami on Saturday. Coby White's return from a calf strain will eventually cut into his role, so managers should be ready to move on once White is back.
Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls, rostered in 22.8% of leagues, has been consistent, scoring 14 to 15 points in each of his first three games and averaging 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals. Chicago is thin at center, which gives him a path to around 25 minutes a night if he stays healthy.
On the falling side, Myles Turner of the Milwaukee Bucks has managed just 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and Kel'el Ware's 19-point, 13-rebound performance has put his job in question. Onyeka Okongwu of the Atlanta Hawks has not scored more than 10 points in any of his three games, even as several Hawks teammates start hot.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing