NBA Fantasy Tiers: Should You Pick Tyrese Haliburton?

Tyrese Haliburton, PG/SG, Indiana Pacers

Oct 31-Nov 6 games: @ Boston, vs. Cleveland, vs. Charlotte, vs. San Antonio

Per game stats 2023: 20.5 PTS, 12 AST, 5.5 REB, 1 BLK

Tyrese Haliburton is off to a good start in 2023. Entering Week 2, he’s averaging a solid double-double and three 3-pointers made per game off of about 30 minutes of court time to lead the Pacers to 2-0 and an early lead in the NBA’s Central Division.

Haliburton’s 12 AST per game place him #1 in the NBA in that category. His FG% is .500 - tied for just 13th as a PG -  and he is likely to commit a couple turnovers each game, but he has yet to miss a free throw as of this writing. How do Haliburton’s Week 2 match-ups look and what’s his value as a pick for your NBA Fantasy Tiers contest on Splash Sports? Let’s get into it.

@ Boston, November 1

On November 1, the Pacers will play in Boston -- their only road game of the week. The Celtics have used a timeshare at PG so far, with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White splitting minutes almost evenly. So far, White has been the greater scoring threat, averaging 20 points per game, while Holiday has dished more assists, averaging 4.5 per game. Holiday is about twice as turnover prone as White, averaging three giveaways per game, but much better from three point land. In each case, Haliburton will have a competitive matchup, but he’s fully capable of playing to his season averages against both Holiday and White.

vs. Cleveland, November 3

On November 3, Haliburton and the Pacers will open a three game home stretch, hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland PG Darius Garland is Haliburton’s key matchup in this game, but Haliburton will likely also rotate to the 2 in order to play defense against dangerous Cavaliers SG, Donovan Mitchell (35 PTS, 6.5 REB, 5.5 AST per game in 2023). Matched against Garland, Haliburton is clearly the better player, averaging an additional five points and seven assists per game, while turning the ball over about a third as often as Garland. Against Mitchell, the court tilts against Haliburton. If I am coaching the Pacers, I am doing everything I can to keep Haliburton paired against the PG in this game, maybe kicking him to the SG to defend Mitchell if he starts getting hot.

vs. Charlotte, November 4

On November 4, the Charlotte Hornets come to town, fronted by PG LaMelo Ball (17.5 PTS, 9.5 AST, 7.5 REB per game). Ball is a long bodied PG with decent chops from 3-point land (33%), but a poor overall field goal percentage (25%), ranking 34th out of 35 point guards in the NBA. Ball is also not a very active defender and is more turnover prone than Haliburton, indicating that Haliburton may get more opportunities to score in this game, and perhaps more steals than his season average. I love Haliburton and the Pacers in this contest and I expect him to have his best game of 2023 so far when he steps on the court at home on Saturday night.

vs. San Antonio, November 6

Finally, on Monday November 6,  the San Antonio Spurs will visit the Pacers to wrap Week 2 of the NBA season. Don’t be surprised if Haliburton spends a lot of time paired against Spurs SG Devin Vassell in this one. Vassell is a rising star and off to a hot start in 2023, averaging 24 pts. and 4 REB off 53% shooting from the field over about 35 minutes of court time per game. Vassell is up and down from three point land (17% vs. Dallas, 43% vs. Houston), but he is clearly not afraid to let it fly, and is capable of generating a couple steals per game. Haliburton’s other potential matchup depending on who’s on the court at the same time, is PG Tre Jones (11 PTS, 7 AST, 5.5 REB, 0 TO per game). In this pairing, Haliburton is set up for success, with superior numbers vs. Jones pretty much across the board. At home, I think Haliburton plays to his season averages in this game, or better.

The Verdict

With four games in Week 2 and three of those at home, Tyrese Haliburton is worth a serious look as a pick for your NBA Fantasy Tiers on Splash Sports. He’s a leader at PG with decent shooting stats and exceptional ball distribution skills and he is facing beatable competition. Expect Haliburton to come out strong in Week 2, especially during the three game home stretch, and value him at whatever tier level he is available this week, particularly vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets.