It helps to recognize statistical specialists early in the fantasy basketball season. Just a month into the marathon NBA campaign, Gary Trent Jr. leads the league in total steals (38). On Thursday evening, Trent netted just a single swipe but tallied a season-high 31 points in a loss to the Utah Jazz.
Toronto's starting backcourt of Trent and Fred VanVleet scored 57 points on 54% shooting from the floor, while the rest of team posted just 49 points on 34% shooting. The performance pushed Trent's scoring average to 23.0 PPG across his past four appearances and he's now up to a career-high 17.1 PPG for the season.
Freedom to trap and collapse passing lanes in Toronto's aggressive defensive scheme has fueled such a stellar steal rate, while a green light to loft from beyond the arc drives a career scoring campaign. Still a free agent in nearly 40% of ESPN leagues, Trent is looking like a steal in fantasy formats.
Thursday recap
Highlights
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: 40 points (15-27 FG), 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
Kyle Kuzma, Washington Wizards: 19 points (7-12 FG), 13 rebounds, 7 assists
Lowlights
Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat: 6 points (2-9 FG), 3 rebounds
Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors: 4 points (2-14 FG), 3 rebounds, 5 assists
Thursday takeaways
Stephen Curry's epic season continued last night in Cleveland, as he incredibly notched his 38th career game with at least nine 3-pointers made, more than four times as many as any other player in history. In fact, Curry has more games with nine 3-pointers since last April (10) than any other player has in his career. In a furious comeback, Curry outscored the Cavaliers, 20-8, in the final quarter, marking the 36th time in his career he scored 20 points in a quarter, tying Kobe Bryant for the most such quarters over the last 25 seasons.
The 76ers stopped a five-game losing skid with a key win over Denver. While big bro keeps setting records, Seth Curry is also enjoying an awesome start to the season. In the win over a depleted Nuggets roster, Philadelphia's Curry posted his second game of the season with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists and is enjoying career-best rates in nearly every key category. Tyrese Maxey was also impressive with 22 points, pushing his average to 25.2 PPG during his last five games. For whatever reason, you can still find Maxey as a free agent in more than a quarter of ESPN leagues.
Utah's Rudy Gay made his debut with the team after missing the first 14 games of the season due to a heel injury. Gay scored 20 points in 18 minutes of action, but is unlikely to see enough playing time in a deep Utah rotation to surface as a steady fantasy contributor.
Jimmy Butler's career scoring campaign continued when the superstar wing became just the third player in Heat history with consecutive games with at least 30 points and five assists. Butler has now scored at least 30 points in consecutive games for the first time since December 2018.
Sticking with Miami, Duncan Robinson's shooting woes continued in the win over Washington, as he's now well below his career shooting average through the first month of the season. It could be a good time for those in need of shooting volume in roto formats to scoop up Robinson given a positive correction is almost surely coming for such a gifted floor-spacer.
Boston's Jaylen Brown has been upgraded to questionable for tonight's matchup against the Lakers due to a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for multiple games. Robert Williams III is questionable to play due to a knee ailment. Al Horford would become a strong play if Williams were to miss the contest.
The Lakers upgraded LeBron James, who has missed several games due to a core injury, to questionable for tonight's game in Boston.
Luka Doncic is listed as doubtful to play for Dallas against Phoenix on Friday. Guard Jalen Brunson, who just flirted with a triple-double in Doncic's absence, would become a top streaming and daily fantasy play if his superstar teammate sits.
Injuries of note
Analytics advantage for Friday
On a busy Friday slate, it can prove helpful to identify some bargains. Brooklyn's Bruce Brown has played at least 26 minutes in three straight games and has produced surplus fantasy value on DraftKings in five straight outings.
Widely available in fantasy leagues ahead of tonight's tilt with the Magic, Brown has been particularly productive on the glass during this stretch and could excel against an Orlando team that ranks 23rd in defensive rebounding percentage.
DFS discussion
James Robinson-Earl, Oklahoma City Thunder: Given the Thunder have rolled Robinson-Earl out at the pivot for at least 24 minutes in three of the last four games, he could exceed value working in the paint this evening against the Bucks.
Terrence Ross, Orlando Magic: With double-digit field goal attempts in four of the past five games and at least 17 points in three of the past four, Ross is warming up from the floor and could be tasked as the team's bench microwave to keep pace with Brooklyn this evening.