Fantasy basketball Week 4 start/sit: Jeremiah Fears heats up as Rudy Gobert's slow start raises red flags

Fantasy managers are beginning to get a good feel for what their team could look like this season. While there are likely some good news stories, struggles are also typically par for the course. Week four will see 14 teams playing four times, and another 14 teams saddled with three games, while Brooklyn and Minnesota both play twice.

Sitting players who only go three times has its advantages, but fantasy managers still have to make smart decisions when figuring out whom to play, regardless of game count. Being aware of back-to-back sets is also a key factor, especially with so many teams now sitting players due to injury management.

Five Games: N/A

Four Games: CLE, DAL, HOU, IND, MEM, MIL, NOP, NYK, OKC, PHO, SAS, TOR, UTA, WAS

Three Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, DEN, DET, GSW, LAC, LAL, MIA, ORL, PHI, POR, SAC

Two Games: BKN, MIN

Here are four potential starts and four potential sits entering the second week of the NBA season. Just keep in mind that this is based on games played for the week. If you play in a rotisserie league, the number of games played each week may not matter in your format.

Guards

Consider starting: Jeremiah Fears, NOP

Opponents: @GSW, BKN, MEM, DEN

Despite the return of Dejounte Murray, Fears has been able to maintain his recent momentum, scoring at least 19 points in five of his past six games. He has also managed to ramp up his defensive contributions, averaging 1.5 steals per game during that six-game span. He has been a borderline top-50 player during that span. While his assist numbers are likely to fluctuate, he is doing more than enough across multiple other categories to be given the starting nod this week, particularly with four games coming up.

Consider sitting: CJ McCollum, ATL

Opponents: LAL, @CHI, @MIL

Unlike Fears, McCollum has seen his role reduce over the past week. In three games during that time, he has averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, four assists, 1.3 steals and one 3-pointer in just 23.1 minutes per game. All indications are that McCollum was in agreement when it came to his projected role, allowing Kingston Flemings to move into the starting lineup. Moving forward, there is a decent chance McCollum's playing time pushes to 25 minutes per night, which does give him a little more wiggle room when it comes to fantasy value. With that said, with only three games this week, shifting him to your bench is probably a worthwhile decision.

Consider sitting: Nolan Traore, BKN

Opponents: @NOP, @MEM

Traore has been a pleasant surprise thus far this season, moving into the starting lineup after Egor Demin was sidelined due to injury. Traore has now scored double digits in seven of his past eight games, while also providing solid defensive contributions. In seven appearances over the past two weeks, all of which he has been a starter, Traore has averaged 15.1 points, three assists, 1.9 steals and 2.3 3-pointers in 25.1 minutes per game. However, the fact that he has been limited to just 25.1 minutes per game is somewhat concerning. Given that his stellar play has not resulted in elevated minutes, it appears as though his ceiling is capped. With only two games in the next seven days, he makes for a viable bench candidate.

Forwards

Consider starting: Collin Murray-Boyles, TOR

Opponents: MEM, BOS, @PHI, NYK

After weeks of frustration, Murray-Boyles finally rewarded fantasy managers, turning in easily his best performance of the campaign thus far in a win over the Bucks. While the production was a sigh of relief, perhaps the most encouraging sign for managers was that he played 33.9 minutes. Despite the slow start, it does appear as though Murray-Boyles is beginning to turn things around, averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 0.7 3-pointers and 2.6 combined steals and blocks in three games over the past week. There are obviously still a few questions when it comes to what his role looks like when the team is healthy. However, with four games coming up, it might be time to roll the dice with him in your starting lineup.

Consider starting: Saddiq Bey, NOP

Opponents: @GSW, BKN, MEM, DEN

Much like last season, Bey has seemingly been able to carve out a fantasy-relevant role, despite coming off the bench. He has now scored double digits in six straight games, including a 25-point effort in a blowout win over the Hawks. He has been a borderline top-40 player in six games over the past two weeks, averaging 16.8 points, four rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.7 3-pointers in 28.8 minutes per game. Projecting his ROS value is tricky, but for the short term, he probably belongs in most starting lineups.

Consider sitting: Christian Braun, DEN

Opponents: @HOU, @MEM, @NOP

After a strong start to the season, Braun has come back to the pack in recent times, more in line with what we expected for the season. In three games over the past week, he has been outside the top 100 in standard leagues, averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.3 minutes per game. Denver is starting to get its players back on the court, notably both Cam Johnson and Spencer Jones. While it does appear as though Braun is locked in as the fifth starter, it wouldn't be surprising to see his numbers plateau moving forward. With only three games this week, his lack of upside certainly warrants a possible bench spot.

Centers

Consider starting: Aday Mara, OKC

Opponents: @POR, @POR, @LAC, @SAC

The Mara experiment continues, with mixed results thus far. In seven games over the past two weeks, he has delivered as expected, averaging 10 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, shooting 65.2 percent from the field. He has started in two of the past three games for Oklahoma City, typically depending on the opposition's style of play. Although it doesn't appear as though he is going to be 'handed the keys', he is certainly doing enough to be inserted into starting lineups by those needing boards and blocks.