The NBA season continues to motor ahead toward Christmas, and some teams could receive welcome presents in the form of returning players. Boston, New Orleans, and Golden State are among those who could welcome back star talents, and that could happen in Philadelphia as well. The City of Brotherly Love is where Week 9’s look ahead begins, as the team’s two-game week may mean it’s time to drop a player who has helped the team stay afloat despite multiple injuries to key players.
Week 9 Schedule: Games Played
4 Games: BOS, CLE, DAL, GSW, IND, LAC, MIA, MIN, OKC, POR, WAS
3 Games: ATL, BKN, CHA, CHI, DEN, DET, HOU, LAL, MEM, MIL, NOP, NYK, ORL, PHO, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTA
2 Games: PHI
Top Storylines to Watch
-- Is now the time to seek alternatives to Shake Milton?
In the eight games that he started when the 76ers were without both James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, Milton was outstanding. Playing 38 minutes per game, he averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 1.9 3-pointers, shooting 54.7% from the field and 96.4% from the foul line. That production was good for top-40 value in 9-cat formats. But in the two games that Philadelphia has played with Harden back in action, Milton’s minutes and production have decreased with his move back to the bench. In Friday’s overtime win over the Lakers, he played 24 minutes, scoring six points with four rebounds and three assists with no defensive stats. He’s currently rostered in 31% of Yahoo leagues, and that number may decrease even more in Week 9.
Philadelphia only plays two games, Tuesday against Sacramento and Friday against the Warriors. Even with the 76ers playing four games in Week 10, now may be when fantasy managers officially hop off the Milton bandwagon if they haven’t already, as Maxey could be back by Christmas. De’Anthony Melton is in a far different place, as his defensive potential protects some of his fantasy value even when coming off the bench. And Melton is still providing top-50 value in 9-cat formats.
-- Will the Time Lord make his season debut this week?
On November 23, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Celtics center Robert Williams could return within 10-12 days. Still, there was also the chance that he could declare himself fit to play before then. Williams has already been ruled out for Monday’s game against the Clippers, the first of two games that Boston will play in as many nights. Tuesday’s game against the Lakers will be followed by two home matchups with the Magic (Friday and Sunday). With Al Horford (personal) also ruled out for Monday, Blake Griffin and Luke Kornet will continue to split the minutes at center. Griffin, who’s rostered in 4% of Yahoo leagues, has been a top-100 player over the last week, while Kornet is ranked just outside the top 150. As has been the case for a few weeks, fantasy managers will watch the Celtics’ injury report closely, hoping that Williams’ return to action comes sooner rather than later.
-- Will Pelicans’ Ingram and Jones return during the road trip?
New Orleans has been without two starters, as Brandon Ingram is dealing with a sprained toe and Herb Jones a sprained ankle. Ingram hasn’t appeared in a game since November 25, with Jones’ last appearance coming five days later. Before Sunday’s win over the Suns, Pelicans coach Willie Green said that he hoped Ingram and Jones would be healthy enough to play during the team’s upcoming three-game road trip. New Orleans will play two games in Utah on Tuesday and Thursday before ending the trip Saturday night in Phoenix. It’s worth noting that New Orleans has won seven straight games, and the hot streak may influence their decisions regarding when Ingram and Jones will be cleared to play.
Dyson Daniels and Trey Murphy have filled in admirably, with the latter being a top-50 player since Ingram’s last game played. Murphy’s rostered in 68% of Yahoo leagues and will be worth holding onto once Ingram and Jones are back in action. As for Daniels, who’s rostered in 3% of Yahoo leagues, he will not be a “hold” when that time comes. He’s ranked outside the top 150 over the Pelicans’ last seven games, finishing Sunday’s win with 11 points, one rebound, eight assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer in 36 minutes.
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-- How will the Knicks handle their point guard rotation?
This became a question Sunday evening when starter Jalen Brunson suffered a sprained ankle during the Knicks’ win over the Kings. We’ll learn more about the severity of the injury on Monday, and New York doesn’t play again until Wednesday night in Chicago. If Brunson has to miss time, how Tom Thibodeau handles the rotation will be worth watching. Derrick Rose has fallen out of the rotation, being a DNP-CD in each of the team’s last four games. Meanwhile, Immanuel Quickley has played at least 24 minutes in five straight and six of his last seven appearances. And Miles McBride has cracked the back end of the rotation, playing 27, 24, and 21 minutes in the Knicks’ last three games.
Could McBride be moved into the starting lineup if Brunson sits, thus keeping Quickley in his usual role? Or would IQ be installed as the starter? And Rose, long a favorite of Thibodeau’s, could be back in the rotation in some role. Of the three, Quickley is clearly the best fantasy option, and he’s rostered in 17% of Yahoo leagues. Rose’s rostered percentage is down at 2%, and McBride’s is even lower. Look to Quickley as the preferred option if Brunson misses time, and the usage numbers for Julius Randle and RJ Barrett will increase.
-- Warriors’ Wiggins is due to be re-evaluated on December 12
Andrew Wiggins has missed three games with a strained adductor, and he’s due to be evaluated again on Monday. The Warriors play four games in Week 9, beginning with a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back against the Bucks and Pacers. If Wiggins were to be cleared ahead of Tuesday’s game, it’s plausible that he’ll only play in three games. His status will impact Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga the most, with the former being inserted into the starting lineup. Ranked outside the top 150 in 9-cat formats for the season, Poole has been a top-100 player over the last week. Kuminga, who’s rostered in 15% of Yahoo leagues, is providing 9th-round value over that same time span. If Wiggins and the Warriors were to receive bad news on Monday, Kuminga would be worth a look, especially in deeper leagues.
-- When will the Wizards welcome back their starting guard tandem?
Washington played Saturday’s loss to the Clippers without starters Monte Morris (groin) and Bradley Beal (hamstring), with the latter sitting for the third straight game. Washington plays four games in Week 9, the first being Monday night against the Nets. Morris is listed as questionable while Beal is out, but he could be back at some point during the Wizards’ upcoming road trip. That six-game trip begins Wednesday night in Denver and ends on December 23 in Sacramento. Morris’ absence meant a spot start for Jordan Goodwin, while Corey Kispert has been filling in for Beal.
Kispert is the better streaming option of the two, as the player he’s replacing will likely be sidelined for longer. But fantasy managers would like nothing more than to see Beal cleared during Week 9, and the same can be said for the Wizards themselves. Washington enters Monday’s game having lost six straight and nine of its last 10 games. Also worth mentioning with regard to the Wizards’ perimeter rotation is that Delon Wright (hamstring), who has not played since October 25, will be re-evaluated on December 13.
Light Game Days
Tuesday: 5 Games
SAC vs. PHI
GSW vs. MIL
PHO vs. HOU
NOP vs. UTA
BOS vs. LAL
Thursday: 4 Games
MIA vs. HOU
MIL vs. MEM
NOP vs. UTA
PHO vs. LAC
Week 9 Back-to-Backs
Monday-Tuesday: BOS
Tuesday-Wednesday: GSW, SAC
Wednesday-Thursday: LAC, MIA
Thursday-Friday: None
Friday-Saturday: CLE, DAL, OKC, POR
Saturday-Sunday: WAS
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