Welcome to your midweek guidance for week 13! For those of you in eight or nine category head-to-head leagues, your matchup’s most competitive categories should be starting to come into focus. It’s time to go get the W!
Hopefully you reaped the benefits of adding Jordan Poole or Moses Brown after last week’s post. As for Kelly Olynyk… well, I did say to ride out the hot streak. I just didn’t expect it to end immediately after I hit ‘submit!’
The format of this post is different from previous weeks. Rather than looking at punt strategies, I’ll be identifying players that are providing above-average value across multiple categories. You’ll see these broken out in the headings according to players who will help you in two, three, or four different areas. For nine-category managers, it is assumed that none of the highlighted players negatively impact turnovers. If this is not the case, I will specify by exception in the write-ups.
If I view a player as a solid mid-to-long-term option in twelve-team leagues, I will signal that with an asterisk next to his name. In all other cases, I only recommend these players as streaming options for teams with a dedicated roster spot(s) for that purpose.
These players have two or more games remaining in the current week and are rostered in 50% or less of Yahoo and/or ESPN leagues.
Four Category Specialists
– Alec Burks (Points, Threes, Steals, FT%) Over the previous four games, Burks flashed the early season upside that vanished when he missed 12 consecutive games due to an ankle injury. The wildcard is playing time, as Derrick Rose’s return appears imminent. At full strength, the Knicks’ guard rotation provided Burks with roughly 20 minutes per night as opposed to the 30 minutes he’s averaged over the past seven games (Plays Thurs & Sat).
– Jordan Poole (Points, Threes, FG%, FT%): Stephen Curry will miss the Warriors’ remaining two games this week, so Poole should continue to see heavy minutes and strong usage. The high FG% is still suspect for his style of play, so manage your expectations accordingly in that department. The points, threes, and FT% boost should continue to be there (Plays Thurs & Fri).
– Ivica Zubac (Rebounds, Blocks, FG%, FT%): Serge Ibaka’s status is the one to watch if you’re considering Zubac as an add. After being capped around 20 minutes per game all season, he’s averaged 30 minutes over the past five contests, leading to 13 points, 8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1 block per game on 82% shooting from the field and 85% from the line (Plays Thurs & Sat).
– Maxi Kleber (Threes, Rebounds, FG%, FT%): Kleber is a staple on this post due to his unique mix of strengths and widespread availability on waiver wires. The ceiling is low, but the minutes are high. The category to watch is blocks. If he gets back to blocking one per game, he should be considered a hold in twelve-team leagues (Plays Fri & Sat).
Three Category Specialists
– Jae’Sean Tate* (Rebounds, Steals, FG%): A two-week rough patch caused many owners to ditch Tate, but he remains a top 100 player over the past month. The upcoming back-to-back (rest for John Wall), coupled with the high probability of an Oladipo trade, should leave a productivity void for Tate to fill over the weekend (Plays Fri & Sat).
– Danny Green (Threes, Steals, Blocks): Green is partying like it’s 2014 lately. The threes, steals, blocks, and solid FG% are back. Since the hot streak began before Seth Curry went out with an ankle injury, there is reason to believe it can continue even after he returns (Plays Thurs & Fri).
– Matisse Thybulle (Steals, Blocks, FG%): If you’re strictly chasing defensive stats, Thybulle is likely one of the most reliable options available to you on 12 team league waiver wires. Keep in mind that he provides little else, and his minutes are typically capped at 20 per game (Plays Thurs & Sat).
– Isaiah Stewart (Rebounds, Blocks, FG%): Stewart is a boring yet reliable producer of big man stats. He increased his three-point productivity last week, which is a trend that will significantly boost his value if it continues (Plays Fri & Sat).
– Jaylen Nowell (Threes, Blocks, FG%): Nowell cooled off significantly over the past four games, but he is still providing some scoring and threes on high efficiency from the field. He’s managed to average 0.8 blocks per game over his previous eight games, so it’s starting to look like that production may not be a fluke. Keep in mind that his expiration date is nearing with Malik Beasley primed to return from his suspension on Saturday (Plays Fri & Sat).
– Malik Monk* (Points, Threes, FT%): News of Lamelo Ball’s lengthy absence should catapult Monk into consideration as a speculative add in twelve-team leagues. His near-term value is further increased by the fact that he plays on Sunday, which is a relatively low volume game day to wrap up this week’s matchup (Plays Fri & Sun).
– Daniel Theis (Rebounds, Blocks, FG%): It is highly likely that Tristan Thompson will miss the Celtics’ remaining two games this week, which should greenlight Theis for 25-30 minutes in both contests. If you need big man stats, take advantage of this increased productivity before the return of the Celtics’ weird three-center rotation (Plays Fri & Sat).
– Tony Bradley (Rebounds, Blocks, FG%): He received big minutes and played great on Tuesday against the Warriors, but can we trust it? Bradley is at least worth a short-term look in deeper leagues, as he’s put up top 130 value during the Embiid absence, even when playing behind Dwight Howard (Plays Thurs & Fri).
– Dennis Smith Jr.*(Assists, Steals, Blocks): Smith is a speculative add now that Delon Wright is out the door. When he receives starter’s minutes, he tends to produce counting stats across the board while hurting you in percentages and turnovers (Plays Fri & Sat).
Two Category Specialists
– Reggie Bullock (Threes, Steals): You can always count on Tom Thibodeau to play his most trusted players heavy minutes, and Bullock has played his way into that category. The low usage was offset by the sheer amount of opportunities he received while playing 35 minutes per game over the past seven matchups (Plays Thurs & Sat).
– Saddiq Bey* (Threes, FT%): After starting 17 consecutive games, Bey appears relatively secure in his starting role as a three-point specialist. Don’t expect much beyond low-end scoring, threes, and an FT% boost on low volume (Plays Fri & Sat).
If you’re simply looking to pick up additional games and none of the above players are helpful or available, take a look at players on teams with three remaining games this week: Lakers & Trailblazers.
Hit me up in the comments section if you want any additional feedback or tips. Best of luck!
