We head into a Week 5 schedule that features two nights with double-digit games, as well all 30 teams playing either three or four games. With 18 teams on a four-game week, there's no shortage of opportunity for a large swath of the player pool to deliver strong fantasy returns. COVID-19 postponements do continue to wreak some havoc with fantasy rosters, but we'll keep our fingers crossed for a much quieter week on that front.
Without further ado, let's examine some start/sit decisions for Week 5:
TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz
GUARDS
Start: Cole Anthony, ORL (30% start rate in CBS leagues)
With Markelle Fultz (knee) and Michael Carter-Williams (foot) out of the picture, Anthony has been thrown into the fire and responded admirably. The 15th overall pick in November's draft has averaged 13.2 points, 3.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 27.8 minutes during his first five games in the starting point guard role. What's more, he's put together the solid line despite unsightly 36.8 percent shooting, but with an average of just under
We head into a Week 5 schedule that features two nights with double-digit games, as well all 30 teams playing either three or four games. With 18 teams on a four-game week, there's no shortage of opportunity for a large swath of the player pool to deliver strong fantasy returns. COVID-19 postponements do continue to wreak some havoc with fantasy rosters, but we'll keep our fingers crossed for a much quieter week on that front.
Without further ado, let's examine some start/sit decisions for Week 5:
TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz
GUARDS
Start: Cole Anthony, ORL (30% start rate in CBS leagues)
With Markelle Fultz (knee) and Michael Carter-Williams (foot) out of the picture, Anthony has been thrown into the fire and responded admirably. The 15th overall pick in November's draft has averaged 13.2 points, 3.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 27.8 minutes during his first five games in the starting point guard role. What's more, he's put together the solid line despite unsightly 36.8 percent shooting, but with an average of just under 14 attempts per game, he's remaining involved enough to improve on that number.
Start: Jordan Clarkson, UTA (51% start)
Clarkson's role always seems to remain the same no matter what uniform he dons – he averages minutes in the mid-20s off the bench while giving his team's second unit a nice infusion of offense. The veteran is at it again this season, and he's producing career bests in points (17.1), rebounds (4.8), overall shooting percentage (48.4) and three-point shooting percentage (42.2 percent). The 28-year-old also comes into the new week having played 25 minutes or more in six straight games, his most voluminous stretch of playing time this season. In Sunday's win over the Nuggets, Clarkson turned 30 minutes off the bench into 23 points, four three-pointers and a pair of steals.
ALSO CONSIDER: Duncan Robinson, MIA
Sit: Dillon Brooks, MEM (60% start)
Brooks is regularly drawing starts in well over half of CBS leagues, but there's a case to sit him this coming week if you have a more consistent option. The fourth-year wing enters the new week having shot just 9-for-30 from the floor over his last two games, dragging his career-worst shooting percentage to 38.3 over 12 games. Brooks has scored 13 points or less in five of the last seven contests overall, and with Ja Morant now back in action from his ankle injury, Brooks could struggle to right his offensive ship this coming week with his teammate soaking up plenty of usage.
FORWARDS
Start: Isaac Okoro, CLE (12% start)
The rookie fifth overall pick has returned from a five-game absence due to a foot injury in solid form, and he'll head into the new week with three straight double-digit scoring efforts that have each included multiple steals. Like many first-year players, Okoro is still working on getting his shooting up to par, but he was a very efficient scorer in college, so there's reason to believe he'll improve his current 41.3 percent figure over time. Okoro is also playing heavy minutes for the banged-up Cavs, averaging 36.6 per game through his first eight contests.
Start: OG Anunoby, TOR (49% start)
Anunoby has been one of the few bright spots for the Raptors thus far, putting up or equaling career-best figures in points (13.1), rebounds (5.3), steals (2.1) and assists (1.7). The fourth-year wing is also taking a career-high 9.8 field goal attempts per contest and shooting a solid 46.2 percent. While he's never going to be a consistent top-three option in Toronto's attack, he's contributing plenty across the stat sheet on a team that figures to continue being involved in plenty of close, higher-scoring games.
ALSO CONSIDER: JaMychal Green, DEN
Sit: Bojan Bogdanovic, UTA (54% start)
Bogdanovic not only has a three-game week, but the veteran simply hasn't been himself yet this season. The 31-year-old's 38.5 percent shooting from the field is easily a career-worst, and Bogdanovic is also putting up just 11.9 shot attempts per contest after averaging a career-high 14.8 last season. Bogdanovic's averages in rebounds (3.6) and assists (1.6) are also down over last season, and his offensive inconsistency is perfectly encapsulated by the fact he's generated single-digit point tallies in only seven of his 13 appearances.
CENTERS
Start: Enes Kanter, POR (45% start)
Jusuf Nurkic has unfortunately fallen victim to another long-term injury, suffering a fractured wrist Thursday against the Pacers that projects to sideline him for at least eight weeks. Kanter is the next man up at center for Portland, and the veteran big man kicked off his starting run with an outstanding 12-point, 15-rebound, three-assist, two-steal, five-block effort against the Hawks on Saturday. Kanter's defense is always in question and could theoretically threaten his minutes if it becomes a liability, but his line versus Atlanta certainly doesn't foreshadow any such issues for the time being. With four games on tap this coming week -- and a 29-minute workload in his first start -- Kanter's arrow is pointing up for the moment.
Start: Robin Lopez, WAS (10% start)
Another veteran big man set to benefit from injury is Lopez, who's apparently getting first crack at the top job down low in the wake of Thomas Bryant's season-ending knee injury. In his first start in Bryant's stead Monday, Lopez produced an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double that saw him focus much more on banging the boards than stretching the floor. Washington has yet to play again since that contest due to COVID-19 postponements, but with at least three scheduled games this week (Monday's contest against the Cavs has been postponed), Lopez should have a chance to get more involved as a scorer, especially with Russell Westbrook (quadriceps) likely out for multiple weeks.
ALSO CONSIDER: Tristan Thompson, BOS; Isaiah Roby, OKC
Sit: Mason Plumlee, DET (34% start)
Plumlee is still holding on to his starting center job, but even with a career-high average of 26.9 minutes, the veteran is averaging 7.8 points while shooting just 52.2 percent, his lowest figure since the 2015-16 campaign. The 30-year-old is putting in solid work on the boards (8.8 RPG) and in steals (1.4 per contest), but with rookie 16th overall pick Isaiah Stewart starting to push for more playing time on a non-contending team, there could be better options than Plumlee to consider on your roster for the coming week.
