The NBA Cup schedule compresses Week 8, severely limiting opportunities as many teams play only two or even one game. To rise up the NBA fantasy rankings, this start/sit guide acts as your fantasy basketball cheat sheet, prioritizing players from the six teams with the maximum three games. We highly recommend starting Andrew Nembhard and Jeremiah Fears for their multi-category production and secure ball-handling roles. Forwards Jaden McDaniels and Devin Vassell are essential starts, with Vassell benefiting from the ongoing Victor Wembanyama injury rumors. Conversely, star players like Cooper Flagg, Jaren Jackson, and Jalen Duren can be benched due to their limited one-game schedules.
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 THREE GAMES: Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs
TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH ONE
The NBA Cup schedule compresses Week 8, severely limiting opportunities as many teams play only two or even one game. To rise up the NBA fantasy rankings, this start/sit guide acts as your fantasy basketball cheat sheet, prioritizing players from the six teams with the maximum three games. We highly recommend starting Andrew Nembhard and Jeremiah Fears for their multi-category production and secure ball-handling roles. Forwards Jaden McDaniels and Devin Vassell are essential starts, with Vassell benefiting from the ongoing Victor Wembanyama injury rumors. Conversely, star players like Cooper Flagg, Jaren Jackson, and Jalen Duren can be benched due to their limited one-game schedules.
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 THREE GAMES: Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs
TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH ONE GAME: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz
Without further ado, let's examine some tougher start/sit decisions for Week 8.
Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit for Week 8
Guards
Start: Andrew Nembhard, Pacers 
29% start rate
Nembhard is healthy again and playing like it, averaging a well-rounded 17.0 points, 6.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals across 32.9 minutes per contest in his last seven games. The fourth-year pro has flashed a significantly improved shot during that span also, connecting on 39.4% of his shots from distance. With three games to work with and a primary ball-handling role, Nembhard should be a consistent source of multi-category production this week.
Start: Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans 
13% start rate
Fears has responded well to being thrust into a starting role right from the onset of his career, and he'll check into Week 8 in a particularly productive stretch of play where he's put up 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals across 30.8 minutes per contest in his last nine games. Fears is struggling plenty from in front of the arc but flashing outstanding accuracy from behind it during that span, finding the net on 43.3% of his 3-point attempts. The precocious 19-year-old also benefits in the form of usage bumps from Zion Williamson's frequent absences, and notably, the big man will begin New Orleans' three-game week sidelined.
Sit: Cooper Flagg, Mavericks 
76% start rate
Flagg is the first of a trio of talented players saddled with one-game schedules that we'll be assigning Sit designations to this week. The rookie first overall pick has had his trouble with consistency at times as well, and although he's been a solid contributor in multiple categories over his first 24 games, whatever he can offer you this week will be easily eclipsed by a similarly talented player with more opportunity.
Forwards
Start: Jaden McDaniels, Timberwolves 
23% start rate
McDaniels will head into Minnesota's three-game week trending in the right direction, as he posted 27 points, two assists, two steals, a rebound and a block against the Clippers on Saturday while going a blistering 10-for-13 from the floor. That was just the latest installment of what is turning into the veteran wing's best season yet, as McDaniels is now averaging a career-high 16.0 points, 53.5% shooting and 48.6% 3-point shooting across his first 22 games. He's even dishing out a career-best 2.5 assists per contest and adding 1.2 steals and a co-career-high 1.0 blocks per contest, making him a very appealing multi-category asset for your lineup on a three-game week.
Start: Devin Vassell, Spurs 
28% start rate
Vassell is also producing across the board for a short-handed Spurs squad, and the sixth-year wing is coming into Week 8 with a head of steam. Vassell has averaged 22.5 points on 51.6% shooting, including 48.9% from 3-point range, over his last six games, complementing those numbers with 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest. The sample includes 28- and 35-point tallies, a reminder of what Vassell is capable of when he has the hot hand. Stephon Castle may be getting closer to a return from his hip injury, but Victor Wembanyama could remain sidelined this week with his calf issue and therefore continues affording Vassell plenty of extra opportunity.
Sit: Jaren Jackson, Grizzlies 
89% start rate
Jackson is another member of the dreaded one-game club this week and already comes into the scoring period with some uneven production of late. Despite Ja Morant's continued absence, Jackson hasn't benefited as consistently as on other occasions and is averaging just 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals across his last four games. With just one opportunity to take the floor coming up, he can be left on your bench.
Centers
Start: Naz Reid, Timberwolves
29% start rate
Reid makes his return to this space riding a wave of extended strong production, as the veteran big man boasts averages of 16.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals on 50.7% shooting, including 45.3% from behind the arc, in his last 11 games. Reid is filling his typically robust role off the bench – he's averaging 27.8 minutes per game in that span and 25.7 per contest for the season – and he's pulled his success rate from long distance up to 39.4%, the second highest of his career. With a safe multi-category floor and the maximum number of opportunities to work with this week, feel free to fire him up in your lineup.
Start: Mark Williams, Suns 
31% start rate
Williams continues rolling along in his starting center role in the desert, and in addition to having a three-game schedule this coming week, the big man will also play at least Monday's contest against the Timberwolves without Devin Booker due to the latter's groin injury. Williams is doing a good job of avoiding foul trouble, and over his last seven games, he's averaging 15.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.6 steals across 24.1 minutes per contest. As those numbers indicate, Williams' overall efficiency is certainly above average, and while he's limited outside of what he can offer in points and rebounds, he could certainly fit the bill in a week with less viable options than usual due to the quirks of the schedule.
Sit: Jalen Duren, Pistons 
51% start rate
Duren rounds out our Sit suggestions this week as the Pistons line up to only face the Hawks on Friday. Duren is enjoying a career-best season in multiple categories, but naturally, the scoring and rebounding production he'll be able to muster in just one game will be outpaced by similarly talented big men with more opportunity this coming week.
