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Eric MoodyESPN
The best fantasy basketball managers make a habit of looking at the NBA schedule, examining box scores and scouring the news for any tidbit that can help give them the edge in their leagues.
Luckily, Eric Moody does all that work for you each and every Thursday with the Fantasy 30, helping answer the tough questions such as whom to start, who are the best fantasy basketball sleepers out there and what’s the latest injury news with key players around the league.
Here’s the latest fantasy news from each of the 30 teams around the league.
Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young has now had 10 or more assists in 23 games this season. This breaks the tie with Nikola Jokic for second most in the league. Tyrese Haliburton has the most with 24. Young also recorded his 113th career 20-point, 10-assist game. Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas are the only players with more such games before turning 25.
Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart is expected to be out another week or two due to a sprained right ankle. Derrick White is an immediate beneficiary. He’s only rostered in 46% of ESPN leagues but has averaged 15.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per 40 minutes this season. In category and points formats, White — who provides length and defense — is a solid streamer.
Brooklyn Nets: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted some updates regarding Kevin Durant on Tuesday. He will start running and participating in on-court activities this week and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Durant returning after the All-Star break would not be surprising. Meanwhile, Yuta Watanabe, Joe Harris and Seth Curry all continue to see increased minutes. Durant’s absence also benefits Royce O’Neale, who has scored 32 fantasy points in two of his last three games. O’Neale is only rostered in 31.1% of ESPN leagues.
Charlotte Hornets: With LaMelo Ball out, Jalen McDaniels remains in the Hornets’ starting lineup and is a viable streamer. He’s only rostered in 10.7% of ESPN leagues. McDaniels has scored 32 or more fantasy points in three of his last five games. Fantasy managers should watch if general manager Mitch Kupchak deals certain players with the Hornets’ season already over given their record.
Chicago Bulls: Patrick Williams‘ play continues to trend up and fantasy managers should pay attention. During the past 11 games, he has averaged 12.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals. Williams averaged 31.5 minutes per game during that stretch and should be rostered in a higher percentage of fantasy leagues. In addition, Nikola Vucevic has had a double-double in 11 consecutive games, which is the longest streak of his career within a season.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Following a groin injury on Tuesday night, Donovan Mitchell‘s beaming smile was replaced by an unsettling look of dread. Whether Mitchell will miss back-to-back games against the Rockets and Thunder on Thursday and Friday remains to be seen. If he’s out then Caris LeVert, who is only rostered in 45.4% of ESPN leagues, is the player fantasy managers should prioritize. He has averaged 16.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per 40 minutes this season.
Dallas Mavericks: In the regular season and playoffs, Luka Doncic has had five games with at least 40 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. This is tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the second most all time by a player at age 23 or younger. The only other player with more is Oscar Robertson (6). Dwight Powell is a solid streamer for those searching for one because Christian Wood is out with a thumb injury. He’s only rostered in 0.7% of ESPN leagues. As a starter, he’ll continue to play meaningful minutes with Wood out.
Denver Nuggets: Bruce Brown played very well for the Nuggets and is an intriguing fantasy streamer, especially for managers in category formats due to his well-rounded stat lines. Brown has averaged 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block in the last 14 games. He’s only rostered in 30.9% of ESPN leagues.
Detroit Pistons: Fantasy managers are anxiously awaiting to see if Bojan Bogdanovic will get traded. Over the last 10 games, he’s averaged 24.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Bogdanovic should be held onto by fantasy managers regardless of whether he stays with the Pistons or is traded. Also consider picking up Jalen Duren, who is only rostered in 14.7% of ESPN leagues and is coming off a 59 fantasy point performance against the Bucks.
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry is now one of six active players who has 21,000 career points. He’s the 40th player in the history of the league to accomplish this milestone. Curry has averaged 27.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in seven games since returning earlier this month from a three-week absence due to a shoulder injury.
Houston Rockets: Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Eric Gordon as we approach the trade deadline. Tari Eason could become a difference-maker if Gordon is traded because he would play more minutes. Eason is only rostered in 5.0% of ESPN leagues and has averaged 17.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per 40 minutes as a rookie this season.
Indiana Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin scored 25 points for the seventh time in his rookie season on Wednesday night against the Magic. This is the most by a Pacers rookie since Chuck Person had 14 during the 1986-1987 season. Mathurin has scored 27 or more fantasy points in three consecutive games. Meanwhile, Haliburton is dealing with an elbow and knee injury and is hoping to return in early February. Until then, fantasy managers should continue to stream T.J. McConnell, who is rostered in only 26.8% of ESPN leagues.
LA Clippers: The last four games have been great for Norman Powell. He has scored 38 or more fantasy points in three of the contests, and fantasy managers should take note of Powell’s role in the Clippers’ rotation as their sixth man. He’s only rostered in 30.3% of ESPN leagues.
Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James has had 31 consecutive games with 20 or more points. The streak is the fourth longest by a Lakers player in 40 seasons. Additionally, James only needs 158 points to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points in NBA history. On Wednesday, Anthony Davis returned to the court against the Spurs after missing time due to a foot injury. That effectively ends Thomas Bryant‘s magical run as a streamer.
Memphis Grizzlies: Steven Adams was diagnosed with a sprained PCL earlier this week and is expected to miss three to five weeks. As a result of Adams’ absence, fantasy managers may consider streaming Xavier Tillman, especially in deeper formats. He’s only rostered in 1.2% of ESPN leagues. Tillman averages 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per 40 minutes. Brandon Clarke will also have a more prominent role while Adams is out, but is already rostered in 47.2% of ESPN leagues.
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo had 30 points and 15 rebounds against the Celtics on Tuesday night. He is the sixth player in Heat history to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in multiple games. When Jimmy Butler is out, Adebayo’s fantasy ceiling is even higher. Adebayo has averaged 23.8 points and 10.8 rebounds in 13 games without Butler.
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo has scored at least 25 points and grabbed at least 10 rebounds in 226 games. There is no player in the league who has more since he entered the league in 2013-14. It is interesting to note that over 70% of those games were won by the Bucks. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Bobby Portis will miss up to two weeks due to a right knee sprain. Pat Connaughton can continue to be deployed as a streamer. Against the Nuggets on Wednesday, Connaughton scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Rudy Gobert has scored 40 or more fantasy points in two consecutive games since returning from his groin injury. Gobert continues to benef from Karl-Anthony Towns‘ absence, which is meaningful because Towns is not expected back until late February.
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New Orleans Pelicans: CJ McCollum has had at least 25 points and five 3s in eight games this season. This ties Baron Davis and Peja Stojakovic for the most in a single season by a Hornets or Pelicans player. After a lengthy absence due to a toe injury, Brandon Ingram returned to the court on Wednesday against the Timberwolves. The fact that he played 26 minutes was very encouraging, even though he only scored 14 fantasy points. Ingram has better days ahead as long as he can stay on the court.
New York Knicks: Julius Randle had had four games this season with at least 35 points and 10 rebounds. This is the most by a Knicks player since Carmelo Anthony in the 2013-14 season. Over the last 15 games, Randle has averaged 28.0 points, 14.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Immanuel Quickley is surprisingly only rostered in 12.6% of ESPN leagues. He’s become an important member of the Knicks’ bench rotation, putting up 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the last seven games.
Oklahoma City Thunder: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Jalen Williams again in this column. The rookie is only rostered in 18.1% of ESPN leagues but has averaged 13.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals over the last four games. In deeper formats, now is a great time to stash him before his roster percentage starts to rise.
Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero has 26 games this season with 20 or more points. Over the last 30 seasons, this is tied with Allen Iverson for third most by a rookie. The only two players with more are Blake Griffin and this Doncic fellow in Dallas. Banchero has averaged 32.7 fantasy points per game this season.
Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid is facing the basket more this season. He’s averaged 9.6 elbow touches per game according to Second Spectrum, double his average from last season. Examples of elbow touches are pull-up jump shots or floaters. The result is Embiid is averaging a career-low in postups, but 33.6 points per game.
Phoenix Suns: Chris Paul finished with 11 assists and zero turnovers against the Nets on Tuesday night. This was his 15th game with 10 or more assists and no turnovers as a member of the Suns. Since turnovers became official in 1970-71, this is tied with Steve Nash for the most for Phoenix. Following a seven-game absence due to a hip injury, Paul has scored 46 or more fantasy points in two consecutive games.
Portland Trail Blazers: On Wednesday night Damian Lillard finished with an astounding 108 fantasy points. Lillard (3) and Elgin Baylor (2) are the only players in league history with multiple games of at least 60 points, five rebounds and five assists. A calf injury forced Jusuf Nurkic to leave the game early, while Josh Hart suffered a hamstring injury. Fantasy managers in need of a streamer should consider Nassir Little and Drew Eubanks if either player misses time.
Sacramento Kings: Domantas Sabonis only finished with nine points and eight rebounds against the Raptors on Wednesday. His 23-game streak of double-doubles ended here. It was the longest streak by any player this season and the longest streak by a Kings player since Jerry Lucas in 1968. Prior to the start of the season, Sabonis was one of my favorite targets in fantasy drafts. Even having said that, Sabonis has been surpassing expectations.
San Antonio Spurs: Jeremy Sochan continues to play solid minutes for a Spurs team without Devin Vassell. In five consecutive games, Sochan has scored 24 or more fantasy points, including three with 30 or more. A player like Sochan can be a good option in deeper formats due to the fact that he contributes points, rebounds, assists and steals. He’s only rostered in 7.1% of ESPN leagues, but based on the Spurs’ moves following the NBA trade deadline, Sochan’s value could rise considerably.
Toronto Raptors: Fred VanVleet‘s recent performance has thrilled those who traded for him weeks ago. During the last 12 games, he has averaged 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.4 steals. The Raptors continue to be one of the most intriguing teams as we approach the NBA trade deadline and VanVleet is a name that has constantly come up. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that VanVleet dismissed his previous agents and will now seek new representation as he enters the free agent pool at the end of this season.
Utah Jazz: I’ve mentioned Walker Kessler three weeks in a row, and I’ll keep doing it. He’s only rostered in 26.3% of ESPN leagues. During the Jazz’s last seven games, the rookie has averaged 11.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. Four of those seven games have seen Kessler score 40 or more fantasy points. He’ll be fantasy relevant even when Kelly Olynyk returns.
Washington Wizards: Kyle Kuzma has had consecutive games with 30 or more points for the third time in his career and the first time this season. Another Wizards player worth considering in deeper formats is Delon Wright. In the past seven games, he has averaged 8.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals in 24.3 minutes per game. Wright is only rostered in 8.2% of ESPN leagues.