Detroit Pistons vs Indiana Pacers
Pistons Notes:
- Saddiq Bey roared back to life with a major slump buster last night, tying a season-high with 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 from the foul line. Bey also added to that in other cats, grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out five assists, and canning three triples. It was the first time he had topped 15 points in a month. Over that miserable span, he barely maintained a top-300 ranking and saw his roster share drop to 55 percent in Yahoo! leagues. He’ll have plenty of opportunity with Jerami Grant out of the lineup. If he’s been dropped in your league, give him a whirl.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PTM | TOV | FG | FT |
| 28 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9-17 | 7-7 |
- Another beneficiary of Grant’s absence is Frank Jackson. The Pistons need guys to soak up possessions and put the ball in the basket, and Jackson is best suited to that role off the bench. To that end, he put up 18 points on a really efficient 7-for-11 shooting line with three treys in 25 minutes against Indy. The accuracy won’t typically be that high, but he can add points and threes to any fantasy team (12 percent rostered).
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Pacers Notes:
- Caris LeVert has been on a roll lately, and he kept it going on Thursday with a season-high 31 points on 12-for-18 shooting from the field. LeVert added five dimes, two steals, and a block. He’s been a borderline top-30 guy over the past two weeks and is driving up his real-life trade value for the Pacers in the process. With Indy’s plans up in the air, I would wait to see what kind of situation LeVert is in post-trade deadline before making any big moves with him in fantasy.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PTM | TOV | FG | FT |
| 31 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12-18 | 7-9 |
Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets
Sixers Notes:
- With the Sixers sitting out several key perimeter players, it was a little concerning that Matisse Thybulle only received 18 minutes of playing time, especially considering one of the greatest wing scorers in the game was on the opposing team. Thybulle actually shot well, connecting on two of his four triple tries to score eight points, while securing a pair of steals as well. Defensive stats alone have kept Thybulle viable in fantasy (35 percent rostered), but it would be nice to see him get extended run to pile up a few more counting numbers and boost his overall production. He’s on the streaming radar and that’s about it for now.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PTM | TOV | FG | FT |
| 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3-5 | 0-0 |
Nets Notes:
- The dreaded Health and Safety Protocols have turned the Nets into a skeleton crew and allowed some deeper bench guys to come out of the woodwork. But the most intriguing development is an increased reliance on Nic Claxton, who had his second consecutive superb outing on Thursday. Claxton converted eight of his nine field-goal attempts to score 17 points, while also recording two steals and two blocks. He’s a must-add while he gets significant minutes (18 percent rostered).
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PTM | TOV | FG | FT |
| 17 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8-9 | 1-1 |
New York Knicks vs Houston Rockets
Knicks Notes:
- Derrick Rose left early with an ankle issue, opening the door for Immanuel Quickley to go off for a season-best 24 points on sizzling shooting from beyond the arc. Quickley knocked down seven of his 10 triple tries, while also picking up four boards, four dimes, a steal, and a block. He’s a streaky one, but he can get you a ton of points and threes if you’re in the market for those stats (19 percent rostered).
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PTM | TOV | FG | FT |
| 24 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 7-13 | 3-4 |
- Miles McBride entered the rotation for the first time in New York’s previous contest and suddenly found himself thrust into a major role following Rose’s exit, coming out as a starter in the second half. The rookie responded with aplomb, scoring 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting, with nine assists, four steals, and a couple of threes to boot. This was a very impressive outing, and if McBride starts while Rose heals he needs to be picked up to see if he can produce anywhere near this level (one percent rostered).
Rockets Notes:
- One night after posting a dud in a spot start, Daniel Theis was a beast for Houston, piling up 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, with 10 boards, two treys, and two swats. As good as that game was, I expect him to be sent straight back to the bench when Christian Wood returns, which could be as soon as Saturday. You can safely ignore him (13 percent rostered).
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PTM | TOV | FG | FT |
| 22 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8-12 | 4-5 |
- Rockets rookie Josh Christopher has gotten a decent amount of burn lately and has displayed some intriguing skills. He added to the luster last night with an efficient 14 points, including a pair of three-pointers, to go along with three assists and two thefts. Christopher’s role is still too inconsistent to be a must-add outside of deep leagues, but no doubt he’s earned the minutes and the Rockets will want to see what they have in him when they tank down the stretch. Be ready to pounce (two percent rostered).
Washington Wizards vs Phoenix Suns
Wizards Notes:
- The Wizards have cooled off as a team after a hot start to the season, but Deni Avdija may just be getting going. The young wing made five of his six shots to score 14 points, while also adding four boards, four assists, and two steals. It was his second straight productive outing and could be a harbinger of things to come. Avdija has a tantalizing mix of skills that includes shooting and playmaking, and he’s vastly improved on the defensive end this season. His arrow is pointing up and I’d be inclined to scoop him up (four percent rostered) to see if this is sustainable.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PTM | TOV | FG | FT |
| 14 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5-6 | 3-3 |
Suns Notes:
- JaVale McGee didn’t waste any time on Thursday night, scoring 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds in just 16 minutes of action, adding two assists and steals to his line. McGee has been productive on a per-minute basis, but the minutes have been inconsistent (he played just eight in the previous game). Unless you really need all the help you can get in traditional big man stats, there should be better options available (32 percent rostered).
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PTM | TOV | FG | FT |
| 17 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6-8 | 5-5 |
- Cam Johnson has been the definition of solid since Devin Booker tweaked his hamstring a couple of weeks ago. He’s scored at least 12 points and hit at least two threes in every game, including against Washington where he scored 13 points on just six shots and made three triples. Even when Booker returns, Johnson will retain low-end value with his entrenched role and consistency. He’s a great option to round out a roster without hurting you anywhere (43 percent rostered).
