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Line of the Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo became just the fifth player over the past 40 seasons to register a stat line of 32 points (8-of-16 FG, 15-of-23 FT), 20 rebounds, five assists, two steals and three swats across just 30 minutes in Saturday’s 117-108 win over the Magic, joining the likes of DeMarcus Cousins, Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon. He also added a triple while he was out there, to go with an unfortunate five turnovers, but the TOs are easy to forgive alongside historic stat lines. Despite The Greek Freak only converting 68.7% of his 10.4 FTA, he’s still pumping out first-round value with averages of 27.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.3 triples, 1.2 steals, 1.9 swats and 3.3 turnovers per contest on 50.7% shooting from the field. Amazing.
On The Radar
Nerlens Noel (51%) returned from a four-game absence on Saturday and produced two points, six rebounds, one assist, three blocks and three turnovers in 29 minutes off the bench. He can sustain some low-end value with the defensive stats, but he won’t do much outside of the STOCKS.
Matisse Thybulle (47%) returned from a seven-game absence on Saturday and came through with nine points (3-of-5 FG, 2-of-2 FT), one rebound, one 3-pointer, one steal, one block and one turnover in 21 minutes off the bench. He’s been an elite source of STOCKS this season, and now that he’s back, he’s worth a look everywhere.
Kevin Huerter (30%) had another solid performance as a starter on Saturday, dropping in 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go with two rebounds, four assists, four triples and just one turnover through 34 minutes of floor time. Through six starts this season, Huerter has compiled averages of 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 3.0 triples and just 1.0 turnover per contest on 60% shooting. That sky-high field goal percentage is in no way sustainable, but Huerter will be looking at a ton of opportunity over the next two months while De’Andre Hunter (wrist) is out, so he’s worth rostering in most leagues.
Cam Reddish (27%) kept his hot streak going on Saturday, hitting 7-of-13 shots for 17 points, six rebounds, three triples and two turnovers in 27 minutes off the bench. He too, will have a ton of opportunity while Hunter is sidelined, and he’s been trending up over the past two games posting averages of 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 triples and 1.5 steals per contest on 55.6% shooting, so he’s a guy who should be rostered in standard leagues at this point.
Patrick Beverley (24%) put the clamps on Ja Morant on Saturday night, helping hold him to a season-low 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting, and Beverley finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, three triples, two steals, one block and one turnover in 22 minutes. Since entering the starting lineup, Beverley has compiled averages of 8.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.0 triples, 0.7 steals, 1.0 block and 1.5 turnovers per contest on 46.7% shooting, so he’s worth a look in deep leagues.
Georges Niang (21%) got another start on Saturday with Danny Green (hamstring) unavailable, and hit 6-of-11 shots for 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, three triples and one block over 35 minutes. As long as he’s starting and flirting with minutes in the 30s, he’ll be worth rostering.
P.J. Tucker (18%) only missed once on Saturday, going 5-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-2 at the stripe for 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, two triples, one steal, one block and one turnover in 34 minutes. He’s been heating up over the past three games, posting averages of 14.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 triples and just 0.7 turnovers per contest while converting an insane 85% of his shot attempts, so while those numbers obviously aren’t sustainable, he is worth a look in deep leagues as a streamer while he’s this hot.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (15%) drained five triples on his way to 16 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and two turnovers through 27 minutes of floor time. The scoring comes and goes with KCP, but he’s been a reliable source of 3-pointers (2.0) and steals (1.3) this season, and his minimal turnovers (1.1) give him some low-end appeal in 9-cat leagues.
Cody Martin (13%) scored 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting Saturday, to go with eight rebounds, two triples and one steal in 31, turnover-less minutes off the bench. He’s been flirting with top-100 value over the past four games with averages of 9.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.8 swats and zero turnovers on 51.6% shooting, so give him a look if those numbers are appealing.
Eric Gordon (13%) got a spot-start on Saturday with Kevin Porter Jr. (thigh) missing in action and he went 5-of-17 from the floor and 3-of-6 at the stripe for 15 points, three rebounds, five assists, two triples, two swats and four turnovers across 37 minutes. He’ll likely be sitting in back-to-backs this season, but Houston doesn’t have any for their upcoming three-game week, making Gordon worth a look if you need some points and triples.
Alec Burks (13%) went 6-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-2 at the stripe for a season-high 20 points in Saturday’s win over Houston, adding five rebounds, three assists, six triples and a career-high-matching six steals in 25 turnover-less minutes off the bench. He’s been solid over the past five games, posting averages of 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.8 triples, 1.6 steals, 0.8 swats and a mere 0.4 turnovers per contest on 46.2% shooting. Is this sustainable? Absolutely not. But is he worth a look in deep leagues while he’s this hot? Yes.
Grant Williams (6%) got another start on Saturday with Robert Williams (knee) unavailable and produced 14 points, eight rebounds, one assist, four triples, one steal two block and zero turnovers in 35 minutes. Over the past three games as a starter, Williams has registered averages of 12.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 2.7 triples on 52% shooting, so if The Time Lord is out again on Monday vs. Houston, Williams will make for a solid streamer.
RJ Hampton (2%) busted loose for 19 points (6-of-12 FG, 2-of-2 FT), five rebounds, nine assists, five triples, one steal and just two turnovers in 28 minutes off the bench on Saturday, and sure, Cole Anthony (ankle) was out, but that doesn’t make this stat line any less impressive. Hampton has flashed his upside on multiple occasions this season, and with Terrence Ross as the only guy truly ahead of him on the depth chart, I think it’s only a matter of time until Hampton is regularly receiving heavy minutes in Orlando. While an imperfect stat, Hampton’s per-36 numbers of 15.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.5 triples, 0.9 steals, 0.5 swats and 3.0 turnovers per contest gives us a glimpse of his upside. I think he’s worth stashing everywhere.
Kira Lewis Jr. (2%) came through with another solid performance in 27 minutes off the bench sans Devonte’ Graham (foot soreness), registering 12 points (5-of-11 FG, 1-of-2 FT), three rebounds, one 3-pointer and two turnovers. He had been out of the rotation, but since Graham went down, he’s been playing relatively well off the bench over the past two games. If Graham is out again on Monday vs. Minnesota, Lewis Jr. will make for a quality deep league streamer.
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Injury Tracker
Nikola Jokic (right wrist) is being listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Suns. Mike Malone said on Friday that he didn’t have a definitive timetable for Jokic, so it would be hilarious in a non-funny way if The Joker winds up only missing one game with the wrist issue. However, if he is out again, it’ll be interesting to see if Denver stays small with Austin Rivers getting another start, or if they’d slide JaMychal Green into the starting unit. Either way, it’ll be Aaron Gordon and Will Barton taking control of the offense if Jokic is out again.
Speaking of unusual coaches, OG Anunoby (hip) is being listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Warriors, despite Nick Nurse saying on Thursday that OG would be out “a while” with his hip pointer injury. He’s only missed two games, but it looks like there’s a chance he could get back out there on Sunday night, which would be bad news for Khem Birch and Chris Boucher.
Luka Doncic (left knee/ankle) and Maxi Kleber (left oblique) are questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Clippers. If they’re out again, Jalen Brunson should get another start and there will be more minutes available for guys like Frank Ntilikina and Willie Cauley-Stein.
LeBron James (abdominal strain) is being listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. Detroit. He looked fine in his return to action on Friday, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him skip a game against the 4-11 Pistons. If he does take the night off, look for Talen Horton-Tucker to step up.
Robert Williams (left knee soreness) missed his third straight game on Saturday vs. the Thunder, which resulted in another start for Grant Williams with Enes Kanter operating with minutes in the low-teens in a reserve role. If The Time Lord isn’t able to get back out there for Monday’s game vs. the Rockets, Williams will be someone to think about as a streamer.
Jaylen Brown (right hamstring strain) remained on the sidelines for Saturday’s game, but he’s been making solid progress and head coach Ime Udoka continues to say he’ll be back “soon.” It sounds like he’s in the final stages of his rehab from the hamstring strain, and the Celtics are just taking an ultra-cautious approach with that injury, which I love. Hamstring issues can derail seasons if players are brought back too soon, so I want Brown to take all the time he needs to get back. Dennis Schroder remains the primary beneficiary in his absence.
Cole Anthony missed his first game of the season on Saturday with a sprained right ankle and he should be considered questionable for Monday’s rematch with Milwaukee. If he’s out again, Gary Harris could get another start and Jalen Suggs will see some increased playmaking opportunities as one of the last guards still standing in Orlando’s backcourt. R.J. Hampton could also see an uptick in minutes.
Mitchell Robinson exited Saturday’s game with a bruised nose and did not return, finishing with six points, five rebounds, one steal and two blocks over 18 minutes. Considering that this is being reported as a bruise and not a break, I’d be surprised if Robinson didn’t play on Sunday.
Duncan Robinson left Saturday’s game with a right knee contusion and did not return, finishing with seven points, five rebounds, one assist, one 3-pointer, one steal and one turnover in 20 minutes. The Heat don’t play again until Tuesday in Detroit, but that game is the first of a back-to-back, so it’s possible he’ll skip that one. If Robinson does miss a game, Herro should see a nice boost as he could be headed for the starting lineup.
Kevin Porter Jr. (left thigh contusion) did not play on Saturday, which resulted in Eric Gordon moving into the starting lineup with Jalen Green and Christian Wood running the show on offense. D.J. Augustin only logged 11 minutes off the bench and Armoni Brooks only made a brief, three-minute appearance, so it doesn’t look like either of those guys will get much of a boost if KPJ needs to miss another few games.
Devonte’ Graham missed his second straight game with a sore left foot on Saturday, which resulted in another start for Tomas Satoransky and extended minutes for Kira Lewis Jr. It’ll be more of the same if Graham is out again on Monday vs. Minnesota, and while Satoransky has been starting – Lewis has had the more attractive stat lines.
Killian Hayes (left thumb) is questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Lakers, but he played through the injury on Friday, so it seems like mostly a pain tolerance thing. If he’s not able to give it a go, Cade Cunningham will have the rock in his hands more often, and there will be more opportunity for guys like Cory Joseph and Frank Jackson.
Isaiah Stewart, who exited Friday’s game after just 16 minutes after tweaking his right ankle, is probable for Sunday’s game, so it appears the crisis has been avoided on this injury front.
Dillon Brooks (sore right hamstring), De’Anthony Melton (sore right groin) and Sam Merrill (sprained left ankle) did not play Saturday and they should be considered questionable for Monday’s game in Utah. Merrill’s playing status is irrelevant, but if Brooks and Melton need to miss another game, that’ll be good news for Kyle Anderson, Desmond Bane and Brandon Clarke.
Brook Lopez, who hasn’t played since the season-opener due to back spasms, said that he’s making solid progress in his recovery and he’s circled a potential return date, although he would not divulge what game he’s targeting. Still, this is great news as it seems BroLo has finally worked past his back issues, and with his ability to rack up the triples and swats he’s worth stashing everywhere at this point. Once he does return, Bobby Portis will take a sizeable hit.
Rodney Hood (hamstring) returned from a two-game absence on Saturday and contributed two points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 17 minutes off the bench. Continue to ignore him.
Nikola Vucevic (COVID-protocols) will remain on the sidelines for Sunday’s game vs. New York, but he should clear quarantine by Monday, so maybe he’ll be able to return at some point during Week 6. Once he’s back, Tony Bradley will lose all his value.
Daniel Gafford (right thumb) and Spencer Dinwiddie (rest) returned from a one-game absence on Saturday and Gafford finished with six points, one rebound, one block and four turnovers in 15 minutes – while Dinwiddie put up 16 points, one rebound, four assists, four triples and one turnover in 30 minutes. With these two back in action, Montrezl Harrell and Aaron Holiday returned to the second unit.
Wes Unseld Jr. said that Davis Bertans has been progressing “nicely” from the ankle injury and he anticipates seeing Bertans back on the floor at some point this upcoming week. Once he’s fully up to speed again, he’ll syphon away some minutes from Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija and Anthony Gill, but he’s not worth stashing anywhere.
Rui Hachimura (personal) participated in Saturday’s shootaround but remains without an official timetable to return. The Wizards have not commented on exactly what Rui is dealing with, but I just hope everything is relatively okay. We still have no idea when he’ll be back, though, so he can safely remain on the waiver wire in most leagues.
Tyler Herro (wrist) returned from a one-game stint on the sidelines and produced 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, three triples, two steals and three turnovers in 30 minutes off the bench. He’s been ballin’ out in his third season and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Danny Green (left hamstring tightness) missed his third straight game on Saturday, which resulted in another start for Georges Niang, and more minutes for Furkan Korkmaz in the second unit.
Andre Iguodala (knee) won’t play on Sunday and Otto Porter Jr. (foot) is questionable – but Gary Payton II (soreness) and Nemanja Bjelica (ribs) are probable.
Naz Reid (sore right foot) returned from a one-game absence and registered four points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal, two swats and two turnovers in just 15 minutes off the bench. He’s an okay, low-end guy to roster in deep leagues as a shot blocking specialist, and he’d be immediately relevant if Karl-Anthony Towns ever went down with an injury.
Josh Okogie (back) missed his third straight game on Saturday and he should be considered questionable for Monday’s game in New Orleans.
Frank Kaminsky (knee) will miss his third straight game on Sunday, but with Deandre Ayton back in action, Kaminsky’s playing status is irrelevant. The same can be said for Abdel Nader (knee), who is also out for Sunday’s game.
Zeke Nnaji (ankle) will miss his fourth straight game on Sunday vs. the Suns.
Taj Gibson (sore groin) did not play Saturday, but I’d expect him to return for Sunday’s game in Chicago.
