Julius Randle: Scores 18 points, dishes six assists in win

Randle only averaged 1.8 assists per game in what was essentially his rookie season in 2015-16, but there’s reason to be optimistic about him potentially doubling up that mark during the new campaign. The six assists he dished out Wednesday was a continuation of the improved skills as a distributor that he showcased in the preseason, when he averaged 2.5 dimes in 26.5 minutes per game. Randle was a double-double machine last season, but since he shot just 42.9 percent from the field and his production tended to lag outside of the scoring and rebounding columns, his overall fantasy output wasn’t quite as impressive. The prospect of more assists and an improved field-goal percentage this season might take his value up a notch or two in the fantasy realm.