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6 fantasy lessons we've learned through the first quarter of the season

Andrew D. Bernstein / National Basketball Association / Getty

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The first quarter of the NBA season has come and gone. With the opening 20 games under wraps, fantasy players can officially start to make some proclamations regarding certain players, teams, and overall fantasy questions. Below are six topics that have become clear.

1. Golden State can support four fantasy studs

Concern was high for fantasy players targeting Warriors at the onset of the season. The addition of Kevin Durant was likely to have a negative impact on all four of Golden State's superstar options. So far though, those concerns have proven unfounded.

Durant's posting his usual stat lines on top-tier efficiency. Steph Curry remains an elite fantasy option, averaging over 25 points and four 3-pointers. Draymond Green is still making well-rounded contributions (10.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists). Klay Thompson, who has arguably suffered the most, is still posting over 20 points and three 3-pointers a game.

2. Gordon Hayward is officially a fantasy star

Kudos to those who scooped Hayward on draft day. A preseason finger injury caused his stock to drop, but it clearly hasn't impacted his play. Hayward's putting together a career year, averaging 23.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. The slick-haired forward is shooting 88.2 percent from the charity stripe and 44.4 percent from the field.

The impending return of PF Derrick Favors may eat into his increased rebound total, but Hayward has seemingly taken the next step in his overall development.

3. Carmelo Anthony's decline is setting in

Melo's still scoring over 20 points per game, but his rebounding and assists have dropped notably from last year.

REB AST
2015-16 7.7 4.2
2016-17 6.1 2.5

Those counting stats were a major buoy to Anthony's fantasy value last year, helping lead to 22 double-doubles. This year, he has just one.

Though Melo is still playing over 30 minutes and providing similar shooting percentages, his overall involvement in the game is waning. At 32 years old, Melo is taking a backseat while other Knicks players assume a larger role.

4. Wilson Chandler is likely to be the waiver addition of the year

After missing all of last season, Chandler has come back to play the best basketball of his career. The dynamic forward is putting up 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in 31 minutes, shooting 47.7 percent from the field and adding 1.5 3-pointers per game.

With an ADP around 150 at the start of the season, Chandler went undrafted in many leagues. His play thus far now has him owned in 77% of Yahoo! leagues and providing top-75 value in standard eight-category leagues.

5. Daily league settings best suit Joel Embiid

There's no denying The Process. Embiid is putting up 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in just 23.3 minutes this season. He has been playing so well that Philadelphia has almost been forced to lessen his minutes restriction. But with health a constant concern, a minutes limit still in play, and the occasional rest day, Embiid's true fantasy value is tough to handicap.

Because of all those issues, Embiid is best suited for leagues that allow daily roster changes and any points leagues that reward double-doubles. Owners in leagues with Monday roster locks constantly have to analyze Philadelphia's upcoming schedule and project Embiid's usage - a major season-long headache.

6. Memphis and Dallas are the daily fantasy bargain bins

Memphis and Dallas have been absolutely ravaged by injuries. Chandler Parsons and Mike Conley are sidelined for the Grizzlies, while the Mavericks are without J.J. Barea and Dirk Nowitzki. These absences have opened the door for a constant stream of successful daily fantasy plays.

While there are too many options between these two teams to list here, astute daily fantasy players should be targeting these teams on a nightly basis for their bargain options in cash or tournament formats.

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