Fantasy NBA Daily Notes: Tyrese Haliburton shining for Sacramento
Fantasy basketball managers who drafted Haliburton can claim an early victory, as well. Looking past somewhat modest scoring results, the Iowa State product sits second among rookies behind only top pick LaMelo Ball in assists per game. He’s also fourth among rookies in steals per game, and fifth in 3-point efficiency. This guy does several things very well.
Statistical balance is often overlooked if a player doesn’t have a singularly loud skill, yet it’s a rewarding recipe for fantasy success. Haliburton is second among rookies in minutes per game and is even closing games in clutch scenarios for coach Luke Walton. This emerging talent can build dynamic lines for fantasy investors even when he’s not scoring in bunches.
Highlights
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: 21 points (7-8 FG), 14 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks: 27 points (8-20 FG), 8 rebounds, 14 assists, 2 steals
Lowlights
Seth Curry, Philadelphia 76ers: 0 points (0-3 FG), 0 rebounds, 3 assists
Jeremy Lamb, Indiana Pacers: 2 points (0-6 FG), 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Oklahoma City cruised past the Houston Rockets last night for their largest win of the season. Entering the game, the Thunder were one of just three NBA teams without a 15-point win. Sacramento and Minnesota are now the last members of this lonely club. Forward Darius Bazley was a key factor in the Thunder’s success. Bazley produced a double-double and has scored in double figures in five straight games. Rostered in right around 20% of ESPN leagues, you should consider making room for Bazley on your fantasy roster.
Another Oklahoma City storyline is the continued statistical success of rookie Theo Maledon, who tallied a career-high six steals last night. With George Hill sidelined for several more weeks, Maledon should continue to start and serve a meaningful role in the Thunder rotation.
While preoccupied with denying rampant trade speculation, it’s impressive that Bradley Beal has had the bandwidth to be the league’s best scorer. The Wizards upset the Heat last night with Beal scoring 32 points, giving him 25-plus points in all 17 games this season, passing Michael Jordan for the longest such streak by any player to begin a season in the last 50 years. It’s also the fifth-longest streak of its kind in NBA history.
Doncic was brilliant for Dallas in the win over Atlanta, and Trae Young countered with a strong game, but it is Kevin Huerter who we should pay attention to from a fantasy perspective. The Atlanta sharpshooter led all shooting guards in DraftKings points last night thanks to 10 assists, tying for his career-best. With more creation craft than your traditional floor spacer, Huerter can certainly help fantasy teams until Bojan Bogdanovic returns to the Atlanta rotation.
Charlotte’s Ball provided efficient and effective scoring against Philadelphia’s elite defense. The rookie scored 22 points on 16 shots, tied for his second-most points in any game this season. With the highest plus-minus on the Hornets this season, it will be interesting to see how the coaching staff navigates Ball’s minutes (and starting status) once Terry Rozier is healthy enough to return from his ankle injury.
Jonas Valanciunas of the Grizzlies has been ruled out for Thursday’s matchup against the Rockets due to health protocols. With Valanciunas out, rookie Xavier Tillman is an interesting punt play in DFS or a streaming candidate in deeper leagues.
Victor Oladipo of the Rockets is expected to miss tonight’s matchup against the Grizzlies due to scheduled rest. Eric Gordon was productive when shifting to the starting lineup in place of John Wall on Wednesday and should again enjoy a sizable starting role with Oladipo sidelined.
I’ll keep endorsing Gary Trent Jr. as a scoring and shooting specialist for as long as he’s so widely overlooked by fantasy managers. With the injured CJ McCollum off the floor this season, Trent has produced a whopping 4.3 3-pointers per 36 minutes. Fittingly, Trent has averaged 36 MPG over the past week while averaging 18.8 PPG. How prolific has his shooting volume and success been without McCollum this season? That 4.3 3PG rate would sit third in the entire league, just ahead of teammate Damian Lillard. Trent is rostered in just over 25% of ESPN leagues heading into tonight’s tilt with the 76ers.
Two of the leading MVP candidates meet in Los Angeles this evening with Denver’s triple-double machine Nikola Jokic taking on the Lakers and LeBron James. Given the Lakers’ lack of size in the post beyond Marc Gasol, it will be interesting to see how Los Angeles defends Jokic.