The three-ball has become perhaps the most important part of scoring in the NBA, so we thought we’d take a few shots from downtown as well. Here, fantasy basketball analyst Dan Titus will break down three things fantasy managers need to know every week. Or he’ll break down multiple three-point advice, analysis and more – it just depends on how open he is from Deep.
Today I’m breaking down three weird fantasy nuggets that I’ve noticed now that we’re halfway through week 4.
The Golden State Warriors have zero players who average more than 30 minutes per night
Many wrote off the Dubs before the season started, but the Warriors are on pace to an impressive 9-2 record to start the year. Much of their success is due to their deep roster, made up of youngsters and overlooked vets who have seemingly adopted Steve Kerr’s philosophy of fluid rotations as long as it translates into wins.
And it is!
But the strange thing is, considering how well this team is playing, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga – no one – are averaging more than 30 minutes per game. Even in the age of load management, it’s unprecedented to have seven players average at least 20 minutes per game, but none more than 30 minutes per night. Draymond Green is a top 100 player in 27.5 minutes, while Curry and Buddy Hield make up two-thirds of the non-centers whose sub-30 minute production offers fantasy managers top 40 or better per game value. Considering Curry’s age, it’s probably best that he doesn’t play minutes like Kevin Durant (36), who is already on the shelf with a calf injury.
Curry is playing the fewest minutes since his third NBA season, but his efficiency and productivity currently make him one of the top 10 players in fantasy. Although unconventional in today’s game, Kerr introduces a unique wrinkle to his rotations, giving his players enough playing time to be effective. He could also be preparing for a possible trade scenario in the future.
However the Warriors decide to move, they are a well-oiled machine at this point, getting contributions from almost everyone on the depth chart.
Hawks G/F Dyson Daniels is averaging 3.6 steals per game
The leader in steals is none other than three-year pro, Dyson Daniels.
Daniels moved up to fifth with the lowest odds in the Defensive Player of the Year race, according to BetMGM, while not even on the options list to start the year. He is a threat to defenses, averaging 7.6 deflections per game while turning those deflections into over 3.5 steals per game.
If Daniels were to keep up this pace for the remainder of the season, he would be the third player in NBA history to average at least 3.5 steals per game. He has collected 23 steals over his last four games, including three consecutive outings with six or more. Daniels is the fourth player in NBA history to record six or more steals in three straight games.
He’s good, but his length, depth and disruption have catapulted him into one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.
Daniels was shut down in 66% of Yahoo leagues and now, thanks largely to his defense, he ranks 78th in points leagues and 34th in value per game in 9-cat leagues. However, I don’t want to underestimate what Daniels does offensively. He has increased his scoring from six points to 14 ppg this season and improved his FG percentage to 47% through Thursday. Still, Daniels’ leap into fantasy production is driven by his current dominance in a regularly scarce category: steals.
Nuggets C Nikola Jokić is averaging 1.78 fantasy points per minute
As if a three-time MVP, a Finals MVP and one of the best players ever had anything more to accomplish, Jokić is on pace to lead the NBA in rebounds and assists per game in 10 games. No one has done that in the history of the league since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967. When analyzing the Joker’s surreal start to the 2024-2025 season, he is posting career-best per-minute numbers. In fact, Jokić’s 1.78 fantasy points per minute is the second-highest mark since 1977.
It’s no surprise that Jokić is the No. 1 overall player in points leagues (67.73 fantasy points per game) and 9-cat formats. The Nuggets’ dependence on Jokić is fantasy gold and despite Jamal Murray’s lackluster play, Jokić is raising the floor for Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr. and others. Fantasy-wise, he’s playing better than Wemby, but it’s still very early, and I still believe Jokić and Wemby will be the two best players in any format.
