In case you missed it, there was an incredibly fun brawl last night in the Pistons/Hornets matchup, the article linked has all the screenshots and video you could ever want from it.
Brawl Fallout
Isaiah Stewart is looking at a lengthy suspension for Detroit. It’s unsure what if any consequences Jalen Duren may face. My first thought was to go scoop up Paul Reed as a short term solution. As a starter this year he’s slashed 12/8/4 and a block per game. He’s an obvious add, and depending on how long Stewart’s suspension is could maintain value for the season. For the immediate short term, he’s the only center likely to play their next game. If Duren misses time, Reed’s value skyrockets.
Miles Bridges from the Hornets is also looking at a suspension. Grant Williams immediately becomes a person of interest. Last night, in 25 minutes he scored 12 (2 treys) with 5 boards, a steal, and a block. That’s about what you can expect from him, low end production and usage. The turnovers won’t be an issue either. Strong pickup recommendation for Grant Williams.
Utah Frustrating Fantasy Owners
The Jazz won a game that they did everything in their power to lose. Lauri Markkanen, Jusef Nurkic, and Jaren Jackson, Jr. all sat the fourth quarter of a game the Jazz ended up winning. Look at their production that game:
- Nurkic: 10 points, 15 rebounds
- Jackson: 22/5/3 with 2 steals
- Markkanen: 17/8
All these players logged 25 minutes. Clearly, Jackson’s new spot is helping his play. Unfortunately for his owners (and Nurk and Lauri too) the Jazz are going to hold them back. If someone isn’t paying attention to anything but the stat line, not the minutes trend, you should try to take advantage of them.
Bucks Backcourt Update
Kevin Porter, Jr. returned and played 36 minutes, 4 more than Ryan Rollins and AJ Green. They all started and look like solid bets to keep their playing time. The playing time spike for Bobby Portis didn’t materialize, but he’s a hold because he is still recovering from an injury issue.
Cam Thomas could cut into these but he’s a short term roster filler, not a fantasy pickup. Problem is, Gary Trent, Jr. picked up a DNP-CD in Thomas’ first game and you can continue to ignore him.
Old Bulls, New Places
Ayo Dosunmu played 30 minutes off the bench his last game and scored an impressive 21 points. He’s a great hold or add if he’s out there.
Nikola Vucevic was a -24 against the Knicks Sunday, and if you watched it the number made sense. The Knicks attacked his matchup relentlessly. Vuc is not a good defensive player, and Boston values that. If his offense isn’t going, the Celtics will sit him more. As I feared, it seems like Neemas Queta and Vuc will truly cannibalize each other’s value.
Coby White is sidelined again with a calf injury, but should be back soon.
Current Bulls Rotation Notes
The Bulls are hilarious. Only they would try to tank but not play their young pieces, instead using expiring contracts like Collin Sexton and Anfernee Simons for over 30 minutes. They’re both worth a pickup in all leagues. Simons on Monday scored 23 with 7 assists, albeit with 5 turnovers. Sexton went for 21 and 5 boards. This should end soon, the Bulls really need to see what Rob Dillingham (22 minutes, 8 points, 7 rebounds) has, not to mention playing second year Matas Buzelis more than 26 minutes.
Guerschon Yabusele is very fun to watch. I may have jumped the gun with him. Last night he scored just 3 points with 2 rebounds. He’s a wide man, but not very tall. Teams with legitimate height will give him trouble. You have to watch him given his place in the rotation and the Bulls propensity for playing fast, but not an immediate pickup.
