Fantasy 30: The return of Oladipo and other injury updates
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: In his 22 games this season, John Collins has played 11 at home and 11 on the road. Any guess where he’s been a better shooter? If you guessed the road, give yourself a pat on the back. Collins has a 58.0 FG% on the road compared to 51.0 FG% at home, and his 3-point percentage is 38.1 on the road compared to 31.7 at home. This all translates in the scoring department, too, as he has averaged 21.1 PPG in away games, 4.0 PPG more than he’s averaged at home (17.1 PPG).
Boston Celtics: Enes Kanter (hip) has been ruled out for Thursday’s game, making this the fourth game in a row he has missed. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens says Kanter is nearing a return, but his absence against the Warriors will lead to a heavy workload for Daniel Theis for at least one more night. Theis has played 31.0 MPG during his past three games.
Brooklyn Nets: A move back to the bench limited Spencer Dinwiddie to 29 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Pistons, but his 28 points and six assists showed that he’s capable of producing just fine even with a smaller workload. Still, this is something to continue to monitor, as minutes are king in fantasy basketball, and if Kyrie Irving‘s return costs Dinwiddie 3-5 MPG, that’s going to cut into Dinwiddie’s fantasy value over the long term.
Charlotte Hornets: Malik Monk was the topic of trade speculation last week, as the Knicks reportedly are interested in the former lottery pick, and since then, Monk has taken off. The 20-year-old shooting guard has averaged 21.3 PPG and 3.0 APG during the past three games, which is encouraging, but he is mostly just a scorer at this stage in his career and is still on only 8.1% of rosters in ESPN leagues.
Chicago Bulls: Kris Dunn is rostered in just over a third of ESPN leagues (37.6%), but his 4.1 APG and 2.0 SPG during the past 10 games make him a good option for fantasy teams that are looking to stream in either of those categories, similar to the way Marcus Smart has been in Boston the past few years. If you need steals and assists and can sacrifice some scoring, he is a “smart” option in category leagues.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Kevin Porter Jr. (knee) returned from a 10-game absence on Monday and followed it up with an impressive 21-point game against New Orleans on Tuesday, when he cashed in five times from 3-point land. This is the type of performance that can serve as a confidence booster for the 19-year-old out of USC, so keep an eye on that. Porter is on just 3.9% of rosters in ESPN leagues.
Dallas Mavericks: Could Andre Iguodala end up on the Mavs? ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes: “The Iguodala sweepstakes have been a source of major intrigue since the summer. Memphis Grizzlies sources are quite confident that they will get value by flipping Iguodala, whom they’ve allowed to train on his own until they determine his next destination. Some executives around the league suspect that Memphis’ fallback option is a Mavericks offer of Courtney Lee and the Warriors’ surprisingly high second-rounder, though Dallas sources have done their best to refute that.”
Denver Nuggets: With Paul Millsap (left knee) and Mason Plumlee (right foot) both sidelined through the All-Star break, the door has opened for Jerami Grant and, boy, has the athletic forward taken full advantage. Grant, known for his athleticism more than anything else over the course of his career, has put up 15.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.0 BPG during his past 10 games, and he has made at least two 3-pointers in four of those contests.
Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond has battled numerous injuries in recent weeks, from the lip to the wrist, but through it all, he has been the best in the NBA at getting steals. Drummond has averaged a league-high 2.8 SPG during the past two weeks (five games), and is at a career-high 2.1 SPG in this, his eighth NBA season.
Golden State Warriors: Glenn Robinson III has made the most of his season with the Warriors, and his future is a bit up in the air, as he could be coveted by contending teams leading up to next week’s NBA trade deadline. Robinson has averaged 16.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.0 APG and 2.5 3PG during the past two weeks and remains available in 69.4% of ESPN leagues.
Houston Rockets: If you have Clint Capela on your fantasy team, you love him for his FG%, his rebounding and his shot-blocking. But the trouble at the line that plagued him so much in his first two NBA seasons has crept back up again this season, as his 52.9 FT% is his lowest since 2015-16. The good news is that with only 2.7 trips to the line per game, the damage is fairly minimal.
Indiana Pacers: Victor Oladipo is back! He played 21 minutes in his season debut Wednesday in a come-from-behind win over the Bulls, finishing with nine points and four assists. It’s going to take some time for Oladipo to get his legs under him after missing a full year, but he looked quick and close to his old self on Wednesday. Oladipo, who averaged 23.1 PPG as recently as the 2017-18 season, will likely cut into the minutes of Jeremy Lamb for the duration of the season.
LA Clippers: Fantasy managers with Paul George on their roster are about to get a nice boost. George, out since Jan. 5 nursing a hamstring injury, is listed as probable for Thursday’s game in Boston. To this point, George has had a disappointing fantasy season, with his scoring, rebounding, assists and steals all dropping, as he’s been limited to 26 games so far in his first season with the Clippers.
Los Angeles Lakers: I don’t know about your league, but in my league this season, Dwight Howard is that guy who has been picked up and dropped by just about every team. He’s currently on 71.2% of rosters in ESPN leagues and even in his 15th season is showing plenty of productivity as an efficient shooter, strong rebounder and helpful shot-blocker. Howard has averaged 9.6 PPG, 11.3 RPG and 1.5 BPG to go with a 69.0 FG% in his past 10 games.
Memphis Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr. can help fantasy teams in many ways, but his ability to block shots is one of the best. His 2.6 BPG during the past two weeks ranks sixth in the league during that span, and his 1.6 BPG to go with 2.6 3PG on the season make him one of the rarest players in all of fantasy hoops — the shot-blocking 3-point shooter.
Miami Heat: Kendrick Nunn has missed three straight games to rest a sore left Achilles, and Tyler Herro has seen his minutes rise as a result. In fact, the rookie out of Kentucky has averaged 33.0 MPG during that stretch, but it hasn’t led to huge production (12.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.0 APG). Herro remains a streaming option, at best, for those seeking points or 3-pointers.
Milwaukee Bucks: You want to know maybe the most amazing part of Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s season? Here it is: He is playing just 30.7 MPG. That might sound like a lot, but in reality, it ranks 66th in the league. Behind guys like Kevin Love and De’Andre Hunter and RJ Barrett and Evan Fournier. Imagine how his numbers would benefit if he played even three more minutes per game! That isn’t likely to happen, but what this tells us is there’s a good chance the Greek Freak will have fresher legs than a lot of the other top fantasy options during the second half of the season.
Minnesota Timberwolves: According to a report by The Ringer, the Timberwolves reached out to the Magic this season to inquire about Aaron Gordon. A lottery pick in 2014, Gordon’s numbers have dipped to 13.3 PPG and 7.2 RPG in his sixth season with the Magic. More alarming, though, is that his shooting has taken a step backwards, falling to a career low 41.8 FG% this season and 28.6 3FG% — the lowest since his rookie season.
New Orleans Pelicans: Four games in, and it’s safe to say that Zion Williamson is who we thought he was, at least early on in the 19-year-old’s NBA career. He’s an efficient scorer (18.0 PPG, 63.3 FG%) and a strong presence on the glass (8.3 RPG) who doesn’t contribute much in terms of steals (0.5 SPG) or blocks (0.3 BPG). And since going 4-for-4 from 3-point land in his NBA debut last Wednesday, he has yet to make a single 3-point attempt. The hype surrounding Zion remains very high, but he is a much better player in points leagues than category leagues right now.
New York Knicks: Mitchell Robinson is having a mid-season resurgence, which is a sight for sore eyes for any fantasy manager who held on to him despite his struggles this season. Robinson may not be a big scorer, but he’s blocking shots again — 2.8 BPG during his past eight games — and is one of the league’s best in terms of shooting efficiency with a 71.8 FG% this season.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Dennis Schroder is one of those players who does worse as a scorer when he has more rest, as strange as that might seem. He has averaged 23.0 PPG in eight games this season when he played in the second of a back-to-back. In 29 games with one day of rest, he has averaged19.6 PPG. In eight games with two days of rest, he has averaged 14.6 PPG. And in the three times when given three days of rest — a rarity in the NBA — he has averaged 14.3 PPG on 34.8% shooting. Figure that out.
Orlando Magic: Nikola Vucevic has missed 11 games this season due to injury, but in the 37 games he has played, he has managed to record a double-double in 24 of them. That puts him 12th in the league in that category. That shouldn’t be too big of a surprise, given that Vucevic ranked third in the league in double-doubles last season with 60 in his 80 games played. Only Drummond (69) and Rudy Gobert (66) had more.
Philadelphia 76ers: Al Horford (left knee soreness) has been ruled out for Thursday’s game in Atlanta but is expected to be available when the 76ers continue their four-game road trip in Boston on Saturday. Horford’s absence against the Hawks could lead to more playing time for rookie swingman Matisse Thybulle, one of the league’s more active defenders.
Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton put up a season-high 31 points in the win over Dallas on Tuesday and has upped his averages to 18.7 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.4 BPG in 14 games this month. On top of that, the No. 1 pick from the 2018 NBA draft has posted a 54.6 FG% and 84.4 FT% in that span. Impressive stuff from the 21-year-old big man.
Portland Trail Blazers: The Blazers are 21-27 and are in the luxury tax. Hassan Whiteside is a 30-year-old on an expiring contract who is making $27 million and having a huge season (15.6 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.1 BPG). With the Feb. 6 trade deadline only a week away, what are the chances Whiteside remains in the Rose City beyond this week? Jason Quick of The Athletic puts it at 50-50.
Sacramento Kings: During the past three games, Bogdan Bogdanovic has been starting and Buddy Hield has been used in a sixth-man role, providing instant offense off the bench. Hield has averaged 25.3 PPG during this stretch — five points above his season average — and Bogdanovic has also exceeded his season average (14.6 PPG) by scoring 15.3 PPG. This is something to continue to monitor closely.
San Antonio Spurs: LaMarcus Aldridge missed each of the past two games due to a sprained thumb, opening the door for Jakob Poeltl to play extended minutes. Poeltl, the fourth-year center known for his blocks in fantasy circles, averaged 29 minutes in those games, chipping in 10.0 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.0 APG and 2.0 BPG. He is worth adding to your lineup whenever Aldridge is out. Take note.
Toronto Raptors: Fred VanVleet hasn’t skipped a beat since returning from a hamstring injury that held him out of the lineup for two weeks earlier this month. In six games, VanVleet has put up 19.8 PPG, 5.2 APG, 2.3 SPG and 3.8 3PG. This is a guard who will be drafted in the third round in next season’s fantasy basketball drafts.
Utah Jazz: In Joe Ingles and Royce O’Neale, the Jazz have multiple forwards who serve as distributors, and while the masses are well aware of Ingles by now, they are slow to catch on to O’Neale. Currently on just 7.2% of rosters in ESPN leagues, the underrated starter has dished out at least three assists in eight consecutive games.
Washington Wizards: With scoring performances of 38, 36, 40 and 47 during his past four games, Bradley Beal has vaulted to 28.6 PPG on the season. That is good for sixth in the league. The All-Star shooting guard is in a great groove right now, shooting 52.4% and averaging 31.5 PPG during his past eight games.