My-my-my-my Melo is back. To play. And jack up. Plenty of shots. He won’t. Play any D. Or grab a board or thank the Lord. Ok, time to quit the Pa Rappa da Rappa because…..Stop! It’s Melo time. The Portland Trail Blazers signed Carmelo Anthony to a non-guaranteed contract yesterday. Melo fans are running through the streets naked, screaming, and turning over cars. Their Messiah has returned to deliver them to Melo bliss. Beep. Boop. Bop. You know what always provides fantasy bliss? The Stocktonator. Now, let’s get down to the nitty gritty and dig into this signing for the Trail Blazers and see what his fantasy prospects could be. Melo is 35 years old now, so he will likely be a statue, both on offense and defense. The lack of desire to play defense gives him a floor of….out of the league. If he can still shoot, though, he could actually be an interesting piece for the Blazers. I know, I know. I’m regurgitating the puke myself. Here’s the thing, though. Many of teams, with the Raptors the most recent example, have been doubling Damian Lillard and C. J. McCollum….daring anyone else to beat them. Well, when opponents see Nassir Little, Mario Hezonja, and Anthony Tolliver littering the depth chart of the Blazers, they start doing the MC Hammer dance. Oh-oh. Oh oh. Oh-oh-oh. The last two seasons, Melo has played for the Thunder and Rockets. In 88 games, he played around 30 minutes per game and provided 14.8 points, 2.2 tres, and 5.6 boards. Not bad. He shot 40% from the field. That’s bad. If you have the roster spot, he’s worth a speculative add if you need points and tres. Just know that this could amount to nothing and he’ll be back playing at the YMCA. With that said, Andrew Wiggins is currently a top 30 player so anything is possible.
Here’s what else I saw last night:
Bam Adebayo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0/1 | 7/14 | 2/3 |
Doesn’t provide tres and the free throw shooting is poor, but damn, Bam is freaking amazing in everything else. Well, maybe not points, but I swear, everything else. 10.3 boards, 4.6 dimes, 1.5 steals, 1.4 blocks, and 57% shooting from the field.
Kendrick Nunn
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3/6 | 10/16 | 0 |
Where is Kendrick ranked for fantasy? Nunn ya business. Do you own him for fantasy? Nunn ya business. Well, ok then. Nunn is averaging 29.9 minutes, as he continues to start, and is the #60 player for fantasy.
Kevin Love
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3/8 | 6/16 | 6/6 |
Love was a thief last night! Usually it’s over hearts, but Love has a diverse game. He scores, drains tres, boards, dishes out dimes, and get his 211 on. The #20 player for fantasy. The only questions are can he stay healthy and will he be a Cav the entire season?
Tristan Thompson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1/3 | 0 |
Only played 23 minutes. It was all a dream. I used to read Word Up! magazine. Salt-n-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine. Only the third game in which TT did not dub-dub. He should be fine, as he’s playing for that paper.
Jabari Parker
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2/4 | 8/15 | 6/8 |
In six games as a starter, Parker is a top 25 player. We know he can score, but 1.5 steals and 1 block? What? What?! 2019 is a strange season indeed. For Parker owners, enjoy the ride until John Collins returns.
De’Andre Hunter
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2/6 | 5/15 | 2/2 |
Hunter is locked in on the number 14, as he’s scored 14 points in a game now four times on the season. The rookie is playing a ton of minutes now: 34, 40, and 39 minutes. And he’s starting to take and make tres. But six steals? Not sure we can count on those but you never know. As I said, 2019 has been a strange season so expect everything, dismiss nothing.
Damian Jones
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 7/8 | 0 |
Got the start and played 19 minutes. The Hawks are taking a page out of the Tampa Bay Rays playbook and going with the opener.
Alex Len
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/3 | 7/11 | 6/9 |
Played 26 minutes off the bench. In nine games as a starter, Len was the #190 player for fantasy. In two games off the bench, he’s a top 60 player. Go figure. Big fish better suited in the small pool and feasting on second units? Perhaps. I don’t care, though, as long as he keeps producing like this. You know that Len steals sunshine though, right?
Dario Saric
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3/5 | 9/12 | 2/2 |
Mario with the D!!! He’s a streaky shooter, so the ride is bumpy with Saric, but he provides points, tres, and boards from the power forward position. As I wrote yesterday, I’m really impressed with how the Suns offense is flowing, so Saric should get plenty of good looks.
Kelly Oubre Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2/8 | 10/18 | 8/10 |
Nice bounceback game for Oubre, as he had to deal with LeBron the prior game. The 30 points and 36 minutes played led the Suns. Oubre is a nice player to have on a fantasy roster because he contributes a little something something in every category. He has an outside shot of joining the 1/1/1 club if he can get the blocks going.
Aron Baynes
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0/3 | 1/5 | 1/2 |
Only played 18 minutes because…..
Frank Kaminsky
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3/5 | 6/9 | 4/6 |
….got hot and played 30 minutes. Don’t fret, Baynes owners. He is still the guy until Ayton returns. As for Kaminsky, this is what he does. Shoot from downtown. When he’s hot, he plays. When he’s not, to the bench to rot.
Jarrett Allen
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/1 | 7/10 | 3/5 |
Atkinson went to Jarrett!!! As a result, he was rewarded with a shiny dub-dub. He played 30 minutes but the minutes have been split down the middle between he and DeAndre Jordan. Is this the New World Order? I remember George Bush’s New World Order speech in 1991. Glean from that information what you will.
Garrett Temple
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/5 | 2/11 | 2/2 |
Got the start and played 25 minutes for the injured Caris LeVert. Do you enjoy going to the Temple? How you answer that question will determine your course of action.
Dzanan Musa
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2/3 | 2/5 | 4/4 |
Played 19 minutes off the bench. Getting an opportunity now with the LeVert injury. Musa is a getter of buckets. He can stroke it from downtown and is very good at driving to the basket and finishing. Someone to monitor in deeper leagues.
Jamal Murray
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1/4 | 1/11 | 1/1 |
Needs to recalibrate the sites on his bow.
Will Barton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/5 | 8/17 | 1/2 |
The shooting will come and go, but the minutes are secure and the across-the-board contributions are enabling Barton to post top 50 numbers. Prior to the injury-riddled debacle of last season, Barton finished as the #52 player in 2017.
Kristaps Porzingis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1/8 | 7/17 | 5/5 |
Porzingis is an amazing player. As many have referenced on Twitter, he needs to develop a better post game. Seriously, then he’d be unstoppable. Like Brad Stevens put Marcus Smart on him. Marcus Smart!
Luka Doncic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3/12 | 10/23 | 10/13 |
The #7 player for fantasy, as he’s improved his percentages dramatically. My projections had him as the #54 player. I’m a stupid, stupid man.
Marcus Morris Sr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5/7 | 7/19 | 1/1 |
Morris has scored over 20 points six times this season and has a usage rate of 23.4. He hit the game winner last night and is a top 80 player for fantasy. Lol. 2019.
Mitchell Robinson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7/8 | 2/2 |
Played 22 minutes in his return. He fouled out, but whatever. It was nice to have Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood back. I saw that he was dropped in some leagues. That’s a neighborhood I would like to be in.
Dennis Smith Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2/4 | 5/12 | 1/2 |
Played 30 minutes off the bench. My Stevie Franchise dreams are alive once again!!! Yeah right. I’m not falling for the bananna in the tailpipe. DSJ is such an athletic freak. Too bad he can’t shoot.
Zach LaVine
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4/9 | 8/20 | 5/5 |
This is what gets all those LaVine posters sticky. The high turnovers and inconsistent shooting are what keep LaVine from breaking into the top 50 for fantasy.
Coby White
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6/13 | 9/23 | 2/2 |
Played 35 minutes off the bench. Back-to-back games with over 25 points. He’s also getting his 211 on, but isn’t providing much else. When I used to puff a lot, I used to tell my friends that the rim looked like the ocean and I was going to be splashing all day long. That’s where Coby is right now. Unfortunately, he’s going to return to what I was in reality.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 38 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1/5 | 13/24 | 11/20 |
I’m seriously at a loss for words for what he does and is doing. Making a mockery of the fantasy game.
With that said, he’s ONLY the #12 player due to the high turnovers and poor free throw shooting (on 11.8 attempts!!!).
Eric Bledsoe
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 31 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0/2 | 12/14 | 7/8 |
After a slow start to the season, Bledsoe has been the #15 player over the past seven games. When he’s right, Bledsoe provides everything. Even chips in a block from time to time. For a guard, the boards and field goal percentage are magnifique.
Donte DiVincenzo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0/2 | 2/5 | 0 |
Got the start and played 24 minutes for the injured Khris Middleton. DiVincenzo can provide some tres and boards, but the efficiency won’t be great and any access to ceiling is nuked because Sterling Brown, Pat Connaughton, and Kyle Korver will all get run.
Paul George
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3/8 | 10/17 | 10/10 |
In 24 minutes! LOL! The Clippers are going to be a f’ing problem this season.
Montrezl Harrell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8/12 | 2/3 |
Lou Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 31 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1/2 | 11/20 | 8/10 |
Tom & Jerry, Batman & Robin, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Lou Williams & Montrezl Harrell. Just some of the greatest tandems in history. Lou got the start so Montrezl got the start too.
Rodney McGruder
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5/7 | 6/10 | 3/6 |
Played 36 minutes off the bench. Man, 2019…..The answer is no. No, damnit, no!!
Derrick Favors
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1/1 | 9/13 | 1/3 |
Got the start and played 35 minutes. He’s back!!! Top 40 player over the past four games. Favors will provide boards, steals, blocks, and excellent field goal percentage. The environment in New Orleans is ripe, so he should continue feasting.
Jrue Holiday
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 36 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 5/6 | 13/24 | 5/7 |
Back from vacation. The injuries to Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Zion Williamson have helped with the production, though.
Kenrich Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2/4 | 3/6 | 0 |
Continues to start and played 31 minutes. Kenrich is a hustle player who contributes with a paltry usage rate. When everyone is healthy, he will be relegated back to the bench, but contributes across the board when he’s on the court.
Frank Jackson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4/7 | 9/14 | 1/2 |
Played 23 minutes off the bench. That’s how banged up the Pelicans are right now.
