Week 4 is going to be an interesting week — there are no real advantages in the schedule. There are no five-game teams this week, but, looking ahead, all Warrior players have a five-gamer in Week 5.
As we head into Week 4 of the 2018-19 season here’s the weekly game breakdown:
4 Games: ATL, BOS, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, MIA, MIL, NYK, OKC, ORL
3 Games: BKN, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, GSW, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIN, NOP, PHI, PHX, POR, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS
2 Games: SAS
Recommended pickups for Week 4:
Guards:
Isaiah Canaan, Phoenix Suns
Elie Okobo hasn’t been given the keys to the Suns’ car. Canaan returned from his ankle injury on Friday night and hit 8-of-12 shots and two 3-pointers for 19 points and two assists. Canaan should have some good scoring games and is a temporary add for points and 3-pointers.
Josh Okogie, Minnesota Timberwolves
Okogie has hit double digits in scoring in three straight games and is averaging almost 30 minutes a game over his last five. This rookie is averaging 11.2 points, 5.6 rebound, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 3-pointers over his last five games. Okogie has been fun to watch.
Garrett Temple, Memphis Grizzlies
Temple has hit double digits in scoring in three straight games and has hit six 3-pointers during that window. He’s averaging 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.6 3-pointers. However, over his last five games, those numbers jumped to 15.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, a steal and 2.0 3-pointers over his last three (all Memphis wins).
Forwards:
Rodney Hood, Cleveland Cavaliers
Hood can be very inconsistent. He blew up for 26 points and four 3-pointers on Tuesday, but then laid a 1-of-9 egg on Thursday and then hit just 3-of-8 shots on Saturday. With Kevin Love down and out after having toe surgery, Hood’s the guy to own. But if he’s unavailable in your league, Sam Dekker and especially Larry Nance also make sense for a pickup.
Justise Winslow, Miami Heat
Winslow had a season-high 15 points along with 10 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, two blocks, and two 3-pointers on Saturday against the Hawks in a rare start when Goran Dragic sat out with a toe injury. Winslow is worth a look for as long as Dragic is out. He and the Heat have four games this week. And, yes, if Rodney McGruder is somehow available, don’t walk — run — to pick him up.
Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
I picked up Siakam before the season thinking he’d break out because he expanded his range over the summer; turns out, I was right. He’s averaging 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 60.9 percent from the field. If Siakam can start hitting from deep, as he started to in the summer, he’ll take another big step as a fantasy asset.
Centers
Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks
In his first four games as a starter, Robinson averaged 7.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 68.4 percent from the field. He has literally replaced Kanter, and Robinson now has a chance to be a nightly double-double threat while also providing blocks and steals for fantasy owners.
Boban Marjanovic, Los Angeles Clippers
Boban has seen a bump over his last four games, including a start for a missing Marcin Gortat (undisclosed) on Friday night. Over that four-game span, Boban has averaged 10.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 steals, 2.0 blocks, and 2.3 turnovers in only 16.8 minutes per contest, while shooting 69.6% from the field and 57.9% from the free-throw line. If Gortat misses more time or his struggles cause him to drop down to the rotation, Boban could be in for a productive stretch. He’s worth a flier regardless because of the PPM (points per minute) he can produce.
