November is officially in the books, which means a lot of fantasy basketball has been played by now. Rookies are some of the most polarizing players in fantasy basketball, so today we're going to take a look at what they did in November and provide some insight into what the future holds!
Zaccharie Risacher, F - Hawks
(14.6% Owned)
After some struggles and minute slashing during November for the #1 overall pick, the last few games have told a different story and have once again earned him increased minutes.
Risacher is a work in progress, my fellow fantasy owners. He’s not your typical consistent impact #1 pick right away. That said, it feels like he’s getting a feel for the NBA game more and more and getting way more efficient with his shot in the process. You love seeing his defensive contributions from a general basketball standpoint and a fantasy one. If he’s out there in your league, you could do a lot worse right now on the end of your bench for a potential blossoming fantasy contributor.
Alex Sarr, C - Wizards
(27.2% Owned)
Sarr’s offense still continued to be a rollercoaster throughout November. While he did have eight double-digit scoring games in November, he did it on 39.5% shooting, 63.9% FT, and 24.6% from the three. Fifteen made threes, which is a very interesting development for Sarr at the same time. Those percentages are painful in category leagues, though, and it’s disappointing to see his FT% dip so much this past month.
There’s been no doubting his defensive impact, averaging 1.6 blocks during November and 0.7 steals. Sarr will consistently get more minutes as the season goes on, and I’d be willing to bet those averages will rise further. I would like to see Sarr increase his rebounding to only six rebounds per game for November. His physicality is still very much a work in progress.
Jared McCain, G - Sixers
(56.9% Owned)
Well, if you got on the Jared McCain Train early in November before injuries decimated the Sixers, congrats, you may have landed yourself a potential league winner and current frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. It’s actually amazing to me his ownership isn't higher at this point. McCain is a fearless, cold-blooded scorer from every level of the floor who can consistently find his own shot. The rise of Jared McCain in November was only really unbelievable to those who didn’t watch him closely enough in college.
He averaged a blistering 19.1 points per game on 37.7% from 3pt, 85.6% FT and 45.1% from the field in November in 29.1 minutes per game and has essentially guaranteed himself a spot in the lineup now. He’s unafraid to put up threes, averaging 7.6 attempts per game in November, which sets him up for some monster scoring nights when his shot is falling in rhythm.
He could still improve peripheral categories like rebounding and assists, but regardless, McCain provides insane value if you get him on waivers. While the Sixers’ season has not gone the way they’d hoped so far, landing the potential Rookie of the Year and backcourt mate to Tyrese Maxey for years to come has to be some sort of a silver lining.
Dalton Knecht, G - Lakers
(39.7% Owned)
November also saw the rise of Dalton Knecht as a significant contributor to the Lakers lineup. He’s started six of the Lakers’ last eight games and has averaged 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 threes made in 34 minutes per game. Knecht, much like the pick before him, Jared McCain, can get his shot from multiple areas on the floor and is an absolute sniper, averaging 46% from three in November! The rebounds are also not shabby at all. Knecht may be making a case for coach JJ Redick to have him be more part of the immediate plans and continue to give him 30-plus minutes as the year winds down.
Jaylen Wells, G/F - Grizzlies
(2.3% Owned)
The 39th overall pick is making an early case of establishing himself as one of the steals of the draft. With the injuries Memphis has had, Wells has really done a nice job in the 26.3 minutes per game and starting role he got in November, scoring in double digits in 9 out of his 12 starts! The Washington State rookie has proven to be a consistent three-point threat, averaging 40% from the three in November on 5.1 threes attempted per game. Shooting 48.6% from the field and 83.3% FT is awesome for category leagues as well.
At only 3.2 rebs per game/1.9 APG in November and not much in terms of defensive contributions, his upside is a bit capped for the time being. His floor from his scoring and 3-point shooting makes him a worthy end of your bench stash as he possibly pushes for more minutes, and he’s out there in a lot of leagues.
Ja’Kobe Walter, G - Raptors
(0.6% Owned)
The rebuilding Toronto Raptors surprised people by recalling their 19th overall pick from a few week G league stint and playing him to the tune of 28 minutes, and then 26 minutes two games in a row. This is a development you should absolutely have your eye on, especially with a Raptors team really struggling to find an identity and star power. The Raptors already gave former first-round pick Ochai Agbaji some run in the starting lineup, and they seem willing to hand the keys to their younger guys more so than some other teams. Here’s what Walter did in his two games back:
Now, obviously, the efficiency here is not great. Even so, Walter is showing he’s a fearless shooter, taking 10 threes in his first game back and scoring 14 on 6-14 shooting with 11 boards and five assists! One can only think of the potential night he could have had if a few more threes fell for him. He came back down to earth in the second game against Miami, only scoring six on 3-8 shooting and 0-2 from three.
However, the things I also see are defensive contributions. Three steals and a block in these two games are great things to see, especially for category leagues. Walter is showing some potential to contribute in multiple categories on a night-to-night basis if he continues to be given these kinds of minutes for the young Raptors. He is someone to keep your eye on as December goes on.
Tidjane Salaun, F - Hornets
(1% Owned)
Okay, hear me out on this one. The Hornets surprised some people on draft day, picking the very raw 18-year-old French prospect with the 6th overall pick. He was expected to most likely be a redshirt or very limited minutes type of player with a lot of potential, but the mass of Hornets injuries found Salaun thrust into a bigger role in the middle of November. Grant Williams is done for the year, Miles Bridges’ has a lingering knee issue, and Lamelo Ball will be out for at least two weeks with a calf injury. Here’s what Salaun has done in his recent extended run:
Salaun really gives us the true rookie experience, with two really good performances sandwiched between two not-so-great ones. Those two good games in a row show some real promise for him. He’s really been aggressive from the three-point stripe, which is great when his shot is falling, but when it’s not, he hasn’t shown the aggressiveness and craftiness inside to score from different levels and draw fouls for more points.
His rebounding totals in these games have been really solid, and five steals in 4 games is also great to see. He’s still going to get minutes when Bridges comes back, so I think he’s definitely worth a look as a streamer for this month.
Kyle Filipowski, F - Jazz
(1.2% Owned)
The second-round Duke product is also making a case for one of the steals of the 2024 draft. He started to get some 20-plus minute runs in November with some injuries in Utah and was making the most of it. That is, until he left with a lower-body injury himself, putting a halt to his really solid November. If you have an IR spot available you don't mind using, I believe he’s worth a stash.
The Jazz are rebuilding and have an incentive to play their younger guys. In this six-game run, he had three double-digit scoring games, a consistent rebounding total, shot 46.4% from the field and averaged a steal a game. He even showed some passing ability, giving him some upside as a stat sheet filler some nights once they ramp up his minutes. However, with Lauri Markkanen and John Collins making their way back from their absences, it may take some time for Filipowski to establish his place in the rotation again.
Yves Missi, C - Pelicans
(9% Owned)
If your league has still been sleeping on the 6’11” Baylor product, I recommend running to the waiver wire to grab him. Missi has established himself as the de facto number one big man option in the rotation, with journeymen Daniel Theis and Jeremiah-Robinson Earl behind him. In November, he averaged 8.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.1 blocks per game, 0.8 steals a game on an excellent 55.3% from the field and 65.9% FT%. I really like that Missi is more of a traditional big man who doesn’t look to jack up threes.
He’s really efficient inside, and while his general inside defense can be better, he can still be a good source of blocks and steals. The beat-up Hornets, whose season is spiraling, should continue to give Missi minutes as he continues to learn and adjust to the speed of the NBA game on defense. He’s also shown double-double potential as of late, going for 16pts, 13 rebs with two blocks and two steals vs Indiana on 11/25 and 16pts 14 rebs with three blocks and a steal vs Memphis on 11/29. I can only see him going up from here as the season progresses.
Stephon Castle, G - Spurs
(31.2% Owned)
Odds are if your league knows what it’s doing, Castle probably isn’t available. That said, clearly, with his percentage available, some not-as-deep leagues are clearly sleeping on him. His minutes per game in November jumped up to 28.6 a game, one of the several young players spearheading the youth movement in San Antonio. Averaging 13.6 points a game, 2.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 0.8 steals a game is some decent stat sheet filling. Castle’s minutes have only seemed to grow lately, and so have his scoring totals because of it.
Against Utah twice and Golden State from 11/19-11/23, he scored 18, 19 and 23 and had three plus assists each of those games. Castle still needs to improve his efficiency and consistency from the field, only averaging 41.6% from the field and 31.8 from the three in November. It’s absolutely clear to see how much Castle will continue to grow as he grows his offensive game and instincts with more experience, and he will get plenty of that on a young team. Hold and stay patient, even on his occasional rough shooting nights.
