Fantasy 30: Point guard buzz from Steph to Elfrid to Markelle
To help, I’ve done the work for you and compiled a look at the most fantasy-relevant news and notes for all 30 teams around the league.
Atlanta Hawks: Remember when there was some question about how well Trae Young would adjust to the NBA game? Those days already are an ancient memory. Young leads the NBA with 10.3 APG during the past month, and he’s done it while putting up 32.1 PPG, which ranks fourth in the league during that span. And remember, all this has happened even with the addition of Jeff Teague, a proven veteran point guard who has averaged 21.4 MPG since joining the Hawks.
Boston Celtics: Kemba Walker‘s sore left knee has kept him out of the lineup for the past three games, which is certainly a worrisome development for the Celtics, but Walker’s absence has allowed Jayson Tatum to get some much-deserved attention. Tatum, who turns 22 next week, put up scoring nights of 41, 36 and 33 in the games without Walker, and his 29.7 PPG during the past month ranks sixth in the league.
Don’t wait until it’s too late! Baseball’s Opening Day is Thursday, March 26. Will you be ready?
Create or join a league today >>Everything you need to compete >>
Brooklyn Nets: Everybody knows that Spencer Dinwiddie can score — his 20.8 PPG ranks 24th in the NBA this season — but with Kyrie Irving out for the season, Dinwiddie is also a tremendous source of assists. In fact, he has dished out at least eight assists in six of his past seven games. His 6.6 APG this season ranks 17th in the league.
Charlotte Hornets: Just when Malik Monk looked like he was starting to break out, the former lottery pick was suspended indefinitely on Wednesday for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program. Without Monk, who had averaged 18.2 PPG during his past seven games, the Hornets are left extremely thin on the bench. The starting backcourt of Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham get a bump in fantasy value in Monk’s absence.
Chicago Bulls: Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle) was listed as questionable leading up to Tuesday’s game against the Thunder but didn’t end up playing. The second-year big man has been out since Jan. 6 but averaged 11.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 0.8 SPG and 0.9 BPG in 37 games prior to the injury and is available in 29.3% of ESPN leagues.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Andre Drummond‘s production hasn’t been close to the same since being traded from Detroit to Cleveland (12.8 PPG, 10.4 RPG), and to make matters worse, he’s also dealing with a calf strain that kept him out of Wednesday’s game against Philadelphia. Drummond’s status is up in the air heading into Friday’s game at New Orleans, so keep an eye on updates. Officially, he is listed as day-to-day.
Dallas Mavericks: As much as Kristaps Porzingis has looked good paired next to Luka Doncic this season, and as much as the 18.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.9 BPG and 2.4 3PG are huge for fantasy purposes, his shooting has taken a small step backward, and that’s an area he will likely focus on over the summer. His 42.0 FG% and 78.2 FT% are career-lows, and his 35.1 3FG% is the lowest since his rookie season (33.3%). If Porzingis becomes more efficient next season, he would become a second-round type of value.
Denver Nuggets: Jerami Grant doesn’t need to start to have a big impact. Grant, who has raised his fantasy value during the middle part of the season as a versatile scorer, who can help in the defensive categories and from 3-point land, came off the bench to score a career-high 29 points against the Pistons on Tuesday. While Grant didn’t record a steal or a block, he did connect on three 3s and shot 12-of-15 from the field. Still, he’s available in nearly three quarters of ESPN leagues.
Detroit Pistons: There isn’t a lot to be excited about in the present or the future for the Pistons right now, sadly, but Christian Wood is maybe the lone exception. He has stepped up big time following the trade of Drummond, averaging 21.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG in three games since the All-Star break. Wood is rostered in 83.8% of ESPN leagues, but he has double-doubles in four of his past five games and should be on rosters in every league at this point.
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (left hand) could be back on the court as soon as Sunday, March 1, against the Wizards, but that’s not exactly a slam dunk. Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes Curry could use more scrimmages before returning to action, “If it’s Sunday, great,” Kerr said. “If it’s not, that’s fine too.” Once the two-time MVP returns, it will certainly shake things up. Jordan Poole, who has started to blossom with more point guard responsibilities, could see less time running the point and Ky Bowman’s minutes as the backup point guard could suffer as well.
Houston Rockets: Robert Covington is still only eight games into his tenure with the Rockets, but there is at least one area that is noticeably different from his time in Minnesota: shooting more 3s. After averaging 6.5 3-point attempts per game in 48 games with the Wolves this season, Covington is up to 8.4 attempts per game with the Rockets. That has led to a bump from 2.4 to 2.8 3PG. Take note.
Indiana Pacers: It’s great to see Victor Oladipo back on the court, and with Jeremy Lamb now out for the season, it will mean more opportunity for Oladipo going forward. That being said, Oladipo hasn’t played like a top-100 fantasy player since returning from the ruptured quad tendon that forced him to miss a full year. In eight games, Oladipo has posted a 33.3 FG% and averaged 10.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.6 APG and 0.5 SPG. Keeping him on your roster is a risk right now, as it could take until next season before he’s back to full speed. Oladipo has also missed the past two games due to a lower back injury, though he is expected to play Thursday.
LA Clippers: A look at Kawhi Leonard‘s 7.7 RPG this season may not seem like a big number or a big deal … until you realize that it’s the highest of his career. In fact, Leonard had eclipsed 7.0 RPG in two previous seasons — 2014-15 with the Spurs (7.2) and last season with the Raptors (7.3). His 14 boards against the Suns on Wednesday tied a season-high.
Los Angeles Lakers: With LeBron James (left groin) ruled out for Thursday’s road game against Golden State, it’s a good time to add Kyle Kuzma or Markieff Morris as a streaming option. Both figure to fill in and play extended minutes with James sidelined for just the third time all season. The Lakers play next on Saturday in Memphis, so keep an eye on LeBron’s status leading up to that one.
Memphis Grizzlies: Josh Jackson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, has now played in 11 games for the Grizzlies since being called up from the G League. Unfortunately, the minutes have been limited (19.4 MPG) and the production has looked a lot like it did in his first two years in the league with the Suns. Jackson can do some things from the forward spot — like pass and rebound — but when he’s getting only 23 minutes like he did Wednesday, even without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke available, it’s a strong indicator that he should remain on the waiver wire.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro (right foot) recently shed his walking boot and doesn’t have a timetable for a return to the court, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday that the rookie has been amping up his on-court work. Herro, the No. 13 overall pick last June out of Kentucky, averaged 13.1 PPG in 46 games before the injury, which has kept him out since Feb. 3.
Milwaukee Bucks: During the past month, one player has dominated the league in rebounding. That player isn’t Rudy Gobert or Hassan Whiteside or Andre Drummond. That player is Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose 17.3 RPG is 2.6 RPG more than the next-closest player (Whiteside). Now at 13.7 RPG for the season, that’s a 1.2 RPG improvement over Antetokounmpo’s previous best, which was set last season.
Minnesota Timberwolves: D’Angelo Russell has gone from one injury-depleted team (Warriors) to another (Timberwolves) this season, and so far, his numbers are up since the trade to Minnesota (24.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 8.0 APG, 1.4 SPG and 3.8 3PG). Expect the scoring to take a hit once Karl-Anthony Towns returns, but for now, Russell is a borderline top-35 fantasy option.
New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson steals all the attention on the Pelicans, but quietly, Jrue Holiday has really picked things up as a distributor. Even with Lonzo Ball healthy, Holiday has led the Pelicans in assists in six consecutive games, dishing out assist totals of 10, 10, 11, 9, 15 and 9. Ball hasn’t been shabby either, going for 7, 10, 5, 7, 9 and 8 during that same stretch. It is certainly helping both Holiday and Ball to have a guy like Zion who can finish so efficiently around the basket.
New York Knicks: Elfrid Payton returned to the Knicks’ lineup on Wednesday, contributing six points and nine assists against the Hornets after missing the previous two games with a sore right ankle. Payton was dropped in 32.2% of ESPN leagues during the past seven days because of the injury, so now is the time to race out and add him if he’s a free agent in your league.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Here’s a stat that’s just as much surprising as it is interesting: Danilo Gallinari‘s current 23.5 usage rate is the highest of his career. You wouldn’t think that’d be the case this season, on a team with three other players averaging more than 17.0 PPG, but the 11th-year pro has never had a higher usage rate than he has this season with the Thunder. In addition, Gallinari’s 61.5 true shooting percentage is the third-best of his career.
Orlando Magic: Let’s take stock of where Markelle Fultz is, shall we? In 10 games this month, Fultz has averaged 31.6 MPG — the highest of any month this season — and chipped in with 12.0 PPG, 7.5 APG and 1.5 SPG while posting an impressive 49.5 FG% and 85.7 FT%. His game continues to improve as his confidence grows and he gets more minutes, and these are encouraging developments as he rounds out his first year with the Magic. An uptick in scoring, probably in the 15-16 PPG range, could be in the cards for next season.
Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid (left shoulder sprain) has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Knicks and could miss several more games due to the injury. With Ben Simmons also out, Tobias Harris, Al Horford and Josh Richardson will have to carry a bigger load offensively, while Furkan Korkmaz is another capable scorer worth considering as a streamer.
Phoenix Suns: While Deandre Ayton continues to be measured up against Doncic and Young, two players he was taken ahead of on draft day in June 2018, there’s no denying the force that Ayton has become in fantasy. In nine games this month, Ayton has averaged 21.9 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 2.2 APG and 1.9 BPG and done so with a healthy 56.5 FG%. While he may never be a superstar like Doncic and Young, he has the makings of a legit top-20 pick in next season’s fantasy draft.
Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard (right groin) has been ruled out for Thursday’s game at Indiana, which will be the fourth consecutive missed game for the All-Star point guard. Lillard didn’t even travel with the team to Indiana and will likely miss Saturday’s game at Atlanta as well. In the meantime, the scoring load will continue to fall on CJ McCollum, Carmelo Anthony and Whiteside while Gary Trent Jr. fills in as the starting point guard.
Sacramento Kings: As Richaun Holmes continues to miss games due to a shoulder injury that has kept him out since Jan. 6, one player who has started to benefit from the additional minutes is Harry Giles III. The skinny forward, available in just under 90% of ESPN leagues, has averaged 10.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 3.0 APG during his past three games. Holmes’ return is still up in the air, but he appears to still be at least a week away.
San Antonio Spurs: LaMarcus Aldridge (right shoulder) missed Wednesday’s game against the Mavericks, but the Spurs are hopeful that he can return Saturday versus Orlando or Monday versus Indiana. In Aldridge’s absence, Lonnie Walker IV is seeing more opportunity, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had some nice things to say about the athletic shooting guard. “Lonnie is getting minutes and figuring things out,” he said. “He’s understanding more and more what it takes, how to be solid, more than anything, on both ends of the court. It takes time, but he’s guarding a heck of a guy in Mr. Doncic tonight. All those are great lessons for him.”
Toronto Raptors: Norman Powell (left ring finger) practiced on Thursday and is questionable for Friday’s game against the Hornets. Powell, who is having a career year with 15.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 1.3 SPG this season, has been out since Jan. 31. Now is the time to add him if he’s available in your league.
Utah Jazz: On Wednesday, it was announced that the Jazz would be moving Mike Conley out of the starting lineup in favor of Royce O’Neale, but instead, they moved Joe Ingles back to the bench and kept Conley in the starting five against the Celtics. O’Neale is worth looking at when streaming for assists, but the big story here is Ingles, whose value takes a big hit when he goes back to a reserve role. He went for two points, two rebounds, two assists and a block on Wednesday.
Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal has been an elite fantasy option during the past month. Just look at his last 12 games: 36.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.6 SPG, 3.5 3PG, 46.3 FG%, 86.3 FT%. John Wall is set to return next season, which will certainly cut into these type of James Harden-like numbers, but Beal is solidifying himself as a mid-second-rounder in next season’s fantasy drafts.