Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit: Ride The Rookies To Victory

We're heading into what is championship week in many fantasy leagues, and the NBA schedule is tailor-made for flexibility in lineup construction. We have an abundance of teams on four-game weeks and plenty of late-season injuries/absences opening up opportunities for low-rostered/started players, which affords us a particularly large player pool to work with.

Each week, we'll aim to highlight a pair of Start candidates for your fantasy rosters who may shape up as some tougher calls of the week to make, focusing on players with a start or roster rate of 50% or less in Yahoo leagues. 

Likewise, we'll spotlight one Sit candidate at each position who would normally not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, often focusing on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.

TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns

Without further ado, let's examine some tougher start/sit decisions for Week 24:

Guards     

Start: Stephon Castle, Spurs                

48% start rate

Castle remains in this spot for another week thanks to his continued impressive play as his rookie season winds down. Even when factoring in a dud against the Warriors on Sunday in which he shot just 3-for-11 from the floor, Castle still finished with averages of 18.0 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds across 28.5 minutes per contest in his four Week 23 games. With his playing time locked in and five tallies of at least 22 points in his last 10 games alone, Castle is certainly worthy of a Start designation again.

Start: Spencer Dinwiddie, Mavericks 

39% start rate

Dinwiddie continues to enjoy an elevated role in Dallas' injury-hampered roster despite Anthony Davis' recent return to action. The veteran point guard has taken on primary ball-handling responsibilities in the wake of Kyrie Irving's season-ending knee injury and delivered averages of 17.8 points (on 51.2% shooting, including 38.8% from 3-point range), 7.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest in his last 10 games. Dinwiddie is averaging a robust 34.9 minutes per game during that span as well, and although his run of efficient shooting is admittedly a bit atypical given his career norms, he's certainly worth continuing to ride while he's hot.

ALSO CONSIDER: Christian Braun, Nuggets  (27% start rate); Nick Smith, Hornets  (7% roster rate)

Sit: Bradley Beal, Suns 

52% start rate

We're going to stick with suggesting you keep Beal on the bench for this important week, as there's still no timetable for his return and he's just now getting to the point of being able to return to five-on-five work due to his hamstring injury. The Suns have just three games to work with this week, and from the sound of the latest reports, Beal looks like a lock to miss Tuesday's game against the Bucks, at minimum, and likely at least one more in a best-case scenario. 

Forwards        

Start:  Naji Marshall, Mavericks                      

48% start rate

Marshall is another member of the Mavericks who remains very viable heading into the highest-stakes fantasy matchup of the season. The breakout forward continued to deliver in Week 23 despite Davis' presence, averaging 20.0 points (on 61.0% shooting), 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per 33.3 minutes per game, even when factoring in a very quiet 41-minute outing versus Orlando where he took just five shots. That was very much an anomaly considering Marshall had put up double-digit shot attempts in 12 straight games leading into that contest, and he was right back at 14 two nights later versus the Bulls. Given he's become a key source of offense, Marshall can be counted on again as Dallas embarks on another four-game ledger.

Start:  Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks 

19% start rate 

Risacher heads into the Hawks' four-game Week 24 schedule with a head of steam, as he just racked up a career-high 36 points on 12-for-21 shooting against the Bucks on Sunday. That performance pushed the first overall pick's scoring average over his last 10 games to a solid 17.7, a figure he's complemented with 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists. Risacher has double-digit scoring tallies in eight of those contests overall and has shot a crisp 53.1% in that span, giving him plenty of credibility as a Start option that could benefit your lineup in multiple ways this coming week.

ALSO CONSIDER: Shaedon Sharpe, Trail Blazers  (39% start rate); Matas Buzelis, Bulls (25% roster rate)

Sit: Kevin Durant, Suns 

76% start rate

You're going to get only two games out of Durant in a best-case scenario in Week 24, as he left Sunday's contest against the Bucks with an ankle sprain that already has him ruled out for Tuesday's rematch with Milwaukee. Tough matchups against the Celtics and Knicks make up the rest of Phoenix's Week 24 schedule, and even with Mike Budenholzer's club still gunning for a Play-In spot, there's a clear risk you get nothing from KD during this critical fantasy week, considering the lingering nature of ankle sprains.

Centers   

Start: Alex Sarr, Wizards          

49% start rate 

We go from the first overall pick to the big man selected right behind him last June, as Sarr remains a mainstay in this space thanks to his continued solid play. The rookie validated his Week 23 Start designation with averages of 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.3 blocks across 29.0 minutes in his four games, and he's now scored in double digits in 12 of his last 14 contests overall. Sarr also has a trio of double-doubles and eight multi-block tallies in that span, with four of those coming in the last five contests. 

Start: Kel'el Ware, Heat 

47% start rate

It's an all-rookie selection of centers this week, as Ware makes the cut after putting up 13.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game in the last eight contests. Ware is also shooting an efficient 66.2% overall during that sample and averaging 28.9 minutes per game thanks to consistently staying out of foul trouble. The Indiana product has five double-doubles and an additional double-digit rebound effort in that span as well, enhancing his case as a big man who could give you a championship-winning boost on a four-game week. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Kyle Filipowski, Jazz  (27% start rate)

Sit: Walker Kessler, Jazz 

66% start rate

Kessler is at best going to play in three games this coming week, as he's already been ruled out for Monday's matchup with the Hornets for reconditioning purposes. The Jazz's personnel deployment has been a fantasy nightmare in recent weeks, and just as has often been the case with Lauri Markkanen and John Collins recently, there's a chance we see Kessler continue to sit for multiple games this week as young Kyle Filipowski picks up valuable reps. Additionally, it's worth noting Kessler's recent production hasn't been anything that's necessarily indispensable, as he's averaged 6.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 blocks in his last five games.