Josh

Hart

With Jalen Brunson (12 points, five rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals) struggling for most of the night, Hart was one of the Knicks who stepped up to lead them past the Nets. Like Mikal Bridges, Hart played all 24 second-half minutes and finished with his first game of at least 20 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists this season. While New York lost some of its depth this offseason due to free agency and trades, it cleared the deck for Hart, and he’s taken advantage. Fantasy managers should reap the rewards all season long.

Having recorded four double-doubles this season, Hart notched his first triple-double on Tuesday. Rostered in 81% of Yahoo leagues, he’s providing 3rd-round per-game value in 9-cat formats. It’s time for some shallow-league managers to hop on the bandwagon, as Hart’s role should remain the same throughout the season.

Hart finished Sunday’s loss with his fourth double-double of the season and first since October 30. There was no shortage of fantasy analysts and managers who believed Hart’s value would decrease after a stellar 2023-24 campaign. However, while the Karl-Anthony Towns trade cut into New York’s depth, it protected Hart’s fantasy value, as he’s a top-50 player heading into Week 4.

While he didn’t do much shooting, Hart was accurate when he did. A double-digit scorer in all eight games, Hart’s shooting 57.1% from the field and 86.4% from the foul line. For all the concern about his place within the Knicks’ offense during the preseason, Hart has fit in quite well, and he’s providing top-40 fantasy value. While considering the possibility of selling high wouldn’t be egregious, managers can gain a lot from holding onto Hart.

Hart did a little bit of everything in this game and was able to contribute value across the board. That shouldn’t be surprising, as he has gotten off to a fantastic start to the season. He currently ranks in the top-50 in 9-cat scoring, which is a result of his well-rounded, efficient numbers this season. It’s no secret that he’s incredibly valuable to what the Knicks do, even if he isn’t always a big scorer. Tom Thibodeau will continue to load him up with a ton of minutes, which has been great for the fantasy managers that have him rostered.

Due to a shin injury suffered in Monday’s loss to Cleveland, Hart was a game-time decision on Wednesday. To no one’s surprise, he was cleared to play and logged a game-high 42 minutes. Hart produced his third double-double in as many games, and he should be rostered in more than 65% of Yahoo leagues.

A game-time decision for Wednesday’s game, Hart got through his pregame routine without complication. He’ll occupy his usual place in the starting lineup, joining Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Hart is going through warmups before the Knicks make a determination on his availability. He also participated in shoot around this morning. Hart is third on the team in minutes played this season so it would be a significant loss for the Knicks if he doesn’t suit up.

While Hart was responsible for five turnovers, his overall production made up for that deficiency. Unfortunately, he injured his leg on a hard fall during the fourth quarter. One more trip down the floor was enough for Hart to know that there was an issue he could not play through, and his night ended with a little over three minutes remaining. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau did not have much information about Hart’s injury during his postgame press conference, so Hart managers should anticipate him appearing on the injury report ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Heat.

Hart will be good to go for this game, which means that the Knicks will have their complete starting lineup once again for this one. They’ll need to be at full strength with the undefeated Cavs coming to town, so expect Hart to play big minutes.