Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will be going through each teamâ€s updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, Iâ€ll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.
The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three games, five games, ten games, and for the entire season to see what trends stand out to you.
All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also incredibly generous, so make sure to give him a follow to check out all of his baseball data as well.
“The Klaw†capped a short Week 2 for the Clippers with a buzzer-beater as his fantasy resurgence continues.
Atlanta Hawks
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Dyson Daniels36.435.532.4Jalen Johnson33.732.431.9Nickeil Alexander-Walker32.732.131.1Luke Kennard26.325.525.2Onyeka Okongwu2627.129.1Kristaps Porziņģis25.825.525.5Zaccharie Risacher242423.5Trae Young—20.627.8
Obviously, the big change here is the knee injury to Trae Young, which will keep him out at least a month. In the meantime, we havenâ€t seen a major spike for any one player. Minutes have ticked up a bit for all starters, and those five (Daniels, Johnson, Alexander-Walker, Porziņģis, and Risacher) and going to be leaned on heavily. Kennard and Okongwu will see enough time to maybe pop a big fantasy day here and then, especially Kennard with his three-point shooting, but the biggest shift will be the way the usage rates tick up for the other starters.
Boston Celtics
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Jaylen Brown28.429.831.1Payton Pritchard28.329.931.9Derrick White26.930.131.9Anfernee Simons24.325.626.9Josh Minott22.724.622.5Sam Hauser22.422.523.6Neemias Queta2222.222.9Jordan Walsh21.314.79.6
The Celtics continue to toy around with their rotation in a season without Jayson Tatum. Recently, weâ€ve seen Joe Mazzulla use a lot of smaller lineups with Josh Minott spelling Neemias Queta at center. This has allowed Jordan Walsh to enter the rotation as a bigger guard/wing. That has cut into minutes for Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman, but none of that is actionable in fantasy leagues other than the fact that Minott has settled into a consistent role and is contributing across most categories in his nearly 23 minutes per game.
Brooklyn Nets
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Michael Porter Jr.33.431.932.4Nic Claxton32.529.928.7Terance Mann32.229.827.9Tyrese Martin25.62420.9Noah Clowney25.523.422.6Cam Thomas2527.128.3Ziaire Williams22.522.520.5Egor Dëmin16.716.618.9Ben Saraf3.613.815.7
As I mentioned last week. Brooklyn is a young team that is going to try and work in a bunch of rookies and second-year players around the main cogs Michael Porter Jr., Cam Thomas, and Nic Claxton. Thomas†recent hamstring injury makes his minute totals look lower than they are, and weâ€ve seen Terance Mann grow into a bit more of a prominent role. Itâ€s been a struggle early on for Egor Dëmin and Ben Saraf, but the rookies figure to continue to get plenty of minutes throughout the year.
Charlotte Hornets
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Miles Bridges35.634.233.6LaMelo Ball33.532.733.3Kon Knueppel32.930.630.4Sion James29.227.724.3Ryan Kalkbrenner27.228.827.4Collin Sexton26.326.226.4Tre Mann2322.320.8Moussa Diabaté19.619.619.9Pat Connaughton12.79.17.4Brandon Miller——19.9
The injury to Brandon Miller, which will keep him out at least a few weeks, has led to an uptick in minutes and usage from Kon Knueppel, whoâ€s having a solid rookie season and averaging 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and very few defensive stats. Sion James has also stepped into a bigger role, but there isnâ€t much fantasy juice there. Ryan Kalkbrenner also continues to lead the center battle here and is putting up plenty of fantasy value because heâ€s blocking 2.4 shots per game with 7.1 rebounds and an elite field goal percentage.
Chicago Bulls
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Josh Giddey38.135.634.2Nikola VuÄević31.332.132Matas Buzelis30.331.429Ayo Dosunmu29.325.826.1Tre Jones28.22929.4Kevin Huerter2423.624.9Isaac Okoro23.724.824Patrick Williams23.322.322.5
The Bulls are 6-1. Who saw that coming? (Yes, I will continue to ask that question if they continue to play this well). Ayo Dosunmu has been great off the bench and should be back on Friday after missing one game with a quad injury. The rest of the minutes have been relatively consistent and likely will be until Coby White returns, which is still a couple of weeks away.
Cleveland Cavaliers
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Donovan Mitchell35.533.133.8Evan Mobley34.733.734.1Deâ€Andre Hunter32.329.829.2Jarrett Allen29.526.627.4Jaylon Tyson28.928.224.8Sam Merrill26.822.426Darius Garland26.126.126.1Lonzo Ball25.124.924.1Craig Porter Jr.2021.218Larry Nance Jr.19.718.116.9
Darius Garland is back, and his numbers here are from just one game. I would expect his minutes to continue to tick up here, and we should see other minutes fall as a result. In Garlandâ€s first game back, we saw Sam Merrill move to the bench but still play 27 minutes. Craig Porter Jr., Larry Nance Jr., and Lonzo Ball all saw their minutes take a hit, but Ball still played 23 minutes, so he would be usable if he was doing much on the statsheet.
Dallas Mavericks
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10P.J. Washington36.635.334.6Cooper Flagg34.233.733Max Christie31.131.630Dâ€Angelo Russell26.525.922.8Naji Marshall23.523.323.6Daniel Gafford22.322.322.3Klay Thompson19.820.720.4Anthony Davis—22.329.9Dereck Lively II——16.9Ryan Nembhard——9.2
The injuries are starting to pile up for the Mavericks, with Dereck Lively II and Anthony Davis joining Kyrie Irving on the sideline. Lively II is expected back next week, and Davis could return later this week, so these donâ€t seem like major injuries that will drastically impact playing time. Daniel Gafford has gotten the most immediate bump, and might until Lively returns, but the other changes have mostly been added minutes for guys like P.J. Washington and Cooper Flagg.
Denver Nuggets
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Nikola Jokić36.534.735.2Jamal Murray33.432.533.5Christian Braun32.330.331.6Aaron Gordon30.929.630.3Cameron Johnson282626.7Bruce Brown23.220.320.4Tim Hardaway Jr.23.223.123.3Jonas ValanÄiÅ«nas11.211.711.9
Itâ€s been pretty status quo for the Nuggets, who donâ€t have any major injuries and have kept their rotation consistent.
Detroit Pistons
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Cade Cunningham37.735.536.1Tobias Harris35.527.932.2Duncan Robinson34.231.632.3Jalen Duren32.730.326.4Isaiah Stewart30.126.824.7Ausar Thompson28.52627.9Ronald Holland II2223.121.8Caris LeVert19.318.419
Tobias Harris is dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out earlier this week, and has led to Isiah Stewart and Jalen Duren getting some more playing time. With how Stewart has looked, it might make sense for the Pistons to keep his minutes increasing even when Harris comes back, which could be later this week. Stewart would be really interesting in fantasy if we knew he wouldnâ€t dip back to 23-ish minutes per game.
Golden State Warriors
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Will Richard34.517.516.7Stephen Curry31.330.831.1Draymond Green31.331.529.6Jonathan Kuminga30.730.430.8Brandin Podziemski30.228.629.4Moses Moody29.524.123.4Jimmy Butler III24.329.331.1Al Horford20.920.622Buddy Hield16.415.316.8
The Warriors are an older team, so they are going to deal with injuries all season. Right now, all of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green are listed as day-to-day and have missed recent games. That has obviously led to opportunities for second-round pick Will Richard, who had 30 points against the Kings. However, I donâ€t expect his playing time boost to last. Moses Moody has also seen his playing time increase in the wake of these injuries, and heâ€s been fine, but he hasnâ€t exactly played himself into a bigger role when the veterans all return.
Houston Rockets
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Amen Thompson36.735.134.9Alperen Sengun35.134.136.8Kevin Durant34.132.835.4Jabari Smith Jr.30.930.934.2Tari Eason27.12625.7Josh Okogie23.124.723Steven Adams18.818.322.5Reed Sheppard16.718.420Clint Capela14.912.910.9
Things have remained pretty consistent for the Rockets so far to start the season. We have seen Steven Adams cede some minutes to Clint Capela as heâ€s battled a hip injury, and Reed Sheppard continues to see his playing time dialed back a little, but the rest has remained the same.
Indiana Pacers
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Pascal Siakam37.335.735.6Aaron Nesmith33.732.632.1Jarace Walker33.432.830.9Quenton Jackson25.422.720.1Isaiah Jackson23.621.818Ben Sheppard22.624.327.1Johnny Furphy17.817.812.2Bennedict Mathurin——36.4Obi Toppin——27.4James Wiseman——19.8Andrew Nembhard——16.9
The Pacers are riddled with injuries, as Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, James Wiseman, and Andrew Nembhard have all missed time due to injury. That has led to spikes in playing time all over the rotation, with Johnny Furphy and Isaiah Jackson being the biggest risers. We did expect Jackson to get a bigger role due to his previous performance, so I think some of his gains will stick, but guys like Furphy and Jarace Walker should see their minutes tick down when the key players return.
The Pacers, Lakers and Thunder are among the teams with lengthy injury reports at the halfway point of Week 2.
Los Angeles Clippers
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Kawhi Leonard36.734.833.5James Harden3635.533.6Ivica Zubac30.930.329Bogdan Bogdanović29.620.920.9Derrick Jones Jr.28.12624.4Kris Dunn25.324.723.9John Collins22.923.724.3Bradley Beal20.720.720.4
Another team that has stayed relatively consistent so far this season. Kwahi Leonard is battling an ankle injury right now, and James Harden is dealing with a personal matter, but we have no indication that those situations will last beyond one day.
Los Angeles Lakers
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Luka DonÄić4039.638.9Austin Reaves37.737.837.8Jake LaRavia36.233.830.5Rui Hachimura34.535.735.8Deandre Ayton31.828.931.5Marcus Smart30.731.728.7Jaxson Hayes20.119.318.4Gabe Vincent——23.9
Luka Doncic missed a little bit of time, and Austin Reaves is now battling a groin injury, so weâ€ve seen an uptick in minutes and usage for Jake LaRavia. More offensive responsibility has also fallen to DeAndre Ayton and Rui Hachimura, but those guys were playing big minutes before anyway. Reaves is expected to return this week, so the rotation should remain similar to this until LeBron James returns, which might be another 2-3 weeks.
Memphis Grizzlies
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Ja Morant34.332.830Jaren Jackson Jr.3131.328.7Cedric Coward29.628.726.3Santi Aldama25.826.924.6Kentavious Caldwell-Pope25.523.924.8Jock Landale24.324.423.9Jaylen Wells22.424.625.3
The Grizzlies are dealing with myriad injuries, so their rotation has been pretty small to start the season, at least in terms of meaningful minutes. Zach Edey is the closest player to returning since he has already been sent to Memphis†G-League team, but Ty Jerome and Brandon Clarke are weeks away, so this rotation could continue to look like this for a while. Itâ€s been nice to see Cedric Coward get a slight increase in minutes, and I expect that to continue given how good the rookie has looked.
Miami Heat
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Andrew Wiggins33.533.131.5Davion Mitchell32.431.129.3Norman Powell29.429.430.3Jaime Jaquez Jr.2929.929.1Bam Adebayo24.928.430.4Pelle Larsson24.426.118.3Nikola Jović21.619.321.4Kelâ€el Ware18.820.820.3
Norman Powell returned to the Heat, which is great, but now Bam Adebayo is dealing with a foot injury. Kelâ€el Ware played 27 minutes on Wednesday with Bam hurt, so he would see the biggest change in role and could certainly be usable in fantasy leagues since he had 13 points, 13 rebounds, and four steals on Wednesday. Jaime Jaquez Jr. remains a key bench piece, but he has seen his minutes dip a little with Powell back.
Milwaukee Bucks
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Ryan Rollins3131.131.1Giannis Antetokounmpo29.230.231.2Gary Trent Jr.29.129.628.7Myles Turner26.327.728.4AJ Green25.326.527Kyle Kuzma21.523.922.9Cole Anthony20.121.220.6Bobby Portis19.718.819.4Kevin Porter Jr.——9.4
Kevin Porter Jr. remains out, so Ryan Rollins has moved into the starting rotation and looks like he may not relinquish the role. The rest of the rotation has been pretty consistent.
Minnesota Timberwolves
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Julius Randle34.634.834.9Donte DiVincenzo32.632.331Rudy Gobert32.432.432Jaden McDaniels3133.832.6Anthony Edwards28.828.826.5Mike Conley23.725.121.5Naz Reid22.423.422.8
Anthony Edwards returned on Wednesday night, which led to Mike Conley seeing just 18 minutes and Bones Hyland falling out of the rotation altogether. The rest of the rotation is pretty secure, and Rob Dillingham is only seeing like 12 minutes per game, which was not enough to make the cut here.
New Orleans Pelicans
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Trey Murphy III35.834.535.5Herbert Jones31.729.229.1Zion Williamson282931.5Jordan Poole25.526.430.3Saddiq Bey25.123.324.7Jose Alvarado23.820.318.1Jeremiah Fears22.825.625.2Yves Missi2224.523.2Derik Queen16.915.618.6Kevon Looney15.515.515.5
Another season, another injury to Zion Williamson, who is set to miss at least one week with a strained hamstring. The Pelicans are also without Jordan Poole for a bit this week, which could lead to extra opportunities for rookie Jeremiah Fears or Jose Alvarado. The most interesting change has been Derik Queen, who was electric in the fourth quarter on Tuesday and then played 26 minutes against the Mavs on Wednesday, scoring 11 points with seven rebounds, two assists, and three steals. He figures to see the biggest bump in minutes while Zion is sidelined.
New York Knicks
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10OG Anunoby32.833.733.9Karl-Anthony Towns32.63333.1Jalen Brunson32.533.534Mikal Bridges32.434.835.1Josh Hart26.624.324.1Miles McBride19.521.924.3Jordan Clarkson18.31716.1Landry Shamet18.119.817.8Mitchell Robinson14.816.416.4
Mitchell Robinson has been battling a foot injury, so his minutes have been kept in check. Weâ€ve also seen the bench minutes consolidate a bit to guys like Jordan Clarkson, Landry Shamet, and Deuce McBride, who missed some time for personal reasons, which is why his numbers seem low. The other thing to note is that no Knicks player is over 33 minutes per game after their starting five played more than any other unit last year.
Oklahoma City Thunder
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Shai Gilgeous-Alexander32.232.335.4Chet Holmgren303033.4Cason Wallace2928.230.1Ajay Mitchell27.127.127.1Isaiah Hartenstein26.827.430Aaron Wiggins26.627.627.6Isaiah Joe24.724.524.5Jaylin Williams19.119.317.7Alex Caruso17.91921.3Luguentz Dort14.825.231.8
The Thunder have a few injuries of note here with Chet Holmgren battling a lower back injury, Lu Dort dealing with a shoulder injury, and Alex Caruso getting a rest day this week. We also saw the return of Isaiah Joe, which, importantly, didnâ€t really cut into the minutes for Ajay Mitchell, who has played himself into a key reserve role for the Thunder.
Orlando Magic
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Franz Wagner3333.834.2Paolo Banchero31.933.734.4Wendell Carter Jr.28.326.828.2Anthony Black27.12726.2Desmond Bane23.427.129.1Tristan da Silva23.22121.4Jalen Suggs19.820.219.4
The Magic are just 3-5, but they have no major injuries to report and no real changes to their rotation. Theyâ€re just shooting 33% from three as a team and struggling to take the next step in their development as a contender.
Philadelphia 76ers
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Tyrese Maxey38.241.141.3VJ Edgecombe35.937.538.6Kelly Oubre Jr.34.637.637.4Quentin Grimes31.13331.6Andre Drummond25.718.716.6Joel Embiid25.624.522.8Trendon Watford22.519.419.4Adem Bona18.316.716.9Jared McCain15.215.215.2
Joel Embiid continues to be in and out of the lineup with his knee injury, and Paul George has still not returned from knee surgery. We also saw Jared McCain back for one game and now out again as he manages a knee injury. McCain should be back soon, and the 76ers clearly donâ€t want to keep playing VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Quentin Grimes as many minutes as they have, so expect those to reduce a bit as this team gets healthy. Youâ€ll still likely want all three in fantasy, but theyâ€ll be playing around three to five minutes per game less.
Phoenix Suns
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Devin Booker37.638.736.8Grayson Allen33.835.934.6Royce Oâ€Neale30.434.432.2Ryan Dunn302725Mark Williams2627.324.9Collin Gillespie23.426.624.7Jordan Goodwin20.420.414.4Dillon Brooks——30.5
Dillon Brooks continues to battle a groin injury, and weâ€ve yet to see Jalen Green (hamstring) so far this season, so the Suns†rotation could change a bit in the next week. As it stands, Ryan Dunn and Jordan Goodwin have seen an increase in minutes, but neither one is really fantasy viable.
Portland Trail Blazers
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Deni Avdija35.234.433.4Jrue Holiday34.333.833Toumani Camara3432.733Jerami Grant32.229.929.2Shaedon Sharpe24.925.626.7Kris Murray23.223.422.3Donovan Clingan22.324.224.6
Portlandâ€s rotation and minutes have remained pretty consistent so far this season. Their top six players have each played in all eight games, and Kris Murray has only missed one. These are their guys for now.
Sacramento Kings
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Zach LaVine37.836.836.9DeMar DeRozan37.636.236.8Domantas Sabonis36.935.134.6Russell Westbrook35.533.128.6Dennis Schröder34.832.832.7Malik Monk25.326.225.2Nique Clifford22.522.522.8Keon Ellis19.521.719.5
Russell Westbrook has worked into a bigger role with his new team and played well, recording a triple-double this week. Itâ€s going to be hard for the Kings not to keep his minutes up. However, Zach LaVine missed one game this week with a back injury, and Domantas Sabonis has missed two games with a rib injury, so those two will get back onto their court and get their normal minutes allotment soon enough. That would likely cause Keon Ellis†role to shrink a bit.
San Antonio Spurs
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Victor Wembanyama35.634.833.7Stephon Castle35.533.532.8Devin Vassell35.434.334.6Julian Champagnie30.929.529.8Harrison Barnes28.728.629.7Keldon Johnson242524.1Jeremy Sochan22.622.622.6Dylan Harper17.92323.4Luke Kornet——25.2
The Spurs are in the throes of some injuries right now, as Luke Kornet has been sidelined with an ankle injury, and Dylan Harper will now miss multiple weeks with a calf strain. In one game without Harper, we saw Devin Vassell‘s minutes tick up a bit, same with Stephon Castle. Julian Champagnie saw the biggest increase in minutes (just about five), but that was also the season debut for Jeremy Sochan, so it seems like a lot of minutes in the rotation will go to him now that heâ€s back.
Toronto Raptors
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10RJ Barrett34.333.632.3Brandon Ingram3332.932.6Scottie Barnes31.531.432.3Immanuel Quickley28.329.430.5Collin Murray-Boyles222321.4Jakob Poeltl202222.4Jamal Shead18.217.917.1
Everything is status quo for the Raptors so far. Jakob Poeltlâ€s minutes continue to be limited, but this is their rotation for now.
Utah Jazz
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Lauri Markkanen36.536.437.1Keyonte George35.434.134.6Svi Mykhailiuk31.528.128.2Jusuf Nurkić28.623.921.5Taylor Hendricks18.915.316.3Ace Bailey18.918.917.7Kyle Filipowski18.516.218.9Walker Kessler—30.130.8
The Jazz just lost Walker Kessler (shoulder) for the season, which should mean a big uptick in minutes and usage for Jusuf Nurkić; heâ€s a player you have to add in fantasy. Weâ€ve also seen the team toy with Taylor Hendricks starting over Kyle Filipowski, and while that hasnâ€t led to a huge breakthrough, itâ€s a situation to monitor because Hendricks could be intriguing with starterâ€s minutes.
Washington Wizards
NameLast 3Last 5Last 10Alex Sarr28.829.327.9Kyshawn George27.730.830.8Bub Carrington25.927.427.3Bilal Coulibaly23.623.823.8Tre Johnson23.324.525.5CJ McCollum20.625.127.3Khris Middleton20.423.524.9Corey Kispert14.117.418.2
The Wizrads got Bilal Coulibaly back, and in his four games, he has not really cut into the playing time for young guys like Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson. The minutes have seemed to come at the expense of the veterans, which may also be related to Khris Middleton dealing with a knee injury. Still, this is great news for George, who remains a hold in fantasy leagues. I covered his breakout season earlier this week.
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