While the games the day after Christmas aren’t as notable as the Christmas Day games, there were still plenty of fun performances that ended up being late presents for fantasy managers. Cade Cunningham, De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton were among the many stars that shined on Tuesday. However, none shined brighter than Andre Drummond. The veteran big man has been backing up Nikola Vucevic for a while, but he got his first start as a Bull with Vooch out against the Hawks. He finished with 24 points, 25 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the win and is currently rostered in just 19% of Yahoo leagues. There isn’t a clear timetable for Vucevic’s absence, but even if it is only one more game, Drummond will certainly be worth streaming.
Julian Champagnie- 1% rostered in Yahoo leagues
Champagnie remained in the starting unit on Tuesday, and Gregg Popovich plans to keep it that way. Keldon Johnson has been pushed to the bench to help give the second unit a lift offensively, and he scored 26 points in a reserve role on Tuesday. Champagnie played 25 minutes and posted a 16/5/1/2/1 line with four triples. As long as he is starting, he will be worth keeping around.
Duop Reath- 1%, Jabari Walker- 2%
The duo of Portland bigs didn’t start in place of Deandre Ayton, but they both had big nights. Moses Brown played just 14 minutes as a starter, which allowed Reath to play 32 and Walker to play 22. Reath finished with 25 points and nine rebounds, while Walker chipped in 17 points and six boards. If Ayton remains out on Thursday, both will have upside.
Aaron Nesmith- 23%
Rick Carlisle alluded to lineup changes Tuesday morning, and Nesmith ended up moving into the starting unit. He played 30 minutes and contributed 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two triples. Bruce Brown was sidelined once again, and Andrew Nembhard got another start in his place. Unless Nesmith ends up being pushed to the bench when Brown is back, he should be worth adding.
Vince Williams Jr.- 5%
Williams Jr. was pushed to the bench in favor of Marcus Smart, who was back after being sidelined for almost a month and a half. However, Williams Jr. still played 27 minutes and posted a 6/8/3/1/3 line with a triple. Most of his production will come from his defense, but the move to the bench shouldn’t cause him to lose all of his value.
Keyonte George- 39%
George was back after missing Utah’s last six games. He played 24 minutes off the bench, but as he gets his legs back under him, he should see more minutes and move back into the starting unit. He may have been dropped when he got hurt, but he should be picked back up now.
Nick Richards- 32%
Richards remains criminally under-rostered in Yahoo leagues. This is an important PSA for fantasy managers: just because Mark Williams is “doubtful” before every game, doesn’t mean that he is close to returning. Richards recorded a second straight double-double on Tuesday and has three in his last four games.
