We're through the first week of NBA action in the 2022-23 season and most of the several studs who fantasy managers thought would be surefire stars have lived up to expectations. Several elite players have posted outlandish stat lines in their opening two to three games, but they'll have to keep it up in Week 2 to remain toward the top of fantasy leaderboards. We'll go over a few early standouts worth highlighting from Week 1 before acknowledging a bust and a waiver wire target here.
Who's hot
The second week of the 2022-23 season is set to begin on Monday, and Jayson Tatum is playing like an MVP frontrunner for the 3-0 Boston Celtics. He's shooting an outrageous 58.3 percent from the field while attempting 21 field goals per game. He could be set to notch a career-high mark in rebounds per game because of how depleted the Celtics' frontcourt is. He's a homerun play in points leagues and DFS, and his three-point shooting could improve in the coming weeks.
The Milwaukee Bucks are 2-0, and Antetokounmpo is doing his usual thing. The superstar forward scored 42 points in 28 minutes his last time out and has connected on 70 percent of his field goals so far this season. He's only attempted six triples but has knocked down 50 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Few players will be able to match his production while Khris Middleton recovers from the wrist injury that's keeping him sidelined for the start of the year.
Dame time is in full effect. The Portland Trail Blazers have unexpectedly kicked off the season with three consecutive wins and their franchise player is reasserting himself as one of the league's elite point guards. He's scored 41 points in back-to-back games and is shooting 47.1 percent from the field. It's early, but he appears to have adjusted just fine after struggling with efficiency in his brief 2021-22 campaign.
Who's not
Powell is in a great situation to take advantage of Kawhi Leonard's gradual ramp-up for the 2022-23 season, but he's looked terrible early on. The usually efficient sharpshooter is averaging 7.0 points per game while shooting 25.9 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from deep. Leonard won't play in back-to-backs early on, and Powell is a career 38.1 percent shooter from beyond the arc. It's hard to believe that he won't figure things out sometime soon, but his start hasn't been pretty.
Week 2 streamer target
Ross has started in all three of the Orlando Magic's games this season and posted strong numbers on a team that's loaded with young talent. He's averaging 34 minutes per contest and is knocking down threes at a 45 percent clip on 6.6 attempts per contest. Jalen Suggs is rehabbing an ankle sprain, so Orlando doesn't really have viable options to back him up for long stretches at shooting guard. Take advantage of a widely available wing (36% rostered in CBS leagues) who's scored at least 23 points in three of his last five starts with the Magic.
Still deciding who to lock in for your DFS roster? We've identified a player worth locking in and one to avoid ahead of tip-off below, but you can get my full selection of stud and value plays at each position by heading over to SportsLine.
