Pistons coach Dwane Casey said after Saturday's loss to the 76ers that Sekou Doumbouya's opportunity for more minutes is "coming."
Doumbouya has found it difficult to crack the Pistons rotation on a consistent basis, but with Blake Griffin (knee) being held out of Saturday's game more minutes were available to the second-year forward. And to his credit Doumbouya took advantage of the opportunity, posting a line of 13 points (4-of-10 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), four rebounds, one assist, one steal and one 3-pointer in 19 minutes. He made a positive impression on his coach, who believes that it's just a matter of time before Doumbouya puts it all together. "Sekou, as far as not having the opportunity, it’s coming," Casey said after the loss. "He’s going to be in this league a long time. … I’m happy and proud of him, the way he came in and played, defended, rebounded, was out there talking, leading in a positive way. The future’s going to be very bright for Sekou in this league." He doesn't offer much in the way of fantasy value right now, but that should change once the Pistons (who are now 3-13) turn their focus towards the future.
Willie Cauley-Stein started on Saturday vs the Rockets but didn't do much, finishing with a light six points, three rebounds and a block in 18 minutes.
Kristaps Porzingis (knee; rest) was out for the Mavs on Saturday leading to a WCS spot start but Cauley-Stein was super quiet in the loss. He's only scored in double figures three times this year and has just one double-double in 16 games. And even in a starting role, WCS was outplayed by Boban Marjanovic who dropped 15 and 12 off the bench in 19 minutes.
Jalen Brunson shot 2-of-4 on Saturday vs Houston, scoring nine points with three boards, three assists and a steal in the loss.
Brunson's three-game double-digit scoring streak came to an end on Saturday as the Mavs were blown out by the Rockets. And with Josh Richardson nearing his return and Tim Hardaway Jr. playing well, Brunson can go back on the shelf in all leagues.
Naz Reid scored a season and team-high 20 points on Saturday, adding four rebounds, two assists and one swat in the Wolves win.
Reid used a big 14-point first half to power his way to a season-high scoring night that helped Minnesota pick up a win without D'Angelo Russell (rest) and Karl-Anthony Towns (COVID). The former LSU Tiger has notched double-figure scoring in three straight games now, averaging 15.6 points, five rebounds and 2.6 blocks in that stretch. He's also made 16-of-25 field goals five 3-pointers, making him a great part-time hold until KAT returns.
Ricky Rubio started on Saturday night, finishing with nine points, seven boards, seven dimes and a steal in the Wolves in 120-110 win over the Pelicans.
Rubio was bumped into the starting lineup with D'Angelo Russell (rest) sitting out and nearly dropped a triple-double. He only took four shots in the game but hit 7-of-10 free throws and stuffed the stat sheet while leading a young and undermanned Wolves team to victory. He'll be back on the bench in the next game but if you played him tonight, give yourself a pat on the back.
Once again coming off the bench, Michael Porter Jr. tallied 14 points (5-of-9 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs) 11 rebounds, one steal, one blocked shot and three 3-pointers in 35 minutes Saturday vs. the Suns.
Porter Jr. was used in the sixth-man role in both of the Nuggets’ wins in Phoenix, with Will Barton remaining in the starting lineup. But after playing well Friday night, Barton put forth a brutal showing on Saturday. He played 21 minutes, scoring one point (0-of-5 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, two assists and one steal. Will that be enough to get coach Michael Malone to move Porter back into the starting lineup? We’ll have to wait until Monday night in Dallas to find out, but there’s no doubt that MPJ has the higher fantasy ceiling. What's even better for the Nuggets, and by extension fantasy managers, is that Porter Jr. isn't focused on just scoring. "I just look at great scorers, guys that are really good at putting the ball in the hoop, but it never translates to winning championships & winning playoff series," Porter Jr. said after the win. I'm not here to just put up stats. I'm here to win." That will only help his case when it comes to getting back into the starting lineup.
JaMychal Green shot 4-of-8 from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line in Saturday’s win over the Suns, accounting for 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and two 3-pointers in 24 minutes.
Green doesn’t offer much in the way of fantasy value, as he ranks just inside of the top-200 in both 8- and 9-cat formats. One reason for this is his recent inconsistency on offense; Green has alternated double-digit and single-digit scoring efforts in each of Denver’s last seven games. If the trend holds Green, who’s rostered in 13% of Yahoo leagues, could be in for a round night come Monday when the Nuggets visit Dallas.
Monte Morris played 36 minutes in Saturday’s 2OT win over the Suns, registering 13 points (5-of-12 FGs), four rebounds, one assist, one blocked shot and three 3-pointers.
Morris had just one assist in Saturday’s win, the fewest that he’s tallied in a game this season since the season opener (zero vs. Sacramento). The low turnover count is what keeps him on the fantasy radar, but just barely. Whenever Jamal Murray is healthy enough to play, Morris, who’s rostered in 24% of Yahoo leagues, isn’t a must-play.
Patrick Williams had a solid game vs the Lakers on Saturday, recording 13 points, eight rebounds, an assist and a block.
Williams shot 5-of-12 with two 3-pointers against the Lakers in a game that was more lopsided than the score indicates. But it was a good bounce-back night for the rookie who totaled just nine points in the last two games. If he can provide some consistent scoring and rebounding, he's worth rostering but until then, consider him a streaming option when guys like Otto Porter Jr. (rest) are out like tonight.
Coby White shot 5-of-13 from the floor on Saturday, posting 14 points with seven rebounds and four assists in a losing effort.
White was fairly close to his 16/5/6 season average tonight but we'd love to see more from the sophomore guard who has shown promise this year. He's only shooting 40% on field goals and 35% from deep which is exactly what he shot last year meaning so far, he hasn't improved. But he's young so we have to be patient with him. He'll get better, just trust the process.
Starting in place of the injured Devin Booker, Jae Crowder played 45 minutes and finished with 21 points (6-of-15 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs), seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and six 3-pointers in a loss to the Nuggets.
Crowder began the season as a starter, but he was moved to the second unit in favor of Cameron Johnson just under a week ago. The Bossman was back in the starting lineup Saturday night, and he put forth one of his best stat lines of the season. Crowder’s 3-pointer with seven-tenths of a second remaining in the first overtime extended the game another five minutes, with the Nuggets ultimately pulling away. Crowder’s six 3-pointers matched a season-high for him, and over the last week he has provided 10th-round value in both 8- and 9-cat formats. His value would increase if Booker has to miss more time due to the hamstring issue, but it’s worth noting that Phoenix won’t play again until Wednesday.
Cameron Johnson shot 7-of-16 from the field and 2-of-3 from the foul line in Saturday’s loss to the Nuggets, tallying 19 points, three rebounds, two steals and three 3-pointers in 35 minutes.
Johnson fell two points shy of his season-high Saturday night, and he may have been able to reach it had he not been sidelined due to cramping. The second-year forward did not play in either overtime period, with Abdel Nader getting those minutes. Nader played 30 minutes, finishing with six points, four rebounds, two assists and one 3-pointer. Johnson, who’s rostered in 32% of Yahoo leagues, has been providing late-round value in both 8- and 9-cat formats over the last week. He isn’t a must-have player, but that could change should Devin Booker (hamstring) have to miss more time.
Deandre Ayton tallied 17 points (7-of-14 FGs, 2-of-3 FTs), 13 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one 3-pointer in 38 minutes Saturday vs. the Nuggets.
Since accounting for eight points and six rebounds in a January 11 loss to the Wizards, Ayton has tallied four straight double-doubles. Unfortunately for he and the Suns, Ayton wasn’t on the court for the second overtime as he fouled out with just over a minute remaining in the first extra session. Over the last week Ayton has been a top-10 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats, playing arguably his best basketball of the season to date. Boasting a Yahoo ADP of 21, Ayton hasn’t played at that level consistently but he’s making strides.
Boban Marjanovic played 19 minutes off the bench in Saturday's loss to the Rockets, accounting for 15 points (6-of-11 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs) and 12 rebounds.
Boban is a "matchup" guy on most nights, as who the Mavericks are playing against will determine whether or not he gets any playing time. But give the big fella credit for staying ready for his moment, and this showing was his best of the season to date. Marjanovic's position within the rotation makes him an unplayable option in most leagues, even when Kristaps Porzingis (rest) is sidelined like he was Saturday night.
Svi Mykhailiuk played 18 minutes off the Pistons bench on Saturday, netting 15 points with four rebounds three assists and a steal in the loss.
Mykhailiuk got some extra burn with Derrick Rose (rest) out and had it going from the start. His 15 points were second-most behind Wayne Ellington's 17, and he shot the ball really well, making 4-of-6 shots, three 3-pointers and 4-of-6 free throws. It's the third game this season in which Svi's had a mini outburst like he did tonight, and maybe it's time for Dwayne Casey to give him more minutes moving forward.
James Harden shot just 2-of-8 from the field in Saturday’s win over the Heat, scoring 12 points to go along with seven rebounds and 11 assists in 38 minutes.
The good news for Harden is that he put up good assist and rebounding numbers. The bad news: he needed the foul line to reach double figures in points, going 8-of-9 from the charity stripe while he missed all vie of his 3-point attempts. This is all going to be a balancing act, as the Nets get used to having Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the court together. The Beard will remain one of the top guards in fantasy basketball, but his value may slip a little in Brooklyn.
Joe Ingles finished Saturday’s win over the Heat with 23 points (8-of-14 FGs), two rebounds, two assists, one blocked shot and seven 3-pointers in 37 minutes.
Fantasy managers who have Harris rostered must have been on Cloud 9 during the first half, as he pumped in 20 points and six 3-pointers. But the Heat did a better job of defending the sharpshooter during the second stanza, limiting him to just three points and one 3-pointer. Playing off of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, Harris won’t lack for clean looks from deep. He has been a top-100 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats, and that should not change anytime soon.
Jeff Green accounted for 11 points (4-of-8 FGs), five rebounds, three assists and three 3-pointers in 26 minutes Saturday vs. the Heat.
For the season as a whole, Green hasn’t been a great fantasy option as he sits just inside of the top-200 in 9-cat. However, over the last week he has been much better, providing sixth-round value in both 8- and 9-cat formats. Green is currently rostered in 25% of Yahoo leagues, and merits strong consideration in deeper formats as he’s averaging 3.0 3-pointers per game.
KZ Okpala played 10 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Nets, accounting for three points (1-of-2 FGs), two rebounds, one blocked shot and one 3-pointer.
Okpala didn’t play at all during the first half. But with Moe Harkless ruled out for the remainder of the game after suffering a left thigh bruise during the second quarter, Okpala was on the court to begin the second half. The young forward could be in line for a short-term minutes increase if Harkless has to miss additional time, but that won’t be enough to make Okpala a player worth considering in any fantasy format.
Goran Dragic finished Saturday’s loss to the Nets with 19 points (7-of-18 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), one rebound and seven assists in 31 minutes.
One night after playing 34 minutes, Dragic played another 31 in the second game of a back-to-back. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game that he wants to get Dragic’s minutes down to a more manageable level. However, that has proven tough to do as Miami is still without Jimmy Butler (health and safety protocols) and Tyler Herro (neck). "This is not something I want to continue for months. But we need him to do a little bit more [due to absences],” Spoelstra said. "I’ve still been able to manage his minutes as a starter, just being mindful of that going forward." Dragic’s fantasy value increases with Butler and Herro sidelined, so his being able to take on this workload is good news for those who have him rostered.