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On the heels of a thoroughly meh trade deadline, Joel and Son break down all the big moves, including Dejounte Murray, D’Angelo Russell, and Bruce Brown! [inter whispers in ear] Or not! Instead, the duo discuss Dallas’ new frontcourt of PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, Buddy Hield’s fit in Philly, and consider the redemptive possibilities of Richaun […]

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If Charles Barkley and Zach Randolph had a baby, it would be weird because as far as I know, men still can’t have babies [you’re canceled!]. But metaphorically speaking, if they had a basketball baby, it very well could look like Kenneth Lofton Jr. – and it sure as heck would play like him. 

The undrafted rookie got his first taste of NBA rotation minutes last night, and helped the Grizzlies overcome a 29 third-quarter deficit to beat the Spurs in overtime, 126-120. K-Loft finished with 11 points (4-6 FG, 1-2 3pt, 2-4 FT), 7 rebounds, an assist and a block in 14 minutes. Most of his production came during an 8-minute second-half stretch. 

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It’s playoff season, and in standard head-to-head leagues like the Razzball Writers’ League, every waiver wire pickup is critical at this point. Facing Beats By Dray in the first round,  I head into the weekend hoping I didn’t chum the waters on (as in, threw up all over) my chances to advance. 

All week, San Antonio second-year big man, Charles Bassey, has been discussed as a hot wire add for the tanking Spurs. Bassey has been a borderline standard league over the last few weeks, averaging about 8 points, 7 boards, 2 assists a steal and a block a game in 17.5 minutes. 

I’ve been trolling around the Bassey interest all season, which he spent much of tearing up the G League. In 14 games in the minors, he was 3rd in fantasy points (yes, G League keeps track of fantasy points per game leaders on its stats page), averaging about 23-10-2-1-2 on 67% shooting. The Spurs saw enough positives in his development to fully guarantee the former Western Kentucky Hilltopper’s contract for its first two years. With that vote of confidence, and the tank rolling, it makes sense to believe Bassey could be a strong asset for fantasy playoffs. 

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Amongst players who were dealt at the deadline, has anyone seen a more meteoric rise in fantasy value than Jakob Poeltl? Prior to Thursday, Poeltl had already been a top-15 overall player in 9-cat averages since the All-Star break. That will only rise after another dominant performance last night. The homecoming king was a paragon of efficiency, going 8-for-9 from the field and shoring up his one weak link by going 7-for-7 from the line to score 23 points. He also tossed in 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks in his 32 minutes. Over his past six contests, Poeltl is averaging 18.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.3 SPG, and 2.2 BPG while shooting nearly 77 percent (!) from the field. Who else is ready to say that Kawhi Leonard is now the second best player the Raptors have ever acquired from San Antonio?

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Welcome to your midweek guidance for Week 19!  In this post, I identify widely-available players who can help you win your head-to-head matchups.  As fantasy hoops playoffs take off, we’re starting to see some significant attrition in the real world.  The Lakers, Warriors, and Wolves, in particular, are still dealing with some big-name injuries that are opening up streaming opportunities for some and destroying championship hopes for others.  If you’re fighting for your playoff life right now, it’s time to come to terms with the fact that we probably won’t get much – if anything – out of guys who are still recovering from long-term injuries in your IR slots.  Streaming is usually the answer in those situations, and I’m here to help!

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The Bulls lose and refuse to play Patrick Williams and Coby White in an effort to make the play in.  Noble goal, but I was hoping to see more minutes go to these guys.  Nikola Vucevic ruined a 4 three-pointer evening with 6 turnovers.  Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan both disappointed with less than 20 points.  The Bulls really aren’t interesting, but keep an eye on them if they tank and go to young guys at the end of the season.  Keep in mind though that Williams and White aren’t actually very good.

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Hello Razzball Nation! Back again here to break down some NBA DFS. Got a nice sized slate here with nine games. #1 piece of advice as always is to be up to date on injuries, as the info in this article will only be up to date as of Tuesday night. There is once again not a lot of great value on this slate with the current injury news, so we’ll need to wait for more info to get to multiple spend ups.

Let’s get down to it. Pricing is always (Fanduel/DraftKings). I mostly play tournaments and my picks will always bias towards volatility and upside.

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Welcome to your midweek guidance for Week 15!  In this post, I identify widely available players who can help you win your head-to-head matchup.  Depending on who’s on your roster, this week has offered its fair share of ups and downs so far.  We witnessed the long-awaited return of Anthony Davis, Brandon Ingram, and Khris Middleton, while lamenting fresh injuries to Kristaps Porzingis, Bobby Portis, and Steven Adams.  In Adams’ case, we were left wondering who would gain the most minutes between Xavier Tillman, Santi Aldama, and Brandon Clarke.  After a promising showing on Monday, Tillman’s minutes fell off a cliff on Wednesday, as Clarke and Aldama gobbled up the lion’s share of time at the five.  Suffice it to say, that situation is still developing…

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It was tough to enjoy watching my Ducks eek out the Holiday Bowl Wednesday because every commercial break was chock full of warnings about shingles. I have never known anyone in my life getting shingles, and after that I’m convinced all of us are getting it next year. 

On Friday night, however, Minnesota had to deal with a case of the non-viral irritation known as Ingles: Joe Ingles. [Wow, Phil, way to send off 2022 with the oddest lede/transition yet.] In his sixth game back from injury, Ingles played a season-high 25 minutes and banked 14 points (5-9 FG, 4-7 3pt), 5 boards and 10 assists, and was a major factor for the Bucks in the second half, as Milwaukee pulled away from Minnesota in a 123-114 win. Ingles probably won’t garner enough minutes when Jrue Holiday and Middleton play, but is worth adding to the streamer board as needed. 

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Tuesday night’s five-game slate presents me with my first opportunity to bring you a game recap!  Normally, I’m the guy who writes up borderline players and streamers on Thursday afternoon, so it’s a nice change to profile some of the league’s studs.  It’s kind of like hate watching Hallmark Christmas movies (Mingle All the Way, among others) for the first few weeks of December before switching gears and watching It’s a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story.

Disclaimers: Because I was too busy watching Santa Switch last night, and the fact that I’m on Greenwich Mean Time, I haven’t had a chance to watch the games.  As a result, all of my observations are through a strictly fantasy lens and don’t necessarily account for every nuance.  Additionally, all of my ranking references are based on category-league values as a default.

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Regarding last week’s suggestions, Mo Bamba had three good games in a row despite not starting and has more than merited a spot in your roster until Wendell Carter returns, while AJ Griffin was a very good streamer that might lose some appeal when the Hawks get back to full strength. Finally, Thomas Bryant had his moment to shine in the two games without Anthony Davis, but is a clear drop now that AD is active.

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