De'Aaron

Fox

Fox recorded solid points, rebounds, and assists, but they occurred in another defeat for the struggling Kings. He’s providing third-round value in 9-cat formats and has been a round better in 8-cat formats. With recent rumors regarding Fox’s future in Sacramento and a lingering decision regarding a potential contract extension, the rumors will only increase after a game like Sunday’s. The Kings play two games in Week 9 and are off until Thursday, when they host the Pistons.

Fox’s name has surfaced in recent trade rumors, but he has not explicitly said he wants out. He played like that on Saturday, scoring 31 points on excellent shooting from the field and the foul line. Although the four turnovers were disappointing, Fox’s overall stat line overrides that negative. Fox’s situation will be one to watch moving forward, especially if he concludes that he’ll have a better chance of sustained team success elsewhere.

Fox scored 25 points or more in two straight games, which he had not done since November 22-24. That run was part of a six-game streak of 25 points or more, including a 60-point performance in a November 15 loss to the Timberwolves. Unfortunately for the Kings, they are now 3-9 in games where Fox has scored at least 25 points. They’ll look to bounce back when they host the Lakers on Saturday.

Fox led the Kings in scoring and shot attempts, but he wasn’t efficient and ended up a -13 in 39 minutes in the one-point Sacramento loss. While he typically finds a way to get his numbers and is one of the best scorers in the game, he hasn’t played his best yet this year and is still a top-20 player in fantasy. It’s scary to think that his ceiling is even higher than this.

Fox had a poor shooting night, but he was still able to record a well-rounded stat line. This was their third straight win, and they’ll look to make it four in a row against the Nuggets on Monday, which would be their longest streak of the year. Fox’s 3-point percentage is down in comparison to last year, but his field goal and free throw percentage are both up from last season. He’ll continue to be one of the premier fantasy hoops options, but he hasn’t played his best yet.

Fox has dropped 49 and 60 points in a game this season, but still feels like some of his upside is capped with all the other mouths to feed in Sacramento. In the blowout win Friday, four of the five Kings starters had at least 20 points and Kevin Huerter had 16 of his own off the bench. Fox made the most of the night by dishing out eight assists. He’s still a top-20 player in fantasy.

Fox had a poor night shooting the ball and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. However, he was able to impact this game in other ways, especially on defense. Fox tied his career-high for steals in this game, which was also a new season-high for him. While the swipes were a nice boost, Fox will need to be better offensively to make his typical impact. He’ll look to get back on track in San Antonio on Friday, which is the second night of a back-to-back.

A top 20 player in 8-cat formats, Fox is ranked just inside the top 40 in 9-cat. Turnovers (3.4 per game) have been the difference, and he was responsible for three more on Tuesday. However, the overall production made up for that statistical deficiency. And with Malik Monk in the lineup, there isn’t as much pressure on Fox to set up his teammates and get his own shots.

Fox has failed to score at least 21 points just once in his last 16 outings and has been a 3rd-round player in 8-cat formats over the past month. If there’s been an issue for him, it’s been turnovers, as he’s averaging 3.5 per game. Fox only committed two against the Spurs, ending a streak of three consecutive games of four or more. The Kings play six games during Week 7, beginning with the Rockets on Tuesday.

Fox shot the ball relatively well and was productive as a rebounder and assist man, but he was also responsible for five turnovers. He’s had at least four in three straight and six of his last eight games, a significant reason why he’s ranked outside the top 100 in the previous two weeks. With DeMar DeRozan (back) lacking a timeline to return, even more playmaking responsibilities rest on Fox’s shoulders.