Week 19 Games Played
5 Games: DAL, OKC, TOR
4 Games: ATL, BOS, BKN, CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, HOU, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOP, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SAC, SAS, UTA, WAS
3 Games: DET, GSW, IND, LAC, NYK
Back-to-Backs
Mon-Tues: DAL, MIN, OKC, TOR
Tues-Weds: BOS, CHA, POR
Weds-Thurs: DEN, NOP
Thurs-Fri: BKN, MIL
Fri-Sat: ATL, CHI, CLE, MEM, ORL, UTA, WAS
Sat-Sun: CHA, DAL, HOU, MIA, OKC, TOR
Sun-Mon (Week 20): LAL, NYK, PHI, POR, SAS
Top Pickups: These are players that are available in 60% or more of Yahoo Fantasy Leagues. The format I traditionally use when talking about rankings are 9-category leagues, and these players are listed in the order that I’d prioritize them. Please note that Delon Wright is rostered in too many leagues to qualify but would be the top add of the week.
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Dorian Finney-Smith (31%)- One of the most underrated players in all of fantasy basketball is about to get a 5-game week. Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with a sprained ankle and could miss time, but even if he’s cleared he’s likely to rest once or twice. Smith’s upside is through the roof when Porzingis sits, but he’s also very reliable when the Mavs are at full strength too and his minutes never seem to waver. Over the last two weeks, he ranks inside the top-70 for 9-cat leagues with 13.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 dimes, 0.9 steals and 2.8 triples on a blistering 56% from the field. “It’s almost impossible to get him out of the game based on the merits of how he plays,” coach Rick Carlisle said. Fantasy managers would agree.[[ad:athena]]
Aleksej Pokusevski (21%)- The future superstar has cooled off offensively, but has the wind at his back in fantasy thanks to a five-game week. He’s recovering from a mild illness which limited him to five minutes vs. the Pacers, but in his last three full games he averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.3 dimes, 0.7 steals, 2.6 blocks and 0.7 triples. This pales in comparison to the numbers he was putting up in early April before his arm injury, but I’m optimistic about a breakout in one of the most important weeks of the season. On a side note, Darius Bazley is rostered in 51% of leagues and didn’t qualify for this list, but would be the top pickup if he’s somehow available.
Daniel Gafford (33%)- He’s coming off a dud but Gafford’s restrictions have been eased and I’m anticipating a big finish to the season. As long as you’re OK with a bad FT%, Gafford has been a top-75 player in his last five games in only 19.5 minutes, averaging 12.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.
Isaiah Roby (7%)- G League legend Moses Brown turned into Ryan Hollins last week and the Thunder don’t seem interested in playing his backup Tony Bradley either. That has opened the door for Roby to step in as a small-ball center and that could continue in the five-game week. Over his last four games, he’s been just outside the top-100 in 9-cat in only 25.0 minutes with 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 dimes, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 triples on 51% from the field and 100% from the line.
Mo Bamba (30%)- If Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle) misses more time, then this ranking will be too low for Bamba. He played a career-high 28 minutes in his last start and it was everything fantasy managers would have hoped for, scoring 17 points with 12 rebounds, two blocks and two triples. He’s in Robert Williams’ territory when it comes to per-minute production so you know I’m sold on him as a fantasy player, so if he can maintain a role with minutes in the 20s he’s going to be a lot of fun in the final couple weeks.
Brandon Goodwin (9%)- Trae Young (ankle) is going to miss at least a handful of games so adding Goodwin is a top priority this week. Lou Williams is interesting as well, but is more of a 3-category producer for points, triples and dimes. Goodwin has made three starts this season and has fared well in all of them, averaging 15.0 points, 5.3 assists. 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.7 triples.
Kenrich Williams (5%)- Here’s yet another player catapulted onto the streaming radar with five games on the schedule. The Thunder have two back-to-backs this week, meaning Lu Dort (tank violator, Cade Cunningham) is likely to be rested twice for the good of the tank. Williams is usually a late-rounder when OKC is healthy, but should get a ton of burn this week and put up 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.5 blocks and 1.5 triples in 27.0 minutes over his previous four.
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Khem Birch (18%)- If you’re looking for upside you aren’t going to find it here as Birch’s per-minute production leaves a lot to be desired. But you can’t argue with a 5-game week, and his minutes are about as secure as it gets with Chris Boucher out indefinitely and Aron Baynes banished from the rotation. In his last six games, he’s ranked as a borderline top-100 player with 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.3 dimes, 1.0 steals and 1.7 triples in 27 minutes. Riveting production, I know.
As for the rest of the fringe Raptors, Malachi Flynn’s (19%) minutes have dried up lately but don’t hesitate to stream him if Kyle Lowry or Fred VanVleet get a game or two off, and keep an eye on Freddie Gillespie and Yuta Watanabe when Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are held out for the good of the tank.
P.J. Dozier (10%)- Denver’s “MVP” of training camp has emerged with a huge opportunity in Denver. With Jamal Murray (knee) out for the season and Monte Morris and Will Barton without timetables due to hamstring strains, Dozier is going to be a secondary playmaker for the Nuggets and he’s going to see a ton of minutes. He thrived in a fill-in start on Saturday with a career-high 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks and three 3-pointers on 10-of-13 shooting, taking advantage of a depleted Houston roster. He had a per-36 line of 12.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 dimes, 1.1 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.5 triples even before that breakout though, so there’s clearly some untapped upside here.
De’Anthony Melton (20%)- How this guy hasn’t played a featured role all season is probably the biggest mystery in all of fantasy basketball. Enough Justise Winslow, give Melton 30 minutes so he can be the fantasy stud we all know he can be.
Oshae Brissett (27%)- Depending on the status of Domantas Sabonis (back), Brissett would shoot up this list or plummet down from this spot. He’s giving the Pacers some really nice minutes in his last three games, scoring 15.7 points with 9.7 rebounds, 1.0 dimes, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.3 triples. The only big problem here is that Indiana is one of five teams with just three games on the schedule.
KJ Martin Jr. (3%)- I would imagine that Christian Wood (ankle) is going to rack up more DNPs after tweaking his troublesome ankle yet again. The Rockets have like 7-9 available players on any given night, setting up Martin Jr. with a really sizable role. He made his first career start on Saturday and hit 7-of-12 shots, a 3-pointer and 3-of-8 free throws for 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals in 42 minutes. His stat set reminds me a bit of Derrick Jones Jr. as a source of rebounds and defensive stats with a nice boost to your FG%, so he’s definitely on the radar for the 4-game week.
Jalen Brunson (26%)- He’s not going to win your matchup by himself but he should get the job done as a late-rounder thanks to the five-game week. He’s averaging 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.3 dimes, 0.8 steals and 0.8 triples over his last four, and I’m anticipating a rest day for Luka Doncic at some point this week.
Facundo Campazzo (10%)- Like I said with Dozier, Campazzo is going to play massive minutes with the Nuggets missing three key players in the backcourt. I’m not convinced he’ll be anything more than a late-rounder, but give him a look if you’re targeting these three categories -- in his last three games he’s averaging 6.7 dimes, 1.3 steals and 1.7 triples.
Theo Maledon (14%)- If you want to see your FG% Titanic but could use a boost in dimes, triples and steals, Theo is your guy for this 5-game week. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (foot) may not play again this season if I had to guess, so Theo’s workload is as safe as it gets. He’s averaging 11.8 points, 4.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.5 triples over his last six games, but his percentages would make only Blake Griffin jealous.
Jordan Poole (11%)- The Warriors only play three times this week so I’m not going to end up with many Poole shares for that reason. The Warriors are without a couple rotation regulars in Damion Lee and Kent Bazemore due to the protocols, locking in Poole for decent minutes. In his last six games, he’s been a late-rounder with 14.3 points, 2.5 triples, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.5 triples.
