NBA Fantasy – Salary Cap Edition: Week 4 Preview

There’s more than just new games ahead of us NBA fantasy salary game Player.

The Emirates NBA Cup is just around the corner and group play will be introduced on Tuesday and Friday en route to the knockout matches from December 10th.

Don’t have a fantasy team? It’s not too late – you can create one HereAfter that, you will automatically be accepted into global leagues for your favorite franchise and participating country. You can also create and join private or public leagues at any time during the regular season.

Here’s what you need to know for Week 4:

Last week’s story

The Cleveland Cavaliers – still red hot – continue to dictate the narrative early in the season. At 11-0 and in sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference, the group is off to the best start of any NBA team since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (24-0).

The highlight was Friday’s win over the Warriors, in which the Cavaliers stormed away to a 41-point halftime lead. The recipe for success was a selfless, highly dynamic offense that featured six double-digit scorers and a league-leading 122.7 points per game.

The Cavaliers have four players ranked 30th to 60th in fantasy points per game, including Evan Mobley (33rd), Jarrett Allen (50th), Darius Garland (55th) and Donovan Mitchell (58th) with marks of 39th ,4, 35.4. 34.7 and 33.7 respectively. Mobley leads the field in total fantasy points with 433.8 on the season, good for 15th in the NBA.

And since none of their Week 4 opponents – the Philadelphia 76ers, the Chicago Bulls (twice) and the Charlotte Hornets – boast a top-15 defense, the Cavaliers’ winning streak could last a little longer.

Games to watch

As the Emirates NBA Cup begins, there are two group games that should catch your attention:

Dallas Mavericks (5-5) vs. Golden State Warriors (8-2), Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET:
Klay Thompson, a four-time NBA champion in 13 years with the Warriors, is returning to the Bay Area with the Mavericks. This is Golden State’s first attempt at facing the defending Western Conference champions after a three-game battle against the Boston Celtics (9-2), Cavaliers (11-0) and Oklahoma City Thunder (8-2). – another chance to prove yourself as a legitimate contender.

Fantasy-wise, the Mavericks are led by Luka Dončić’s 52.2 (4th) and Kyrie Irving’s 42.7 (17th) points per game, but have struggled to win close matchups, with each of their last four losses by seven points or fewer was decided.

Phoenix Suns (8-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-2), Friday at 10 p.m. ET:
It will be a heavyweight battle between two of the three teams tied for first place in the Western Conference. The Suns and Thunder enter the game with nearly identical offensive ratings – 113.0 and 112.8, respectively – but the latter’s rating on the defensive side of the ball ranks No. 1 in the league.

This matchup loses some of its luster with Kevin Durant (43.9 fantasy ppg) and Chet Holmgren (37.7 fantasy ppg) both sidelined due to injuries, but it could very well be a preview of the conference finals. And it’s a top-notch battle in a strong NBA Cup West Group B that also includes the Los Angeles Lakers.

Injury report

Holmgren’s fall ended another string of injuries to some of the game’s biggest stars. The right pelvic fracture he suffered on Sunday will sideline him for at least 8-10 weeks and force the Thunder to play in small ball while fellow center Isaiah Hartenstein is also out long-term. Holmgren was the eighth most selected player in NBA Fantasy, ranking 35th with 377.4 fantasy points.

Otherwise, the risk of injuries continues to plague the New Orleans Pelicans. Zion Williamson suffered a left hamstring strain on Wednesday and will be out indefinitely, adding to the list of impending absences that includes Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones and Jordan Hawkins. Williamson’s 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game were good for an average of 40.2 fantasy points per outing.

Durant (calf), Ja Morant (hip) and Tyrese Maxey (hamstring) will also be unavailable for at least a few weeks each due to their recent injuries.

Transaction Tips

Dyson Daniels made huge strides for the Atlanta Hawks last week. After totaling 16.9 fantasy points on Monday and 28.0 on Wednesday, he posted his season-highs of 49.6 and 47.1 on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The third-year guard has been a pesky defender, notching 17 steals in his last three games while also showing better shooting from the field. Priced at just $7.6 million for 32.9 fantasy points per game (63rd), Daniels is one of the most affordable options to bolster your bench.

Christian Braun also broke out quietly in the backcourt. The Denver Nuggets guard only broke the 40 fantasy point mark once last week on Wednesday, but has scored at least 23 points in every game this season.

Braun has scored double-digit points in every game and has proven to be a consistent rebounder. His 29.4 fantasy points per game at a cost of $6.6 million makes him a good addition to your roster while saving you some significant change.

Weekly advice

Use your captain’s chip wisely if you want to give your fantasy enemies an extra edge. If one of your team’s top scorers plays the Washington Wizards in Week 4, use the chip on one of them.

The Wizards allow a league-worst 123.5 points per game and have a defensive rating of 119.3, which ranks third-worst in the league, ahead of only the Pelicans and Toronto Raptors. They have given up at least 120 points to each of their last three opponents.

Washington plays the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Hawks and Detroit Pistons this week, so Alperen Sengun, Victor Wembanyama, Trae Young and Cade Cunningham are likely top chip candidates.

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