How are you holding up here in the end stages? It’s okay if you’re weary. I’m weary too. The NBA season is a long one, and the fantasy season certainly follows the same beats. There’s the preseason hope and promise, the early-season excitement of a breakout, the Covid month, the dead-of-winter grind, the silly season, and then the wind up to what we’ve all been waiting for: the Playoffs. Season-long roto leagues are still humming as we wrap up the final 20 or so games, but undoubtedly some of your seasons may be over or on the brink. Hopefully, it isn’t baseball season for you yet. We’re nearing the end, friends, but keep your hands up and your legs moving. These are the championship rounds.
Speaking of heavy legs, you know who is fresh as f-n daisy these days?
Kyrie Irving
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 60 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 20/31 | 12/13 | 1 |
My man had 41 in the first half en route to a career-best 60. Kyrie is a wizard with the rock and when he gets going it’s hard to take your eyes off him. The extra rest he’s enjoyed this season practically jumps off the screen (not that he or Brooklyn necessarily needed it to get by a pretty bad and pretty checked-out Magic team), especially here in the doldrums of the season. He’s a first-round talent when he’s out there, but of course we know that he’s not always out there.
This begs the question: Wouldn’t you rather only have 50 games played by the best players in the world who aren’t visibly fatigued instead of the 82-game marathon that routinely eats some of its young by the time the season’s over? I may not agree with everything Kyrie says or does, but the point he’s making by showcasing the value of fresh legs could be a silver lining if the league ever moves away from an oversaturated product and finally pares back their slaughterhouse of a season. Irving looks unbelievable out there. Imagine if everyone was this fresh.
Here’s what else I saw on a quiet Tuesday night in the NBA…
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Desmond Bane
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 21 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7/12 | 3/4 | 3 |
I’ve said it before, but Desmond’s strong finish (top-30 value over the last two weeks) is only reinforcing the point: Bane was my worst drop of the year. That’s how badly I wanted the De’Anthony Melton thing to work. Oops.
De’Anthony Melton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 18 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7/14 | 0/0 | 1 |
It’s too late, De’Anthony! Just take your 128th overall per-game value and leave! I can’t bear to watch any longer.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 19 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8/16 | 3/4 | 0 |
No Ja last night, but his absence hardly made an impact on the Grizzlies, who beat the Pacers by 33 in a contest that didn’t even feel that close. Trip’s value as shot blocker has outpaced Gobert this season, and Tuesday night was no different.
Steven Adams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 13 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6/7 | 1/2 | 2 |
Brandon Clarke
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6/6 | 1/2 | 0 |
Adams continues to foil one of my favorite per-36 darlings in Brandon Clarke. IRL, Adams gives Memphis a nasty streak and a defensive anchor that will keep him on the floor and in Brandon’s way, though I do love daydreaming about Clarke one day getting a starter’s dose of minutes. Then again, I’ve also had similar feelings about De’Anthony Melton before and look where that’s gotten me.
Malcolm Brogdon
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 12 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4/13 | 4/4 | 4 |
Mal’s late-season funk could not be coming at a worse time for those of us in the fantasy community. Never much of FG% asset, Brogdon has been especially errant lately, converting just 40.7% over the last two weeks. And even worse than that…
Tyrese Haliburton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 4 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/9 | 0/0 | 3 |
He’s getting his stink all over my man, Rese! At least Terry Taylor (14/8/0/0/2) made the most of his 27 minutes when Coach Carlisle pulled the plug on his starting backcourt. Congrats if you somehow streamed Tayler or started him in a deep league.
Buddy Hield
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 14 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3/6 | 2/2 | 3 |
A notable line only because I can’t remember the last time Buddy Buckets finished a game without a triple. Scrolling through his game log confirms this. The last time Buddy Love contributed a zero from the long line was back in the Sacramento days on January 29. It’s been a while.
Isaiah Jackson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3/9 | 3/4 | 3 |
Jalen Smith
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7/8 | 0/0 | 2 |
In 21 and 26 MP, respectively. The last time I was considering these two in this space, I said that I preferred IJax to Jalen while Myles Turner “slowly works his way back” *wink wink* I still don’t think Myles is a re-Turner for Indy this year, so I’m holding onto both still. The gap between them might be shrinking too.
Kevin Durant
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 19 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6/9 | 7/8 | 1 |
Yawn. Wake me up when he goes for 40 or whatever.
Bruce Brown
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 10 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3/8 | 4/4 | 0 |
Andre Drummond
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4/7 | 2/3 | 3 |
Kessler Edwards (14), Nic Claxton (12), and Patty Mills (15) all broke double figures in Orlando, which is what you’d expect from the team that scored 150 points. Buckets were abundant.
Wendell Carter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 18 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6/11 | 5/5 | 1 |
Cole Anthony
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 19 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5/11 | 6/9 | 2 |
It may be hard to believe, but Orlando was actually in this game…for the first quarter. It’s hard to stay in striking distance when you give up 40 to one guy in a half though. Anthony, when available, has been a really nice player on the year. If there’s a way for him to become a more efficient scorer, we might really be onto something. And WCJ, at least from what I can see from the Orlando box scores, might be the best player in the Kingdom.
Moritz Wagner
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 17 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7/15 | 2/3 | 0 |
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosely has been hitting Mo with the minutes gun lately, and his production has made a predictable jump. He’s still not exactly close to posting top-100 value over the last fortnight, but there seems to be a point/rebounding/triples floor here now that he’s seeing closer to 20 MPG.
Jerami Grant
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 22 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8/20 | 5/8 | 0 |
Hardly a shooting clinic, but you should see the other guys. Cade Cunningham was out and the Pistons were game all night in Miami before eventually falling seven points short. Grant did what he could, but there was very little help.
Marvin Bagley III
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 13 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6/9 | 1/4 | 3 |
Isaiah Livers
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 16 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6/7 | 4/5 | 0 |
These were the guys Grant was going to war with on the road against the East’s best team. See what I mean about a lack of help?
Tyler Herro
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 29 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8/15 | 9/11 | 1 |
Without Jimmy Butler and Bam struggling with fouls, Miami had to play a little Herro ball at the end to put away Detroit. Tyler certainly doesn’t mind. The likely 6th Man of the Year has scored 27 or more points in six of his last 10 games. Still not much more than a points and treys play, but Herro is doing both well enough to post top-50ish value over the last week.
Bam Adebayo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 16 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4/8 | 8/10 | 2 |
In just 24 minutes because of the aforementioned foul trouble. The lack of stocks is a bit troubling, but considering the way Bam has produced since coming back from his hand injury and coped with the loss of playmaking with Lowry’s arrival, I suppose we should all be pleased enough that he continues to produce early-round value. It’s probably not exactly what you wanted, but it’s not all that bad.
Mikal Bridges
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 20 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7/14 | 2/2 | 2 |
Devin Booker
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 27 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 11/20 | 1/1 | 2 |
Deandre Ayton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 18 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7/11 | 4/4 | 1 |
JaVale McGee
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7/10 | 5/5 | 0 |
Cam Payne
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 14 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5/6 | 2/2 | 2 |
Man, this Phoenix team is just loaded with talented guys who know their role. I know that calling a repeat of last year’s Finals is extremely boring (and probably wrong), but I have reservations about everyone other than the Suns out West. Milwaukee winning the East again is a rougher road, but no one has figured out how to stop Giannis, and to be the champs you gotta beat the champs first.
CJ McCollum
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 21 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9/17 | 0/2 | 5 |
Scrolling through CJ’s game logs gives one the impression that things are going well in Nola. There are points, threes, and dimes on decent shooting, but then the FT% over the last two weeks starts screaming in agony. 9/18 from the charity stripe won’t kill you because the volume isn’t super high, but 50% is 50%
Jonas Valanciunas
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 17 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8/14 | 0/0 | 3 |
Any fears that we might have had about Zion cutting into JV’s value seem like distant memories now, don’t they? Williamson has still not been seen on an NBA court and Valancuinas has posted top-15 value the last week and top-50 value on the season. Maybe next year we’ll have to wonder about fit. For the sake of the game and the future of basketball in New Orleans, I sure hope we do.
Herb Jones
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 22 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7/11 | 5/5 | 2 |
Bane was the worst drop of the season, but swinging by the dispensary and picking up some Herb has taken a lot of the sting out of that move. It’s also made hungry, silly, and a bit weird, tbh. Regardless, he’s a top-80 player on the season. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
