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We fantasy pundits always preach early in the season to not overreact to hot or cold starts. Even the best players have a bad week or two, and some of the worst players will get hot for a fortnight on occasion.That having been said, after speculating and hypothesizing all summer, its not necessarily too soon to draw some conclusions about players now that we have actually seen them in action this fall.Joel Embiid looks every bit like a superstar, but will that continue? Serge Ibaka and Nikola Jokic have looked like busts. Will they turn it around? Who has played well enough to be snagged off your waiver wire? How about expectations for a player we havent seen ball this season: Darren Collison?Dont worry; we have the answers for you.At the start of each week this season, Ill tip things off by posing and seeking answers to five key questions, thus The Starting Five.This weeks contributors are ESPN Fantasys?John Cregan, Jim McCormick and Joe Kaiser.Four games into his NBA career, Joel Embiid is averaging a stunning 18.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.0 BPG, 48.0 FG% and 80.0 FT% in just 22 MPG. Of course, he missed the past two seasons due to injuries, so the risk in owning him is obvious. Where do you put his statistical ceiling for 2016-17?Cregan:?It all depends on his minutes cap and his status for back-to-backs. In terms of a ceiling, for now, youre probably looking at it. His usage rate (35.8) and PER (25.39) are so high that he simply has nowhere else to go. The latest reports have the Sixers reviewing Embiids restrictions in six weeks. So theres a chance he gets ramped up come early 2017.McCormick:?Embiids ceiling is cathedral high, when we consider hes already second in the league in blocks per game and third in usage rate. Blocks prove truly rare and scarce, while the usage rate indicates Embiid is an integral offensive weapon whenever hes on the court. Currently on a minutes restriction hovering around 25 minutes per game, reports suggest increased exposure could begin after Christmas. As a big who doesnt hurt investors in free throws and offers help in points and blocks, Embiid could truly break out as a top-five fantasy center in the second half (hes currently 11th on the Player Rater at the position).Kaiser:?At this point, the only thing Im worried about with Embiid is injury. Hes looked so good throughout the preseason and early part of the regular season that I think the 76ers realize that theyll need to unload Nerlens Noel and/or Jahlil Okafor in the near future, as Embiids minutes restriction disappears. As far as his ceiling goes, I dont think hell put up the numbers Karl-Anthony Towns had as a rookie last season, but I think he has a chance to be a notch under that, as long as he can stay healthy. Remember, Towns played all 82 games as a rookie.After seeing Serge Ibakas block production dwindle each season from his career-high mark of 3.7 BPG in 2011-12 to 1.9 BPG last season, there was hope that we would see a spike in that department after joining the Orlando Magic over the summer. Instead, he is averaging a career-low 0.8 BPG. Is he a buy-low candidate for blocks or are his days of being Serge IBlocka over?Cregan:?It wasnt me! I had no hope for Ibakas block production! Dont put that hope on me! Block production tends to taper off the deeper a player descends into ones career path. There arent many cases of players suddenly rediscovering ones Year 2 block mojo. One and a half to two blocks per game would be a minor statistical miracle.McCormick:?Im not sure of the exact value of this correlation, but Ibakas block rate began to descend when he made a sudden and dramatic surge in 3-point attempts in 2014-15. As hes become a stretch forward, his defensive metrics have suffered. Its disconcerting to see Ibakas block rate take another dip, but Im just as concerned with his deflated minutes, as hes playing the lowest rate in five seasons. With Jeff Green and Aaron Gordon fulfilling similar roles, Im not sure hes going to vault above 30 MPG for a deep frontcourt rotation. I dont find Ibaka as a buy-low candidate and, instead, would seek to market him based on the value his past production might garner.Kaiser:?Every now and then, a player seems to age more rapidly than normal. I think about Martell Webster when I think of players like this. And I think Ibaka is similar in that, even at age 27, he isnt as bouncy as he once was in his earlier years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Add to the fact that his game has moved more to the perimeter, and hes a player who is suffering not only in terms of blocks but also rebounds (5.2 RPG this season). If hes averaging on 14 points, 5 rebounds and less than a block a game, hes not a top 80 player.Its been a bumpy start for a player many people expected to break out this season: Nikola Jokic. How concerned are you?Cregan:?On a scale of 1-10, Im around a 6. Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone has yet to figure out how to mesh Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic together in a way thats mutually statistically beneficial. Of the two, Jokic will struggle more in a timeshare due to his unselfish style of play.McCormick:?Im quite concerned, since, like Ibaka, Jokics minutes have been compromised so far. Unlike Ibaka, we dont have an elite sample of fantasy production for Jokic, but rather the speculation and upside his talent suggests. With just 9.2 shots and 23 minutes per game, thanks to rating sixth on the Nuggets in minutes, wed likely need to see a Kenneth Faried trade or injury to facilitate the breakout his offseason hype demanded. The talent is undeniable, but the opportunity might just not be there this season. The real breakout for the Nuggets might just come from Jusuf Nurkic.Kaiser:?I think you have to remain patient with Jokic. Hes a second-year player who doesnt turn 22 until late February, so any inconsistency he has this season -- particularly in the early going -- is to be expected. You can sell low if you want to, but Id caution against it when you have someone who put up 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 0.4 threes per game in less than 22 minutes per contest as a 20 year old last season.Name a player owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues who you recommend adding to fantasy rosters.Cregan:?I like what both Louis Williams and and Sean Kilpatrick have done in limited roles in low-expectation situations. Theyre both worth rostering in deeper leagues as is. Both have plenty of room to grow in terms of minutes, so theres plenty of upside with both.McCormick:?The Hornets Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ranks among the leagues trees -- as in the big men -- when it comes to rebounding opportunities. MKG has enjoyed 18.8 rebounding chances per game, defined as being within 3.5 feet of an available board, which ranks eighth in the NBA. We also find the versatile forward providing well over a block and steal per game, which adds to his immense and emergent value, despite the lack of appreciation from the fantasy marketplace so far.Kaiser:?ESPN.coms Zach Lowe reported on Nov. 3 that the Pelicans are hopeful that Jrue Holiday can return to the team by mid-November. The talented point guard missed training camp and the early part of the season to support his wife Lauren Holiday, who recently gave birth to their first child and underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. Our thoughts continue to be with Lauren in her recovery. Basketball pales in comparison to something as serious as that, but if Holiday is in fact back on the court in the coming weeks, hes immediately a must-own player. Currently, he is owned in only 34.6 percent of ESPN leagues. Pick him up now if you can -- the 26-year-old averaged 16.8 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 threes per game for the Pelicans last season.Having served his eight-game suspension, Darren Collison (61.2 ownership in ESPN leagues) is slated to make his season debut Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors. What are your expectations for him this season?Cregan:?Around 16 points, 5.5 assists, 1-to-1.5 3-pointers and steals, plus dynamite percentages and a subtly high (for a point guard) rebound rate. He has top-50 upside, but I think he tops out around sixth-to-seventh-round value.McCormick:?Since Ty Lawson has averaged nearly 32 minutes in place of Collison to start the season, we can liberally apply Collisons per-36 rates from last season to approximate his potential for this season: 16.8 PPG, 5.2 APG, 1.4 3-PPGand 1.2 SPG. These are really helpful numbers, and even if they prove a bit generous in some categories, Collisons assist rate should climb north of six per game.Kaiser:?Ty Lawson has played well enough to at least deserve a 50-50 split of the minutes at point guard in Sacramento, but its impossible to know how first-year Kings coach Dave Joerger is going to dole out the playing time. Collison averaged 14 PPG, 4.3 SPG and 1 SPG in 30 MPG last season under George Karl, and that was with Rajon Rondo on the roster, but I dont see his stats going up on a Kings team thats taken on a much slower-paced approach under Joerger. In fact, the Kings enter Monday ranked 29th in the league in pace, ahead of only Utah, which means fewer opportunities for Collison.Cheap Salomon Shoes Australia . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. 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Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona.Tony Romo is hurt again, the defending champs get no respect and the rookie quarterback who wasnt drafted No. 2 overall got a starting job first.No division is more up for grabs than the NFC East.The Dallas Cowboys are Dak Prescotts team while Romo is out with a back injury. The fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State has been impressive in the preseason, climbing from No. 3 on the depth chart following injuries to Kellen Moore and Romo.After winning the division in 2014, the Cowboys fell to 4-12 last season and were 1-11 without Romo when he was twice sidelined by a broken left collarbone.The offense could survive without him if Prescott is the real deal, Dez Bryant stays healthy and No. 4 pick Ezekiel Elliott lives up to the hype.While Prescott has a chance to play, Carson Wentz will sit behind Chase Daniel despite projected starter Sam Bradford being traded to the Vikings on Saturday for a pair of draft picks, including a first-rounder in 2017. The Eagles traded a slew of picks to select Wentz at No. 2 in the draft, but he was slated to be the No. 3 quarterback long before injuring his ribs in the preseason opener.The Eagles should be rebuilding under new coach Doug Pederson, but every team is a contender in this weak division. Before being dealt, Bradford had looked sharp in Pedersons offense and the defense is vastly improved under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.Kirk Cousins had a breakout year to lead the Redskins to a division title in 2015. But no team has repeated in the East since the Eagles won four straight from 2001-04.The Giants wont have Tom Coughlin on the sideline for the first time since 2003. Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo replaced him, so Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. and Co. will have continuity. A revamped defense could help New York end its four-year playoff drought.Heres some things to know about the NFC East:GIGANTIC GIANT: Defensive end Olivier Vernon, a major free-agent addition, was dominant in the preseason. The Giants spent $40 million, for this season, to re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul and sign Vernon, defensive tackle Damon Harrison, cornerback Janoris Jenkins and linebacker Kennan Robinson.dddddddddddd They drafted cornerback Eli Apple in the first round to upgrade the secondary. The offense will score points. If defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo gets the most out of his group, New York should rise to the top.KIRKS CREW: Cousins earned himself a one-year contract worth $19.95 million on the franchise tag after throwing for 4,166 yards and 29 touchdowns. Robert Griffin III is gone, so theres no quarterback controversy in DC. But Cousins still has to prove himself after the team didnt give him a long-term contract. The Redskins gave All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman a $75 million, five-year deal to bolster the secondary. Norman better walk his talk after criticizing Beckham, Bradford and others.GANG GREEN: There hasnt been this much excitement surrounding the Eagles defense since Jim Johnson was calling the shots. Schwartz is the most accomplished defensive coordinator in Philadelphia since Johnson passed away. His defense was outstanding in the preseason, wreaking havoc and forcing turnovers. It wont be easy to maintain that success when the games count, but theyre on the right track. Defensive end Fletcher Cox got paid to be an elite player and should thrive in Schwartzs system. Linebacker Jordan Hicks returns after an injury shortened his promising rookie season. Safety Malcolm Jenkins has developed into one of the best at his position.DOOM IN BIG D: Romos latest injury is a big setback for the Cowboys, who were hoping to go from first-to-worst-to-first. But Prescott seems like an upgrade from Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel. He also has a better supporting cast. The real problem for Dallas will be stopping other teams. Starters DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory are suspended for the first four games and Rolando McClain will miss the first 10 games of the regular season.PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: Giants, Redskins, Eagles, Cowboys.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org---Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP-RobMaaddi ' ' '