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It was a busy 12-game Friday, which allowed a handful of players to really take advantage of the opportunities that were given to them. Injuries and a suspension allowed new faces to step into big roles and flex their fantasy potential. In the middle of some exciting games that stars dominated, here’s the guys that may have flew under the radar.
Standard Leagues:
Larry Nance Jr.- 21%
Over the last two games, Nance has played more minutes than Jonas Valančiūnas. He finished with 20 points on 10-for-12 shooting and eight rebounds in this game. Even with the frontcourt healthy, Nance has proved to be valuable enough to be rostered in standard leagues. Zion Williamson only played 28 minutes in this game and didn’t close it out. Willie Green said that he didn’t know of any injury, but if there is one, then Naji Marshall and Nance will play some extra minutes with Zion out. Regardless, Nance has been fantastic and should be rostered more.
Jonathan Kuminga- 16%
Steve Kerr has talked about wanting to change up the rotations, and he said that Kuminga has earned more minutes. However, he did say that he needs to show up every night, even when the minutes aren’t there. On a competitive team like the Warriors, that’s important if he’s going to carve out a role. He shined on Friday with 18 points, and he’ll get a chance to build off of it in their next game with their starters playing.
Chris Boucher- 44% and Precious Achiuwa- 22%
Pascal Siakam left Toronto’s game against Dallas early after suffering a groin injury. Boucher finished with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Achiuwa put up 15 points and eight rebounds. They’re both key parts of the rotation anyway, but if Siakam misses time, they’ll both be worth a roster spot.
Justise Winslow- 8%
Winslow started with both Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons sidelined and put up 12/9/9 with two steals. Dame should return soon, but Winslow should be in lineups everywhere if Lillard and Simons are both sidelined again. He’s still good for some steals when he comes off the bench, but he’s more of a streaming specialist when the full team is healthy.
Deeper Leagues:
Troy Brown Jr.- 4%
Brown Jr. has started the last four games for the Lakers with Russell Westbrook coming off the bench. He’s averaged 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 triples during that stretch. There’s no reason to think that he won’t continue to start.
Torrey Craig- 1%
Cameron Johnson went down with a knee injury and was quickly ruled out. He was seen leaving the game in crutches. If Johnson misses time, Craig should slide in as the starting power forward, unless they’re able to convince Jae Crowder to come play for them again. He hasn’t been great this season, but he’ll have a great opportunity to play big minutes.
Jaylen Nowell- 18%
Nowell got back on track with 13/3/3 in this game after struggling a few games in a row. He’s a key piece off the bench for Minnesota and should be able to put up points all season.
Gabe Vincent- 3%
With Jimmy Butler out again, Vincent finished with 15 points, three steals and three triples. He should still play a role when everyone’s healthy, but with how often Miami rests players, he should see more games with big minutes.
Cam Thomas- 4%, Yuta Watanabe- 1% and Edmond Sumner- 1%
Sumner started, but all three guys played big minutes in this game with Kyrie Irving suspended. It ended up being a blowout, so it’s hard to see exactly how the minutes will look in a regular game, but all three should get a chance to play more with Irving out at least four more games, and Ben Simmons being out for who knows how long.
