Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    FlurrySports
    • Home
    • Betting
      • Super Bowl Odds
      • NFL Picks
    • Fantasy Football
      • Fantasy Football Articles
      • Fantasy Football Rankings
      • DFS
    • NFL
      • NFL Stats
    • UFC
    • NBA
    • NCAA
      • College Football
      • College Basketball
    • More
      • NASCAR
      • WWE
      • Golf
      • MLB
      • NHL
      • Soccer
      • Combat Sports
      • Esports
      • Olympics
      • Fantasy Basketball
    • Shop
    • Contact Us
    FlurrySports
    You are at:Home»Fantasy»Fantasy Basketball»Week 3 Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit

    Week 3 Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit

    Henry JohnBy Henry JohnJanuary 4, 2021No Comments7 Mins Read Fantasy Basketball
    D'Angelo Russell NBA player props betting picks Grizzlies vs Timberwolves
    Credit: Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Reddit WhatsApp

    Happy New Year everyone! As the 2021 majority share of this NBA season gets underway, fantasy basketball managers have had two weeks to get a feel on both the league and their respective rosters. Armed with a couple of weeks’ worth of data, stats, and roster updates, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal and pinpoint some accurate Week 3 fantasy basketball start/sit decisions.

    One plus for fantasy managers this week is that the vast majority of NBA teams will play four games. After pairing schedule outlooks with defensive metrics through the first two weeks, the following article contains several players across each position that warrant serious fantasy basketball start/sit consideration in Week 3.

    Week 3 Fantasy Basketball Schedule Breakdown

    Teams with four games: BOS, BKN, CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, LAC, LAL, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTA

    Teams with three games: ATL, DAL, IND, MEM, NOP, PHX, POR, WAS

    D'Angelo Russell fantasy basketball start/sit
    Credit: Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports

    Week 3 Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit

    Point Guards | Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit

    Consider Starting: D’Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves

    Opponents: DEN, POR, SAS (twice)

    In last week’s Fantasy Basketball Stock Market Watch article, I wrote about how D’Angelo Russell’s poor play early in the season is causing his stock to drop. Well, with no Karl-Anthony Towns and a picture-perfect schedule, Week 3 is his chance to rebound. Three of the Timberwolves’ four games this week come against the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs. Those teams comprise two-thirds of the three worst defenses in terms of fantasy points allowed to point guards. Russell’s stock will really be crumbling if he can’t get right this week.

    Consider Sitting: Tyus Jones, Memphis Grizzlies

    Opponents: LAL, CLE, BKN

    With Ja Morant being out for the foreseeable future, backup Grizzlies point guard Tyus Jones is one of the more intriguing fantasy basketball waiver wire options for Week 3. With that said, the 2015 first-round pick will be up against it from a matchup standpoint this week, as Memphis only plays three games. Furthermore, two of those come against the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers, a pair of top-seven defenses in terms of fantasy points allowed to point guards. Jones’ volume uptick makes him worth rostering, but don’t feel the need to force start him this week if you have better alternatives available.

    Buddy Hield fantasy outlook
    Credit: Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports

    Shooting Guards | Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit

    Consider Starting: Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings

    Opponents: GSW, CHI, TOR, POR

    The bulk of Buddy Hield’s fantasy value comes from his ability to score, evidenced in his 16.8 PPG average. This combined with averaging over 36 minutes per game makes Hield an attractive start most weeks, but Sacramento’s schedule only adds fuel to the fire for Week 3. Three of the Kings’ four opponents this week rank in the bottom-nine in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing shooting guards. The only team that grades a little better defensively against the position still surrenders over 42 fantasy points per game. With supreme confidence, I predict that Hield will make good on a spot in your starting lineup this week.

    Consider Sitting: Kevin Huerter, Atlanta Hawks

    Opponents: NYK, CHA (twice)

    The Hawks play just three games this week, none of which are positive matchups for shooting guards. Believe it or not, the New York Knicks are allowing the fewest fantasy points to the position on a per game basis at 35.3. The Charlotte Hornets aren’t too much worse, at 42.06. As a result, Kevin Huerter is a risky Week 3 start in fantasy basketball. Add in the fact that he is dealing with an ankle injury that has him questionable to play at all in Monday’s game, and he is firmly in the sit candidates category.

    P.J. Washington fantasy basketball start/sit
    Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

    Small Forwards | Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit

    Consider Starting: P.J. Washington, Charlotte Hornets

    Opponents: PHI, ATL (twice), NOP

    Before delving into why P.J. Washington is a solid start for Week 3, it must be noted that he is considered questionable for Monday’s game due to a thumb contusion. With that said, the Hornets are already without Cody Zeller. So, one has to believe Washington will be on the court if he is at all able to go. Charlotte plays four games this week, with two coming against an Atlanta Hawks defense that surrenders 27.3 points per game to small forwards, the second-most in the NBA, and they’re by no means elite against power forwards wither. Worst case scenario, even if Walker is unfit to play on Monday and only plays in three games, he will still have the two plus-matchups against Atlanta later in the week to turn in solid fantasy production.

    Consider Sitting: Kelly Oubre Jr., Golden State Warriors

    Opponents: SAC, LAC (twice), TOR

    In his first season in the Bay Area, Kelly Oubre Jr. has a solid minute average of 27.7 per game. Unfortunately for both the Warriors and Oubre fantasy basketball owners, he has done very little in those minutes thus far. Averages of 9.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 0.5 assists are lackluster, at best. Now, Oubre and Golden State head into a Week 3 slate that includes two matchups against a Los Angeles Clippers defense that only allows 35.51 fantasy points to opposing small forwards on a per-game basis. Unless Oubre can somehow salvage his weekly value in more promising matchups against Toronto and Sacramento, his outlook this week is quite bleak.

    Aaron Gordon fantasy basketball start/sit
    Credit: Fernando Medina/Getty Images

    Power Forwards | Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit

    Consider Starting: Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic

    Opponents: CLE (twice), HOU, DAL

    Aaron Gordon is far from a sexy start recommendation. However, from a matchup standpoint, his Week 3 ceiling is quite appealing. The Magic play four games, three of which are of particular interest for Gordon’s fantasy basketball value. The Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers are both allowing north of 43 fantasy points to opposing power forwards on a per-game basis, respectively. With both Chuma Okeke and Al-Farouq Aminu dealing with injuries, Gordon should see his playing time continue to pick up to pair with the promising matchups this week.

    Consider Sitting: Jae Crowder, Phoenix Suns

    Opponents: TOR, DET, IND

    Jae Crowder’s streaky statistical production makes him somewhat of a risky start in fantasy basketball on a weekly basis. Week 3 sees him and the Suns only play three games which further complicates matters. One of those matchups comes against an Indiana Pacers team that allows just 39.58 fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards. For a player like Crowder, who only comes into the week averaging 10.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists, there just isn’t enough opportunity for production to get overly excited about his Week 3 prospects.

    Jakob Peoltl fantasy basketball start/sit
    Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

    Centers | Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit

    Consider Starting: Jakob Poeltl, San Antonio Spurs

    Opponents: LAC, LAL, MIN (twice)

    Through two weeks of play, Jakob Poeltl’s numbers don’t necessarily jump out for a center who averages roughly 22 minutes per game. However, if LaMarcus Aldridge continues to miss time, Week 3 will give the fifth-year pro a great chance to boost his statistical averages in a big way. The Spurs have four games this week, one against each of the L.A. teams and two more coming against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves enter the week allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing centers (62.29).

    Even if Aldridge does return this week, he is unlikely to play a full workload in all four games. This makes Poeltl still fantasy viable.

    Consider Sitting: Thomas Bryant, Washington Wizards

    Opponents: PHI, BOS, MIA

    Understandably, it may be tough for fantasy basketball managers to sit a player with the production levels of Thomas Bryant. With that said, Week 3 is one to proceed with caution if choosing to deploy the 23-year-old in your starting lineup. All Wizards players are automatically at a disadvantage this week, with only three games on the slate. Of added concern for Bryant specifically, two of those games come against the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers, two teams that make life pretty difficult on opposing centers. Volume breeds production, but Bryant definitely has a tough week ahead.

    Aaron Gordon Atlanta Hawks Buddy Hield Charlotte Hornets D'Angelo Russell Fantasy Basketball Golden State Warriors Jae Crowder Jakob Poeltl Kelly Oubre Kevin Huerter Memphis Grizzlies Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Orlando Magic P.J. Washington Phoenix Suns Sacramento Kings San Antonio Spurs Thomas Bryant Tyus Jones Washington Wizards
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticlePacers vs Pelicans Prediction, Odds, Props and NBA Betting Preview
    Next Article Rams vs Seahawks Playoffs Odds, Spread and Betting Trends for NFL Wild Card Weekend
    Henry John
    • X (Twitter)

    Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball and NASCAR. He counts the NFL, the WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.

    Related Posts

    May 21, 2025

    Early 2026 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

    May 2, 2025

    NFL UDFAs Who Are Dynasty Fantasy Football Sleepers

    April 29, 2025

    Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings 2025

    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Recently Published

    Early 2026 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

    May 21, 2025

    NFL UDFAs Who Are Dynasty Fantasy Football Sleepers

    May 2, 2025

    Chris Eubank Jr vs. Conor Benn Purses, Salaries: How Much Money Will They Make at Tottenham?

    April 29, 2025

    Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings 2025

    April 29, 2025
    Advertisements
    RSS FlurrySports Podcast
    • NFL Olympic Flag Football Draft (Ep. 219) May 27, 2025
    • Every 2000s Quarterback (Ep. 218) May 20, 2025
    • Doveland, Wisconsin (Ep. 217) May 13, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Advertise/Sponsor Opportunities
    You must be 21+ years old to wager. Bet within your means. If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER |

    Copyright © 2017-2024 FlurrySports | Sitemap

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Ad Blocker Enabled!
    Ad Blocker Enabled!
    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please support us by disabling your Ad Blocker.