Fantasy Basketball 2022: Lineup Advice for NBA Week 4

Week 4 of the 2022 fantasy basketball season should be a fun one.

The entire Association is in action Monday night, then off on Tuesday (go vote!), so managers will start their week with a slew of tricky lineup calls, then have an off-night to recover. A 13-game slate follows on Wednesday, four contests are on the docket for Thursday and each weekend day offers plenty of hoops.

In other words, this week should be less about navigating the schedule correctly and more about simple basketball.

With hoops at the forefront, we're breaking down trade candidates and waiver-wire options.

Jones always figured to fill a massive role this season as one of the lone ball-handlers left in the Alamo City. He could be looking at even more opportunities now after San Antonio's release of Josh Primo.

Jones' appeal is more floor than ceiling, as we're not talking about a budding superstar here. What he is, though, is a typically efficient support scorer who controls the offense and defends his position.

He has mostly lived up to that reputation by averaging 5.7 assists against 2.0 turnovers and swiping a career-best 1.3 steals. His uncharacteristic shooting struggles (38.1 field-goal percentage) are what makes him a trade target.

He came into this campaign as a 48.7 percent career shooter, and he has subsequently produced his best connection rates from three (41.7) and at the line (90.9). His field-goal shooting should bounce back in a big way, and if it does, you'll be thrilled if you traded for him before that happened.

It's technically possible that a summer trade from Atlanta to Sacramento transformed Huerter into a different player, but color us skeptical that this early surge will sustain.

His 18.8 usage percentage is close to his career mark of 16.9, per Basketball-Reference, and yet he's averaging more than five points per game over his previous best (17.6, previous high was 12.2). How is that possible? It all stems from his unsustainable marks of 50 percent field-goal shooting and 51.6 percent from three.

He has never before shot better than 45.4 percent overall or 38.9 percent from three. Should he return to those rates, he might morph back into the dozen-or-so-points-per-game scorer he's always been. If you find a fantasy manager who believes in this breakout, you'd be wise to ship out Huerter now before he turns back into a pumpkin.

Brooklyn's indefinite suspension of Kyrie Irving opened the door wide open for Thomas, and the sophomore scoring guard has wasted no time capitalizing on this opportunity.

Thomas, who had two points in three games prior to Irving's suspension, has suddenly emerged as perhaps the Nets' best offensive option not named Kevin Durant. In the two games without Irving, Thomas has averaged 19 points on 45.8/50/92.9 shooting, plus five assists (against 0.5 turnovers), four rebounds and a steal.

Those numbers don't necessarily have to dry up. The assists might be a little bloated, but he's an electric scorer with a deep bag of shot-creating tools at his disposal.

An oblique injury could keep Anthony out through at least Thanksgiving, and fantasy managers in standard size leagues don't need to wait for his return.

At his best, he's been a volume-over-efficiency contributor who is sort of helpful in points and assists but won't do anything for your shooting or defensive categories. Now, his volume is lower with players like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner passing Anthony on the offensive pecking order, and his role could be reduced whenever Markelle Fultz returns.

Anthony has improved his shooting, but it's not like he's hugely helpful there with a 41.5 percent connection rate from the field. Unless you're desperate for scoring and underwhelmed by the waiver-wire options in your league, you can cut bait.