There we go! First week of this new NBA season and here are my picks for week 1 in the NBA Fantasy – Salary Cap edition. Tough to pick 10 players out of the amazing competitors we have in the NBA this season, but let’s try to pick the best of the best.

Front Court

Wemby is my first pick. I did it with my eyes closed. $18.5 cost for a player that blocks and steals balls like he was playing against kids – remember that they give you 3 points each. After his great summer, he’s ready to show what he got to the whole basketball world. He doesn’t even have a Batman in his team that could steal some shots from him, so he has a clear path to do whatever he wants. 69pts in his first game.

My personal bet for this year. Starting for the Bulls and costing $7.5 he’s a must on my team. He already played 34 minutes in his first game so I think I haven’t missed with Buzelis. Let’s see if he brings us happiness this year.

Another possible starter for the Hornets at $6.5. He didn’t start his first game, but he brought great energy off the bench and played a great amount of minutes. Let’s see if Kalkbrenner can keep that starter position or if Charles Lee is just experimenting during these first games.

A $5.5 starter for the Boston Celtics? Bring him to me. Queta won’t be a superstart, and will probably be replace not so many weeks from now, but it’s a great start while we watch how the league develops in these first games. For that price, starting and playing 25 minutes is more that enough for me, scoring 25pts in his first game.

I just got Jaylin because I didn’t trust anyone <$5.5, but he only played 12 minutes and probably won’t have much more playtime in other games. He will probably get out of my rotation quickly in favor of someone cheaper with more minutes that surprises in these first weeks.

Back Court

Of course Shai is not going to disappoint, but he also happened to play the first day of the season, so it was a great pick for this week. His performance will decide his duration in my team. For now, at $18.5 he’s a solid pick.

Same case as Shai, he played the first day of the week. Apart from that, he’s alone in this Lakers team. That fact has two faces: he can either be a hero or get injured because of playing so many minutes. For now, I trust him. In his season debut he almost got a triple double and is currently leading the whole NBA in FTPS with 82.

After Haliburton’s injury and the Myles Turner trade, someone’s got to step up in the Pacers. In my opinion, the most benefited one will be Mathurin. But Nemhard will also absorb a lot of shots, and the PG position. Costing $8.5 made him quite interesting for my team. I didn’t select Mathurin because he coste $1.5 more and didn’t fit, but if he over-performs you will see him here really quickly.

He’s a bet. Fears will count with playing time – as we saw during his debut, 18 minutes, 17 points and 2 assists, 21 ftps – so at $5.5 I could afford to test him in my team. For now, he fits, let’s see if he keeps performing like this or even better and he can stay.

Another bet, but in this case a massive failure. I trusted Dillingham last year too, but this is my last. Yesterday, I read that DiVicenzo would start at PG while Mike Conley would be moved to the bench. Thist left Rob Dillingham a total of 0 minutes in the rotation. A wasted pick that will see the door quickly, as soon as I can trade him.

Possible trades

Front Court

Jaylin Williams needs to get out of my team ASAP. Let’s see his possible replacements.

Interesting picks

What I’m looking for here is someone with reduced cost that can contribute a bit during the days that no star is playing for the Front Court. For now, Jaylin will play today.

Back Court

Dillingham is close to exiting the team. No playing time, no place in my team.

Interesting picks

I don’t know how, but I will make VJ Edgecombe a part of my team. I really need him. He’s proven during the first game that he will be quite important in this team, and that he will be able to do whatever he pleases.

If this is not possible this week, I might probably replace Dillingham with Terrence Shannon Jr., who played well and a lot in his first game, and specially, costs $0.5 less.

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