Onyeka

Okongwu

Okongwu was one of six Hawks to finish with double-digit scoring, and he led all rebounders in the contest. The big man has thrived since returning from the All-Star break, averaging better than 15 points, 10 rebounds, a steal and a block. With Clint Capela and Jalen Johnson out, expect Okongwu to continue producing at a high level to close out the 2024-25 campaign.

Okongwu continued his stellar play on Saturday, recording his fourth consecutive double-double. Over the past month, the Hawks center has provided top-20 value in eight-cat formats. With Clint Capela likely done for the season due to injury, nothing has prevented Okongwu from logging heavy minutes. Not only is he helping fantasy managers win their leagues this season, but Onyeka is boosting his value for drafts in the fall.

Okongwu has missed four straight games due to personal reasons, but he will presumably miss the rest of the season with a ligament injury in the fourth metacarpal of his left hand. Capela’s minutes as backup center will likely be absorbed primarily by Dominick Barlow, though Barlow is not a recommended streaming option for fantasy hoops managers.

Okongwu rattled off his third-straight double-double and thrived on both ends. The Hawks big man is averaging 14.5 points and 9.8 rebounds as a starter this season. He’ll face his former high school teammate LaMelo Ball against the Hornets on Tuesday.

Okongwu took over the starting center job for the Hawks in January and hasn’t looked back. March might be his best month so far as the 24-year-old is averaging 13.3 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game, 1.2 blocks per game and 1.0 steals per game this month. A former top-10 pick by the Hawks in 2020, Okongwu has come out of relative obscurity to be just outside the top-50 in fantasy value over the last month.

Capela’s playing time is on the downstroke, as Onyeka Okongwu has taken over as the Hawks’ starting center. Dominick Barlow could absorb some of the big man’s minutes but isn’t expected to make a significant impact on fantasy basketball.

Okongwu struggled in Tuesday’s loss to Milwaukee, which made his performance against Indiana encouraging. He has played well overall as of late, as he has recorded a double-double in three of Atlanta’s last four games. This performance was Okongwu’s fourth 20-point double-double since he took over the starting center job in January. Okongwu ranks just outside the top-50 in nine-cat value over the past month, and he has seen his value rise in recent weeks. Moving into the starting lineup has helped Okongwu ascend to fantasy stardom.

Okongwu finished Friday’s defeat with his 15th double-double of the season and sixth since moving into the starting lineup on January 20. As expected, the lineup change has paid dividends for those rostering the 2020 lottery pick. Since January 20, Okongwu has provided top 75 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats. That may not be “elite” production, but it’s an improvement for a player who spent the first half of the season well outside the top 100. Okongwu finishing the season as a top-75 player would be unsurprising at this rate.

In a low-scoring battle with Miami, Okongwu ended up as the leading scorer for the Hawks. He continues to shine as a starter, and he has provided sixth-round value in nine-cat leagues since taking over the starting center job last month. During those 17 games, he has averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 29.3 minutes per game. It hasn’t been the breakout stretch that managers were hoping for, but Okongwu has cemented his spot as a strong fantasy option for the rest of the season and likely beyond.

It has been a strange few weeks for Capela. This was his first appearance since January 27. He missed a few games before the trade deadline due to back spasms, and then he missed a few more due to personal reasons, which led many to believe he was going to be traded. Capela wasn’t dealt at the deadline, but he was inactive for Atlanta’s last few games before the All-Star break. He finally returned to the rotation, where he played 18 minutes behind Onyeka Okongwu, who logged 30 minutes. It was Capela’s first game in nearly a month, so he may see more minutes once he gets a few more games under his belt. However, Capela’s fantasy upside is limited as a reserve.