Sunday’s all-day NBA slate delivered plenty of excitement, including an historic 71-point masterpiece from Damian Lillard. Monday’s light, four-game slate was a bit anticlimactic by comparison, but we still got some entertaining moments. Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler traded blows throughout the Sixers-Heat game until the final seconds when Miami pulled away. The Knicks took it to the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum earned his first career ejection. The Magic beat the Pelicans in a game that was a bit closer than the box score would indicate, and fantasy managers got plenty of deliciousness from the Hornets-Pistons matchup in which Detroit was missing most of its starting lineup.
Unfortunately, a pair of major injuries cast a shadow on the day. Shams Charania announced that LeBron James will be sidelined multiple weeks, and LaMelo Ball sustained a fracture in his right ankle in Monday’s win over Detroit.
As a fan of the NBA, this was a tough day. As a writer of a nightly pickups column … I was gifted with some easy layups. I’ll share those now, as we dive into the best fantasy hoops adds for Monday.
Top Pickups
James Wiseman (41%)
Jalen Duren has missed two games with an ankle injury, Isaiah Stewart is dealing with a hip issue, Bojan Bogdanović is dealing with an Achilles injury and Isaiah Livers left Monday’s game early with an ankle injury. The injuries are piling up for the tanking Pistons, and Wiseman should continue to take advantage. He made his second straight start for Detroit on Monday, delivering a team-high 23 points while staying out of foul trouble. The lack of defensive stats is a bit irritating, but if you’re looking for efficient points and rebounds, he’s a useful option.
Marvin Bagley (44%)
Bagley returned from an extended absence and promptly pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds in Saturday’s matchup with Toronto to go with 21 points. He followed it up with another 21-point double-double Monday, and through two games, he’s averaged 21 points and 15 boards off the bench. Detroit’s list of injuries has grown to comical proportions, and Bagley offers better production than Wiseman in the categories of rebounds and blocks. He’s the preferred option of the two centers, but both should be rostered in all formats.
Dennis Schröder (31%)
With LeBron on the shelf indefinitely and D’Angelo Russell doubtful Tuesday, Schroder figures to see a big uptick in usage moving forward. Malik Beasley (50%) also makes for a phenomenal add after playing well to start out his Lakers tenure.
Josh Richardson (43%)
In five games with New Orleans, he’s racked up a ridiculous 16 swipes and delivered top-90 fantasy value. He’s started three games and appears to be entrenched in a starting role with his new team. If you haven’t added him yet, what are you waiting on?
Dennis Smith Jr. (27%)
He finished Monday’s win with seven points, seven dimes, three boards and one steal in 32 minutes off the bench. His role figures to expand significantly due to LaMelo Ball‘s ankle injury.
Isaiah Joe (14%)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed the Thunder’s last two games, and he’ll be out for a third Tuesday against Sacramento. Joe started the last two games and racked up 52 points while shooting 10-of-20 from beyond the arc.
Killian Hayes (41%)
Hayes went for 12 points, 10 dimes, four boards, four steals and two swats in Monday’s loss, delivering his best game in quite some time. Alec Burks (20%) scored an inefficient 17 points, but both guards are worth a look given the extent of Detroit’s injury report. Hayes is the preferred add in category leagues, while Burks is the best bet in points leagues.
Malik Monk (46%)
He’s been a top-75 player over the last month, thanks to averages of 18.6 points, 2.9 boards, 3.7 assists, 2.1 triples and 0.9 steals while shooting 55.8% from the floor and 91.2% from the charity stripe. Even without his massive 45-point showing against the Clippers, Monk has been great for fantasy hoopers, and he shouldn’t be so widely available in Yahoo leagues.
