Dan Titus Fantasy analyst Tue, October 27, 2026 at 3:59 PM UTC · 8 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every team has played two to four games, which is the perfect amount of time to be wrong about everything . Here's my early take on all 30 teams, with extra attention to seven who deserve it. Stats are through Monday, Oct. 26.
Jerome was leading the league in scoring at 34.7 points per game. Let me say that again. TY JEROME WAS LEADING THE LEAGUE IN SCORING.
He dropped 45 in the opener, 28 against Golden State and 31 against Sacramento on Sunday to close out Week 1. Then came Monday: 15 points on 4-of-15 shooting, with 8 assists, in Memphis' 110-105 win over Utah. That brought his average down to 29.8 ppg, and the regression I was talking about has started.
My early take: Jerome's efficiency will keep coming down at this volume. How much remains to be seen, but imagine the return you could get right now if you sell high. You could also ride the wave without cashing out early on a league winner. The Grizzlies are one of five undefeated squads right now.
The Thunder have one of the league's stingiest defenses, allowing just 102 points per 100 possessions. Unfortunately, Jalen Williams suffered a gruesome leg injury that will put him out for the season, along with Cason Wallace (torn labrum in left shoulder). It's hard to find a silver lining — it sucks for OKC, fans and fantasy managers. However, it's a next-man-up mentality and that player is Ajay Mitchell. Mitchell stepped up on Sunday, scoring 18 points with 6 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals in 27 minutes.
On Monday, he upped that to 30 points with 5 assists and a block. He's rostered in over 60% of leagues, but if he's somehow sitting on your wire, pick him up immediately. Mitchell is my pick as the biggest beneficiary of Williams' loss, with Jared McCain and Bennett Stirtz next in line.
Dončić went off against the Jazz, dropping the first 50-piece of the young season. He scored 52 points on 17-of-30 shooting with 8 3s, 10 assists and 8 boards in 38 minutes. If not for Jerome, Luka would have held the top-scorer title through Week 1. The Lakers lead the league in points (128.0 per game) and this team is humming from a fantasy perspective, with Dončić, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler all inside the top-30 in 9-cat leagues and top-50 in points leagues.
Miami is 0-4, allowing 121.8 points per game and is bottom-10 in Defensive Rating through four games. On top of that, no one but Giannis Antetokounmpo or Davion Mitchell is doing anything. Bam Adebayo is averaging 11.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting an underwhelming 40% from the field.
I'm sure they'll figure it out in time. Calling this new-look Heat team a bust feels like an overreaction; the defense has to improve before anything else will. But man, does it look painfully ugly right now.
Anderson .Paak and Cordae just released a dope new album titled " Heavy is the Crown ," and it fits the Knicks' situation to a tee. They're 0-3 and still struggling with that Championship hangover. The defense is holding up, but their offense is pacing for a bottom-five finish.
Surely they'll turn it around, making this a good buy-low spot for Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and especially Mikal Bridges, who is averaging a mere 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and one stock per game in 30 minutes. This offense can't get much worse, so I'd be patient and expect some positive regression soon.
Utah lost two of its best frontcourt players in Monday's 110-105 loss to Memphis. Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) went down in the second quarter after an opposing player landed on his leg, and Lauri Markkanen (wrist) left in the first quarter after playing six minutes. The severity of both injuries is still unknown, and the Jazz play Wednesday against the Spurs. The beneficiary is Ace Bailey, who had 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks in a season-high 34 minutes, his second straight double-double. If he's sitting on your wire (49% rostered), he's the add.
For the deepest of leagues, Mo Bamba is also worth a look after his first appearance of the season, with 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting, plus seven boards and four blocks in 29 minutes. Utah's frontcourt is thin, with Jusuf Nurkić (toe) and Jaxson Hayes (shoulder) also dealing with injuries, so the minutes are there.
Hawks: Dyson Daniels is averaging 3.5 steals through four games. That's propped up by his 7- and 5-steal games, but he's still one of the best steals specialists in fantasy.
Celtics: The rivalry brewing between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown is fun. They'll play against each other for the first time on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Hope the lamb chops with gravy remain on the menu.
Nets: The sixth pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, Mikel Brown Jr., appears nowhere close to being a fantasy contributor this season. Nets HC Jordi Fernandez doesn't seem to be a fan.
Hornets: With Kon Knueppel and Coby White both out, Brandon Miller is living up to the breakout we expected. Over the past two games, he's averaging 36.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3 stocks per game.
Bulls: I know it's early, but rookie Caleb Wilson passed Matas Buzelis in Chicago's pecking order. It's now Norm Powell and Caleb's show.
Cavaliers: More Meleek Thomas, please, Mr. Atkinson. The second-round rookie out of Arkansas was a microwave bucket and creator in Summer League and after Monday's spark off the bench with 16 points in 19 minutes, we should be seeing him more in the rotation.
Mavericks: Cooper Flagg brushed off a shoulder injury and returned on Monday to deliver a monster stat line: 29 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks in 40 minutes. Flagg currently leads the league in steals per game at 3.7 and 5.4 stocks overall. Oh, and he's the No. 1 overall player in 9-cat. First-round worthy, indeed.
Nuggets: The Nuggets' system doesn't reward fantasy managers beyond Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. It's sad but true. Maybe Aaron Gordon.
Pistons: Paul Reed is a must-roster player with Jalen Duren sidelined for at least the next two weeks. Even though Duren looked great, the offseason contractual hoopla may have hurt his conditioning and ramp-up before the season.
Warriors: Yaxel Lendeborg had 31 points, 12 boards and 6 assists in Monday's 134-114 win at Denver. He's the first Warriors rookie since Steph Curry to post a 30-10-5 line, and it's only the fourth game of the season. He's a steal in both fantasy and reality.
Rockets: The Rockets are undefeated and have become a fantasy factory. Just don't expect Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. to continue being top-30 players, ahead of Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün.
Pacers: Jay Huff flopped in his first crack at replacing Ivica Zubac in the starting lineup. He'll be better, but expect some inconsistent performances over the next couple of weeks as fantasy managers chase his blocks and 3s.
Clippers: Darius Garland has lived up to the hype. Kris Dunn, though?! Wow. Pick him up everywhere as he ranks 19th in 9-cat (best on the team) and 61st in points leagues.
Bucks: Kyle Kuzma is actually hooping. Three strong outings in a row. It's time fantasy managers in points leagues take notice. Oh, and Kel'el Ware is finally warmed up, with double-doubles in his last two games.
Pelicans: Although Jeremiah Fears is starting at SG, I dropped him in a couple of 12-team leagues because his inefficiencies and lack of volume are hurting his fantasy stock. Being 30% rostered is a tad high.
Magic: Paolo Banchero is out 4-6 weeks and Jalen Suggs dodged a bullet. Either way, that leaves point-forward Franz Wagner to handle more usage, with Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva taking on additional volume as well.
Suns: Over three games, Devin Booker is the only Phoenix player ranked in the top-100 in 9-cat and points leagues.
76ers: No need to talk about Tyrese Maxey doing his thing — first-round value all day. Joel Embiid, however, notched a rare triple-double in his last game and is moving better each game. LeBron looks old – and he is.
Trail Blazers: The Blazers are undefeated and are top-three in Offensive and Defensive Rating. Crazy! Ja Morant and Damian Lillard look great together.
Kings: Darius Acuff Jr. is a gem for points leagues. He's chucking a lot — 24 shots per game, which isn't making vets happy. For fantasy managers, however, that volume matters even if it's not converting at a high clip yet.
Spurs: I wonder how long, or how many losses it'll take, for Mitch Johnson to abandon the three-guard lineup? I imagine there's some slack, but they need some W's.
Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards has my early ballot for Most Valuable Player. He's doing a mix of everything while pushing to lead the league in scoring. Ant-Man is playing hard on both sides of the ball and that energy could carry the Wolves into becoming a serious contender. Fantasy-wise, Edwards was a top pick for a reason.
Raptors: Scottie Barnes went 0-for-12 Sunday but had four steals. Kawhi Leonard (knee) is sidelined for a week, but thankfully his MRI revealed no damage. Let's hope he returns soon.
Wizards: We still haven't seen the No. 1 overall pick, AJ Dybantsa, make his professional debut. He's dealing with an ankle injury. Anthony Davis and Trae Young look promising if they can both stay healthy.
Source: Sports
0 Comments