Dylan Harper Starts for the Spurs and Joins De'Aaron Fox in a Three-Guard Plan

Dylan Harper got the start in the San Antonio Spurs' preseason opener on Thursday and led the team in scoring, and the bigger news is that the Spurs intend to keep him there. Coach Mitch Johnson named Harper to a starting five with De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama before the game against the Atlanta Hawks. Fox was then a late scratch with soreness, so Julian Champagnie started in his place, and the three-guard look Johnson wants to see did not get its debut. Harper scored 16 points with four rebounds and four assists on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep, in 19 minutes of a 123-116 loss.

For fantasy managers, this changes how Harper should be drafted. A second-year guard projected as a high-usage sixth man is a mid-round dart throw. A second-year guard who starts next to Fox and Castle on the defending Western Conference champions, and plays the minutes that come with it, is a different asset.

What happened Thursday

The Fox scratch came late. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, Fox arrived at the arena sore after Thursday morning's practice, and after his pregame warmup the training staff decided he had reached his workload limit and held him out. Nothing reported so far suggests an extended absence, and his next chance to play is Saturday at Phoenix.

San Antonio built a 23-point lead before the Hawks came back behind a 10-three second quarter. Wembanyama had a quiet first outing, finishing with nine points, six rebounds and a block in 17 minutes, which is exactly the kind of workload the Spurs want for him in October. Harper was the one starter who looked fully in rhythm.

The three-guard plan

Johnson's stated plan is to play Fox, Harper and Castle together around Wembanyama, with Vassell as the fifth starter. He also cautioned that the Spurs have the depth to use many different starting and finishing groups, as they did last season, and he said he expects the three guards to play together more during the regular season. Reporting from the Spurs beat describes Harper as still competing with Fox for the primary ball-handling role, even if both start.

That lineup is small by design. Wembanyama covers an enormous amount of space on defense, which lets San Antonio put three ball handlers on the floor without giving up much at the rim. The tradeoff is rebounding and wing size, which is where Champagnie and, once healthy, Tobias Harris come in. With Harris out for the preseason with a calf strain, the Spurs have room to give the trio real reps over the next week and a half.

Fantasy fallout

Dylan Harper is the clear winner. He came off the bench for most of his rookie season and still averaged roughly 12 points per game, per season stat listings, while playing a meaningful role on a team that reached the NBA Finals. A starting job should lift his minutes toward the high 20s or low 30s. His preseason line shows the efficient version of his game: efficient finishing, catch-and-shoot threes and enough playmaking to hold value in points, assists and steals. Move him up into the middle rounds in standard leagues, and treat him as a strong target in dynasty formats.

De'Aaron Fox is the player whose value is most affected. Sharing the backcourt with two other creators should cost him some usage and assists, and a lingering soreness issue in camp adds a small risk. He remains a starter and a reliable scorer, but managers should temper expectations for a vintage Sacramento-level assist rate. Draft him as a solid guard rather than a top-tier one.

Stephon Castle is the most interesting middle case. In a three-guard lineup he is likely to defend the best perimeter scorer and spend more time off the ball on offense, which can trim his assist totals while keeping his defensive stats intact. His value holds, but the ceiling is lower than it would be as a primary ball handler.

Julian Champagnie remains a deep-league and streaming option. He will start when Fox sits or when matchups call for size, but the plan does not have him in the first five on opening night.

The Verdexed take

We expect Harper to start on opening night against Oklahoma City on Oct. 20, and we expect the Fox, Harper and Castle trio to be San Antonio's most-used lineup in the first month as long as Fox is healthy. That makes Harper the best value in this backcourt at current draft costs, which were set when he looked like a bench scorer.

The risk to the call is the depth Johnson keeps citing. A coach who rotates starting groups can cap any one player's minutes, and the Spurs have little reason to push anyone hard before spring. Harper's per-minute production is good enough that even 26 to 28 minutes a night would justify a mid-round pick. Wembanyama's managers lose nothing here; if anything, a backcourt with three creators should mean more lob and pick-and-pop chances for him. The broader game-by-game outlook is at /nba/predictions once the regular season begins.

What to do in your league

In drafts this week, take Harper ahead of where most rankings list him and ahead of Castle if you need guard scoring. Do not chase Champagnie unless your league is 14 teams or deeper. If you already have Fox, hold rather than reaching to trade him off one late scratch, but use his reduced assist outlook as a reason not to pay full price for him in a trade.

What's next

The Spurs play at Phoenix on Saturday, Oct. 10, and host the Suns again on Oct. 14. Fox's status for Saturday is the first thing to watch. If he plays, the first real look at the three-guard starting group will show how Johnson splits the ball-handling. San Antonio opens the regular season at home against the Thunder on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals.