Fantasy NBA Daily Notes: Brandon Clarke is more than just a dunker
Thanks to his consistently clean box scores in the shooting department, Clarke impressively leads the entire NBA in true shooting percentage, which is a measure of scoring efficiency that weights 3-point, 2-point, and free throw rates into a single number. Rostered in right around 40% of ESPN leagues as of Monday morning, we also find Clarke producing 1.5 stocks (steals plus blocks) and nearly a 3-pointer per game, signaling a valuable and diverse skill set worthy of much more attention from fantasy managers.
Clarke’s teammate Dillon Brooks is also balling of late, averaging 19 PPG in December and posting 27 points in two of his past three appearances. Brooks, who is rostered in fewer than 10% of ESPN leagues, can struggle with foul trouble some nights, but his scoring and shooting rates signal a potential breakout is underway.
Highlights
Saturday
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: 28 points (11-14 FG), 14 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 TO
Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors: 30 points (10-26 FG), 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks, 2 TO
Sunday
Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans: 29 points (12-20 FG), 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 TO
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers: 32 points (12-21 FG), 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, 4 TO
Lowlights
Saturday
Bryn Forbes, San Antonio Spurs: 0 points (0-8 FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Wesley Matthews, Milwaukee Bucks: 0 points (0-3 FG), 4 rebound, 1 assists, 3 steals
Sunday
Kevin Huerter, Atlanta Hawks: 5 points (2-7 FG), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 TO
Terry Rozier, Charlotte Hornets: 3 points (1-12 FG), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 TO
Norman Powell’s breakout hasn’t earned much attention, thus it’s worth noting the two-way wing has averaged 19.6 PPG during his past eight games to go with a stellar 2.4 stocks (steals plus blocks). Powell is a fine addition in all formats for those who missed out of OG Anunoby.
In a strange bit of statistical history that maybe only I find interesting, the Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie has scored exactly 24 points in four straight games, tying Magic Johnson’s four-game run posting 24 points in 1989 for the longest such streak in NBA history. That’s just weird, right? With a drubbing of the Sixers on Sunday, the Nets improved to 10-5 when Kyrie Irving doesn’t play, compared to just 4-7 when he does.
Derrick Rose’s renaissance in Motown continued over the weekend, with the former Memphis standout producing his first game with at least 20 points and 10 assists in nearly four years.
The Magic cruised in a win over the Pelicans on Sunday in part thanks to the play of dynamic young forward Jonathan Isaac, who tallied his first career 20-and-10 game and remains available in roughly 30% of ESPN leagues. Nikola Vucevic helped fuel Orlando’s offensive explosion in tallying 20 points and nine pulls in his first game since Nov. 20 due to an ankle injury.
The New Orleans Pelicans just endured their 12th straight loss, the longest losing streak in franchise history. One bright note would be Brandon Ingram having now notched at least 20 points in 21 games this season, already his most 20-point games in a season in his career. With free agency looming for Ingram, his market will prove riveting amid what is a relatively shallow free-agent class.
In a win over the Luka-less Mavs on Saturday, Miami’s Bam Adebayo produced the second career triple-double of his career and second in his past three games. A key breakout candidate heading into the season, Adebayo is one of just several great stories for this rising Heat roster.
Superstar playmaker Luka Doncic suffered a fairly ugly looking ankle sprain on Saturday night that will likely hold him off the floor for a couple of weeks, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. Tim Hardaway Jr. becomes a much more intriguing scoring option given a spike in usage and shooting volume sans Doncic, while Jalen Brunson also gains signficant value in the interim.
The Bucks’ Eric Bledsoe has a right fibula avulsion fracture and is expected to be sidelined for approximately two weeks, the team said on Saturday. Donte DiVincenzo vaults into a starting role with Bledsoe ailing and merits some attention as a streaming option in the games ahead.
Blake Griffin left the Pistons’ most recent game with knee soreness while producing his first career game with zero field goals made. If Griffin misses time, Markieff Morris and Christian Wood are likely to split the workload left behind.
Charlotte Hornets rookie PJ Washington is expected to be sidelined through Christmas with a fractured finger, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Miles Bridges could see a surge in shooting opportunities with Washington sidelined.
Devin Booker missed this past Saturday’s game in Mexico City with a forearm bruise and is listed as questionable for Monday’s matchup with the Trail Blazers. If Booker can’t go, Mikal Bridges becomes an ideal streaming candidate.
The Raptors’ Fred VanVleet is listed as doubtful ahead of tonight’s game against the Cavaliers. It appears FVV is nearing a return but Powell remains a stellar option while he’s sidelined.
After patiently waiting for the sample size to mature, ESPN released the first batch of real plus-minus for the 2019-20 campaign. This metric seeks to evaluate a player’s average impact in terms of net point differential per 100 offensive and defensive possessions.
Dallas’ Brunson sticks out with the ninth-best rating among point guards, which proves notable given what should be a rewarding role in the Mavericks’ rotation with Doncic sidelined.
The 76ers’ Josh Richardson is rostered in just 55.4% of leagues in part due to missing some time lately with a hamstring injury, but the two-way force is back in the lineup and sits 10th among shooting guards in real plus-minus.
Sharpshooter Davis Bertans is enjoying historic efficiency on prolific volume from the 3-point line this season. Not only is Bertans still widely available in fantasy leagues, but he’s ninth among both small and power forwards in RPM.
While this advanced statistic isn’t always going to provide actionable fantasy intel, I think it can serve as a confirmation of actual quality play beyond just fantasy impact, which helps support heavy minutes and continued usage for many of these successful standouts.
Both Justise Winslow and Goran Dragic have been ruled out ahead of Miami’s tilt in Memphis on Monday with respective injuries.
This means that streaming and DFS shares of scoring maven Kendrick Nunn (rostered in 45.7% of ESPN leagues) become more intriguing given the rookie enjoys sizable jumps in both usage rate and fantasy points (using DraftKings’ scoring key) when Dragic doesn’t play.
Fellow undrafted gem Duncan Robinson should also benefit in that he enjoys more fantasy points and shots per minute with Winslow sidelined. Building a lineup stack around Jimmy Butler, Bam and these two undrafted rookies in Nunn and Robinson make the Heat’s core the top players to watch for Monday’s slate.