You know my love for statistics and the latest one that caught my eye was a breakdown of the awesome season Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having for the Thunder. Apart from the obvious ones (5th in scoring and 5th in steals), the more interesting ones come from the more advanced analytics and in particular for his defensive efforts. It turns out that Shai is leading the NBA in deflections and loose balls recovered and is also the number one guard in blocks and in combined steals and blocks. All those numbers confirm what we are seeing this year, that Shai is turning into a two-way star and is leading the effort to try and help the Thunder make the playoffs.
Extra fun little interaction that happened in the league was Grant Williams telling Donovan Mitchell that he will make both game winning free throws, only to brick them both and send the game to OT.
It’s another thing to talk thrash and a completely different thing to back them up.
Regarding last week’s suggestions, Dennis Smith Jr. had a good week and should maintain respectable value for the remainder of the season and the same can be said for Matisse Thybulle, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Finally, Xavier Tillman was another successful suggestion and his value was further enhanced due to the injury to Brandon Clarke, who will remain out for the whole season. As long as he and Steven Adams remain sidelined, Tillman should be a good streamer for standard leagues.
Buy
Tyus Jones: Ja Morant is having trouble, possibly with the law and certainly with his team, as he was recorded having a gun at a nightclub and was suspended for at least the next two games. I will refrain to comment on this, if you search my older articles you will for sure understand my position on this. For fantasy purposes, the formula is quite simple. When there is no Ja, there must be a lot of Tyus, as he becomes must roster when he gets the starting position and minutes. He is still available in a lot of leagues so make sure yours is not one of them (62% owned).
Tari Eason: Despite the return of Kevin Porter Jr. the minutes of Tari Eason remained safe and he continued his excellent form in terms of production, as he ranks 68th in per game value for the last two weeks. With the Rockets season going nowhere again, it only makes sense to invest more minutes in the rookie so if you need a player with good defensive numbers and an upside in rebounds you need to look no further (49% owned).
Kris Dunn: Kris Dunn signed a second 10-day contract with Utah and deservedly so, as he has filled in admirably for Collin Sexton. Now Sexton is due to miss at least the next week with a hamstring strain so Dunn becomes a prime streaming candidate for assists, steals and a modest contribution in the other categories. (25% owned).
Sell
John Collins: Quin Snyder’s reign as the head coach in Atlanta started with bad omens for John Collins, as the speculation that he would not often opt for 2-big lineups has proven true. As a result, Collins played 21.4 minutes on average in the last four games and this playing time is not enough to warranty a standard league spot. I know it is hard to flat out drop Collins, but the majority of leagues have concluded their trade seasons and in the final and most important period of the season, the fantasy playoffs, you simply can’t afford to have players not performing. I think the tough decision to drop him is a necessary one as the streaming spot this creates can be invaluable to generate more games than your weekly opponent. (85% owned).
