NBA

Maybe Dunn’s perimeter shot isn’t the liability it was perceived to be during the pre-draft process. The former Virginia standout made three of four attempts on Tuesday, finishing the game with a full stat line. Dunn is on track to come off the bench, and his defensive prowess will be the rookie’s calling card. He was a thorn in Cade Cunningham’s side for most of their shared time on the court, and the ability to defend will get Dunn rotation minutes. It may not be enough to make him an immediately valuable fantasy option, but he should be selected in dynasty leagues.

Tuesday’s exhibition was Mathurin’s first game since he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder in early March. As expected, he was rusty shooting the basketball, going 2-of-7 from the field. Indiana played well once Aaron Nesmith (three points, two rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer in 16 minutes) was inserted into the starting lineup, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. He may not be the scorer that Mathurin is, but Nesmith appears to be a better fit for the starting lineup that Rick Carlisle prefers. Benn wasn’t a great fantasy option before the shoulder injury, and that doesn’t appear likely to change if he remains in a reserve role.

Johnson is a popular pick to break out this season and with good reason. After a stellar 2023-24 campaign, he stands to benefit from one less high-usage player being in the Hawks rotation after Dejounte Murray was traded to the Pelicans. Johnson was productive on both ends of the floor on Tuesday, and double-doubles should become the norm for him this season. Johnson stands to be a 4th-round pick in most drafts, but the potential is there for him to turn in a top-25 season.

While he did see some action to begin the third quarter, there was no reason for the Hawks to push Young too far in their preseason opener. And he looked sharp, shooting the ball well from the field while committing just one turnover. Young didn’t have a great night at the charity stripe, but he’s a career 87.3% shooter, so there’s no need for concern. With Dejounte Murray no longer in the picture, the expectation is that Young will make a run at 1st-round value in 8- and 9-cat formats.

Yes, it’s only the preseason. However, given the questions regarding Risacher’s status as the top overall pick and his play in Las Vegas, Tuesday was a good night for the Hawks organization. The rookie from France looked relatively comfortable on the floor against the Pacers, shooting 75% from three and helping lead Atlanta to a comeback victory. Atlanta has some veteran wings who can help alleviate some of the pressure on Risacher. While that may keep his fantasy value low to begin the season, this approach may benefit Zaccharie in the long run.

Onyeka Okongwu is still not completely healthy, so Capela maintained his hold on the starting center job. With the veteran pivot heading into the final year of his contract, he’s one of the players many believe will be the subject of trade rumors leading up to the February deadline. Capela can still provide decent value in a timeshare, especially for managers punting free-throw percentage. However, given the new contract that Okongwu is on, the playing time may not be even once both are healthy.

Daniels starting Atlanta’s preseason opener certainly grabbed the attention of fantasy managers. However, with Bogdan Bogdanovic not playing, one must not assume this will happen on opening night. Daniels’ defensive ability should boost his chances of being a starter, and he was efficient offensively against the Pacers. Playing alongside Trae Young will lead to more opportunities to shine as a scorer, especially if Daniels starts. At a minimum, he’s worth a late-round flier in standard league drafts, but his stock could rise before October 23.

Wiseman starting Indiana’s preseason opener is not something fantasy managers should read too much into. The Pacers were without Myles Turner and Isaiah Jackson, opening the door for the former Warriors lottery pick to start. Even if Turner and Jackson miss time during the regular season, Wiseman should not be considered a reliable streamer.

Based on his Yahoo ADP (50.5 as of October 8), Spicy P may be slightly underrated among fantasy managers. After being traded to Indiana in January, he’s had an entire training camp to work with his Pacers teammates. And a healthy Tyrese Haliburton should give Siakam a boost. Siakam can be one of the steals of fantasy basketball in 2024-25.

It was good to see a healthy Haliburton on the court after missing the final three games of the Eastern Conference Finals with a hamstring injury and a leg injury during the Olympics. He wasn’t asked to do too much in Indiana’s preseason opener, with no starters playing more than 16 minutes. Haliburton is close to a lock to provide 1st-round per-game fantasy value, but his numbers slipped last season while attempting to play through a hamstring strain in January. Hopefully, he can avoid the nagging soft-tissue injury that can linger.