X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

RotoBaller NBA Recap: Nikola Jokic is the NBA's Most Underrated Star

Spencer Aguiar highlights three fantasy basketball takeaways from the NBA's October 20th slate. This recap focuses on Nikola Jokic, Josh Richardson, and Luka Doncic.

Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we will highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games.

LeBron James made his Staples Center debut on Saturday, scoring 24 points in a 124 to 115 loss to the Houston Rockets, but Lebron's production was the last thing on anyone's mind when the game came to a close. During the fourth quarter, Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo exchanged punches while Brandon Ingram came running in and threw a haymaker of his own at Paul. The three men were ejected, and fines and suspensions will surely be levied on each of them. For the Lakers, Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball should see the most significant boost in usage over the next week. From an injury perspective, Ben Simmons was forced out of the Philadelphia 76ers game because of back tightness. There is hope that he can heal up over the weekend and be ready for their next game on Tuesday, but we will have to wait and see. Kevin Knox, on the other hand, was not so lucky. Knox suffered a left ankle sprain and is expected to miss two to four weeks. Allonzo Trier should see a boost and may be worth a speculative add in deeper leagues.

Aside from injuries and fighting, the slate of games were unique from the fantasy side of things, so without further ado, let's take a look at Saturday's fantasy recap.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

Nikola Jokic: The NBA's Most Underrated Star

Most fantasy owners are well aware of how good a player Nikola Jokic is, even if the general public hasn't quite caught onto this fact yet. We were all selecting him in the top-10 of drafts, so this isn't news to any of us. But how many of you are going to raise an eyebrow when I claim that Jokic could be this year's number one overall player? And yes, that even includes over the man with the famous unibrow.

Jokic is a proficient big man that will thrive in nine-category leagues. Last season, the 23-year-old scored 18.5 points per game while adding 10.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks. Jokic also shot 49.9 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line. 6-foot-10 big men that weigh 250-pounds aren't supposed to be this skilled, and Jokic is a superstar flying under-the-radar.

On Saturday, the Serbian displayed every bit of why he is the game's most underrated player. In the Denver Nuggets 119 to 91 victory over the Phoenix Suns, Jokic produced a triple-double with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists while adding in four steals, three three-pointers made and one block. And if that is not good enough for you, he was 11-for-11 from the floor and 10-for-11 from the charity stripe.

Jokic being this good at 23 years old almost seems impossible. If you own him, you are thrilled with his tantalizing upside, and if you don't, he is going to be hard to acquire. In deep leagues with big benches and extended starting spots, I don't mind trading certain players that I took over Jokic and trying to get the Serbian, plus other pieces. In more shallow leagues, two-for-two trades could be possible, hopefully where you can obtain Jokic and another star for your first round pick and something less valuable. The savvy owner will realize how close Jokic is to the top-end production but less experienced fantasy members could fall in love with the idea of landing a player like LeBron James or Kevin Durant and completely overpay. It never hurts to test the waters.

 

Josh RichardsonNow Is the Time to Buy

Usage is king in fantasy basketball, and perhaps no player has been asked to increase his role this year more than Josh Richardson. The 6-foot-6 small forward entered the league as a rotational player for the Heat in 2015, averaging 6.6 points per game in 21.3 minutes.

Last season, Richardson made a small jump into fantasy relevance. His usage climbed to 18.2 percent, and he transformed into a nine-category fantasy contributor. However, despite his slight improvement, the 25-year-old failed to exceed 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds or 2.9 assists in any of his first three years in the NBA.

Lacking a natural go-to offensive threat and struggling with injuries to three main offensive contributors, Head Coach Erik Spoelstra made a conscious effort to let Richardson run the offense in 2018, and fantasy owners rejoiced during his first two games of the year. Richardson averaged a staggering 21 shots per game, 10.5 of which came from deep. The increased usage plummeted his field goal percentage, but the former Tennesse Volunteer excelled in all facets outside of that. Richardson averaged 24.5 points per game while adding in 4.5 rebounds, four assists, 3.5 threes, one steal, one block and over 90 percent from the charity stripe.

Fast forward to Saturday and most fantasy owners that did not watch the game may see a stat-line that screams to SELL NOW! Richardson was 3-for-11 from the field, finishing with just seven points, four rebounds, two assists and no blocks or steals. But let's dive a little deeper into why we should instead be trying to acquire Richardson from those owners panicking and trying to sell high.

For starters, the low-key fantasy stud essentially only played the first half. Richardson quickly picked up his fifth foul in the third quarter and sat until the last few minutes of the game. There is nothing we can do about his field goal percentage, and it will be a concern all season long, but his ability to stuff the stat sheet across the board aside from that will propel him into top-25 upside in category leagues, mostly for those who were already punting field goal percentage. His ceiling is somewhat stunted in points leagues because the bulk of his value derives from category domination, but there may not be a better opportunity to try and acquire him than right now, regardless of the league.

 

Luka Doncic: If You Own Him, See What You Can Get

Everyone loves a new rookie in any sport. Part of the intrigue is we don't know what that player's upside could be, and that alone makes fantasy owners overpay for unseen production.

Luka Doncic entered his rookie campaign with an average draft position of 53rd across ESPN and CBS leagues. A fifth-round price tag was too steep for my liking, and I didn't end up with him anywhere, but the Slovenian youngster did possess immense upside potential.

In Doncic's first game on Wednesday, he struggled from the field, shooting 5-for-16, 0-for-5 from three and 0-for-2 from the line. He contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists but was shut out in steals and blocks while committing four turnovers. However, Saturday was a whole different story for the 19-year-old. Doncic exploded for 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, including 4-of-9 from deep. He added six rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in 36 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This is the type of performance fantasy owners were hoping to get from the third pick in this year's draft, but instead of settling with his quality showing, why not try and see what Doncic may be able to get you in a trade? Let's face it, the youngster is going to be extremely hit-and-miss this year. I am not advocating going out and giving him away; I still think he can provide top-60 production in all league types, but if another owner is willing to overpay because of one quality performance, let them. And cash-in on your winning lottery ticket.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Geno Smith14 mins ago

Raiders, Geno Smith Agree To Two-Year Extension
Jeferson Quero29 mins ago

Set Back With Hamstring Injury
Eguy Rosario42 mins ago

Clears Waivers, Outrighted To Triple-A
Xavier Isaac48 mins ago

Rays Hopeful Xavier Isaac Will Return In A Couple Of Weeks
Angel Genao55 mins ago

Won't Return Until June
Austin Wells1 hour ago

Being Rested On Thursday
Paul Goldschmidt1 hour ago

Sitting In Finale Against Arizona
Masataka Yoshida1 hour ago

Not Ready For Rehab Assignment
Edward Cabrera1 hour ago

Goes Three Innings In Rehab Start
1 hour ago

Tyler Shough Could Be Day 2 Pick In NFL Draft
Jake McCarthy2 hours ago

Gabriel Moreno, Jake McCarthy Sitting On Thursday
Dallas Cowboys2 hours ago

Shemar Stewart Meeting With Cowboys Staff
Ketel Marte2 hours ago

Sitting On Thursday After Signing Extension
New York Giants2 hours ago

Travis Hunter The Likely Pick For Giants?
Jake Meyers2 hours ago

Taking Seat For Third Straight Contest
Dallas Cowboys2 hours ago

DeMarvion Overshown Aiming For Comeback Player Of The Year Award
Luis Garcia2 hours ago

Shut Down With Elbow Inflammation
Brett Harris2 hours ago

Activated, Optioned To Triple-A
Yainer Diaz2 hours ago

Sitting On Thursday
Washington Commanders3 hours ago

Commanders Sign T.J. Maguranyanga
Kansas City Chiefs3 hours ago

Mike Edwards Reunites With Chiefs
New Orleans Saints3 hours ago

Saints Could Take A Quarterback Early In The Draft
Carlos Rodón3 hours ago

Carlos Rodon Undergoes X-Rays After Taking Liner Off His Arm
Drew Waters4 hours ago

Hits For The Cycle On Wednesday
Harry Ford4 hours ago

Showing Strong Eye Through First Taste Of Triple-A
Christian Vázquez4 hours ago

Christian Vazquez Getting The Day Off
Jose Miranda4 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Chase Meidroth4 hours ago

Launches Second Long Ball
Lucas Giolito4 hours ago

Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito "Not Close" To Returning To Rotation
Joe Milton III6 hours ago

Traded To Cowboys
Anfernee Simons7 hours ago

Could Be Absent Again Thursday
Scoot Henderson7 hours ago

Misses Third Consecutive Game Thursday
Scottie Barnes7 hours ago

Iffy For Thursday
Immanuel Quickley7 hours ago

Takes Thursday Off
Jakob Poeltl7 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Damian Lillard7 hours ago

May Return To Action Sooner Than Expected
Giannis Antetokounmpo8 hours ago

Likely To Suit Up Thursday
LeBron James8 hours ago

Probable Thursday
Jared McCann9 hours ago

Tallies Three Helpers On Wednesday
Jackson Blake9 hours ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Artemi Panarin9 hours ago

Tallies Three Points In Overtime Victory
Andrei Svechnikov10 hours ago

Exits Early On Wednesday
Jake McCabe10 hours ago

Suffers Injury On Wednesday
Jonathan Drouin10 hours ago

Exits Wednesday's Contest
Los Angeles Chargers18 hours ago

Chargers Sign Tight End Jordan Petaia
18 hours ago

Matthew Golden Making Pre-Draft Visit To Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals18 hours ago

Trey Hendrickson Not Looking For Short-Term Deal
Tutu Atwell19 hours ago

Rams Plan To Give Tutu Atwell A Bigger Role In 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers19 hours ago

Bucs Restructure Antoine Winfield's Deal To Free Up Cap Space
Jrue Holiday21 hours ago

Won't Play Against Miami
New York Jets21 hours ago

Xavier Newman-Johnson Re-Signs With New York
Al Horford21 hours ago

Sidelined Versus Heat
Kristaps Porzingis21 hours ago

Ruled Out On Wednesday
Fred VanVleet21 hours ago

Out Versus Utah
Dean Wade22 hours ago

Sidelined On Wednesday
Trae Young22 hours ago

Expected To Suit Up On Wednesday
Joel Embiid22 hours ago

Will Undergo Arthroscopic Surgery On His Left Knee
Evgeni Malkin22 hours ago

Joins Penguins For Road Trip
Filip Chytil23 hours ago

Could Miss Rest Of Season
Declan Chisholm23 hours ago

Back In Action Against Rangers
Keaton Wallace23 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Wednesday
Samuel Girard23 hours ago

Exits Avalanche Lineup Wednesday
Joel Kiviranta23 hours ago

Returning Against Blackhawks
Eeli Tolvanen23 hours ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
Jaden Schwartz23 hours ago

Unavailable Against Canucks
1 day ago

Kyle McCord Rising Up Draft Boards?
1 day ago

Ashton Jeanty To Raiders Continues To Gain Steam
1 day ago

Emeka Egbuka To Fall To Round 2?
Los Angeles Rams1 day ago

Rob Havenstein Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Cleveland Browns1 day ago

Mike Hall Likely To Miss Offseason Program After Having Knee Surgery
New England Patriots1 day ago

Christian Barmore Expected To Be Ready For Offseason Workouts
Bennedict Mathurin1 day ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Myles Turner1 day ago

May Miss Another Game Wednesday
Al Horford1 day ago

Considered Doubtful Wednesday
Jrue Holiday1 day ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis1 day ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Evan Bouchard1 day ago

Tallies Two Assists In Victory
Jake Guentzel1 day ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Kirill Marchenko1 day ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Tage Thompson1 day ago

Stays Hot On The Scoresheet
Lane Hutson1 day ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers In Overtime Victory
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Cameron Young2 days ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Tom Hoge2 days ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick2 days ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners2 days ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay2 days ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland2 days ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia2 days ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti2 days ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Jimmy Snuggerud2 days ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Jacob Trouba2 days ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp2 days ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim2 days ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood2 days ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau2 days ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole2 days ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Sam Stevens3 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA3 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman3 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland3 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno3 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg3 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall3 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara3 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez3 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.3 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira3 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez3 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas3 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez3 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones3 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry4 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano4 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Fantasy Football Outlooks For QBs On New Teams: Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, more

The NFL quarterback carousel gets to spin every offseason, and plenty of QBs have already found new homes ahead of the 2025 NFL season. For fantasy football, a player's surrounding team is extremely important, so it's worth looking into each of their outlooks with their new squads. There are still a few unsigned QBs, but […]


Shedeur Sanders - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Superflex/Two-QB

The 2025 NFL Draft is still less than 30 days away. Therefore, dynasty fantasy rookie mock drafts are nearly here. Much will change between now and the NFL Draft. However, it’s time for another dynasty rookie mock draft. This rookie mock draft is a two-round, 12-team, and two-quarterbacks. For a deeper dive into dynasty strategy, […]


Deshaun Watson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Offseason Team Needs: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Steelers

The AFC North, comprised of the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers, sent two teams to the playoffs in 2024 and had one on the cusp of a playoff berth. The Ravens have the best roster of the four teams by a long shot. The Steelers have a solid defensive group, and […]


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 2: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2025)

Week 2 of the UFL season is just around the corner. This week will feature one game on Friday, one game on Saturday, and two on Sunday. Birmingham and Michigan will play at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, followed by Memphis-D.C. on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Sunday's game pits the 1-0 Renegades against the […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Overvalued, Undervalued Players (2025)

Dynasty fantasy football rankings constantly shift, especially as we inch closer to the new season and fantasy drafts. Dynasty managers know the importance of finding those underrated players who could be steals in drafts or trades. They also know some players are overhyped due to unsustainable trends or past production. I'll break down two overvalued […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Moves During 2025 NFL Free Agency

It has been a wild offseason so far in the NFL. Plenty of players have switched teams in free agency, and some stars were even traded. Deebo Samuel Sr. was dealt to the Washington Commanders, Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, and DK Metcalf has a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]