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Fantasy basketball: Who’s playing and who’s shooting

A look at top 50 players in minutes per game and what their ownership is.

By Natty Wallach
NBA: Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

As we enter the third week of the NBA season, let’s take a look at who’s playing the most and who’s shooting the most. Maybe we can find some overlooked players.

Here’s the top 15 in minutes per game so far this season:

  1. DeMar DeChozan: 38.7 MPG, 22.6 field goal attempts per game (2nd in the NBA), #31 overall on ESPN Basic Player Rater, and 99% ESPN ownership
  2. LaMarcus Aldridge: 36.8 MPG, 18.4 FGA (17th in the NBA), #112 PR, 99%
  3. LeBron James (sigh): 36 MPG, 19.5 FGA (13th overall), #5 PR, 99%
  4. Joel Embiid: 36 MPG, 21.2 FGA (7th overall), #6 PR, 99%
  5. Donovan Mitchell: 36 MPG, 19.2 FGA (14th overall), #63 PR, 99%
  6. Paul George: 36 MPG, 22.5 FGA (3rd overall), #89 PR, 99%
  7. PJ Tucker: 36 MPG, 8 FGA (who cares), #91 PR, 3%
  8. Dame Lillard: 35.8 MPG, 21.6 FGA (4th overall), #9 PR, 99%
  9. Blake Griffin: 35.8 MPG, 20.2 FGA (10th overall), #34 PR, 99%
  10. Tobias Harris (who was traded for Blake): 35.6 MPG, 16.2 FGA (25th overall), #51 PR, 94%
  11. Kevin Durant: 35.2 MPG, 20.7 FGA (8th overall), #3 PR, 99%
  12. Robert Covington: 35.2 MPG, 10.5 FGA (who cares), #28 PR (!!!), 22% (!?!?!)
  13. John Wall: 35 MPG, 16.6 FGA (23rd overall), #36 PR, 99%
  14. Kawhi Leonard: 34.8 MPG, 20 FGA (11th overall), #15 PR, 99%
  15. Josh Richardson: 34.8 MPG, 16.4 FGA (24th overall), #88 PR, 47.2%

Bob Covington and JRich should be owned more. A lot will change over the season, but right now those two players are getting oceans of minutes, and that water’s letting their counting stats grow. They are both criminally under-owned.

Here are some other interesting names from the top 50 in minutes per game:

  • Luka Doncic: 34.6 MPG (18th overall), 15.6 FGA (34th overall), #94 PR, 94% owned
  • Rodney McGruder (injured Heat players returning will change this, so be wary, but he does seem kinda legit, 70% true shooting, one of only 7 guys who play 30+ MPG who are 70 or above, the six are stud Centers): 34.4 MPG (19th overall), 10 FGA (who cares), #35 PR (!), 27%
  • Justin Holiday: 34.3 MPG (20th), 9.5 FGA (who cares), #49 PR, 2.7% (Lots of Bulls are injured, maybe scoop this guy)
  • Nic Batum: 34.3 MPG (20th), 8.7 FGA (who cares), #29 PR (?), 66.3%
  • Trevor Ariza (get real): 33.8 MPG (27th), 10 FGA (who cares), #175 PR (he’s missed games but still, c’mon), 7.6%
  • Joe Ingles: 33.4 MPG (30th), 11.6 (top 100), #33 PR (YYYYYEAH!!!), 70%
  • Eric Gordon: 33.4 MPG (30th), 16 FGA (26th overall), #165 PR (whoa), 30.6%
  • Wesley Matthews: 33.4 MPG (30th), 16 FGA (26th overall), #113 PR, 10.5%
  • Gary Harris: 33.2 MPG (35th), 15.2 FGA (36th overall), #79 PR, 75.5%
  • Cedi Osman: 32.2 MPG (46th), 12.5 FGA (top 100), #126 PR, 10.6% (Osman’s numbers may go up now that Ty Lue, his coach, has been fired, apparently over providing too few minutes for the young Cavs, among other things like, uh, no defense.)
  • Dario Saric: 32 MPG (48th), 11.3 FGA (top 100), #101 PR, 72.5% (why Saric but not Bob Covington? I don’t get it.)
  • Josh Hart: 31.7 MPG (49th overall), 11.2 FGA (top 100), #57 PR (whoa), 34.4% (Hart looks like the kind of dude that LeBron loves: a guard who can score and plays off him well; he might be a real big beneficiary of LBJ moving to the Lakers. If he’s available in your league, I highly recommend picking him up.)

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