Wednesday night in the NBA consisted of eight games, though only one game down to the wire. Jerami Grant hit an insane bank shot from beyond the arc to force overtime in Houston, where Portland was able to hold on and secure the win. It’s “rivalry week” in the NBA, but the rest of the matchups were disappointing. The Suns blew the Mavs out, and the Thunder blew out the Spurs, even if Victor Wembanyama outperformed Chet Holmgren. There are seven games on Thursday, eight games on Friday, 10 games on Saturday and only five games on Sunday, so keep that in mind as you’re making your roster moves!
Marvin Bagley- 49% rostered in Yahoo leagues
Bagley has been coming off the bench now that Daniel Gafford is back in the lineup, but he has still been able to play a large role. He benefited from Gafford being in foul trouble on Wednesday and was able to record a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Gafford has been in foul trouble for years, so Bagley should be able to continue to play big minutes off the bench. He may not produce to this level every game, but even when he only played 18 minutes on Sunday, he had 14 points and seven rebounds. He doesn’t contribute in many categories, but he has played well.
Blake Wesley- less than 1%
Wesley got the starting nod on Wednesday with Tre Jones sidelined with an ankle injury. The Spurs play on Friday and Saturday, and if Jones remains out, Wesley will continue to start. There is also a chance that Jones sits out one of those games due to injury maintenance even if he is cleared to return. Wesley played 28 minutes against the Thunder and finished with 12 points, four rebounds, six assists, one block and one 3-pointer on 5-of-5 shooting in his second career start. However, if Jones is back, Wesley won’t be worth rostering.
Jacob Gilyard- 1%
Gilyard moved back into the starting lineup on Wednesday with Luke Kennard sidelined due to a hamstring issue. If Kennard remains out on Friday, Gilyard should get another start. He can provide solid assist numbers, which are hard to find on the waiver wire. The downside is that he doesn’t contribute much in other categories. He played 24 minutes as a starter on Wednesday and finished with six points, seven assists, one steal and two 3-pointers.
T.J. McConnell- 28%
Tyrese Haliburton will miss at least two more games, which means that McConnell should be in your lineup for Thursday’s game against the 76ers. The Pacers also played on Friday and Sunday, and while Haliburton could be back for the final game of the week, managers should be able to squeeze two more games of value out of McConnell.
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Royce O’Neale- 5%
Cameron Johnson is questionable to play on Thursday because of a left shoulder contusion. If he is out, O’Neale will have a chance to slide into the starting lineup. He has averaged 8.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 triples in six games as a starter this season. He has had some duds and some big games, so he isn’t the most reliable, but he should play big minutes if Johnson is out.
Nicolas Batum- 8%
Tobias Harris is questionable to play on Thursday because of an illness. Batum will start regardless and has provided fifth round value over the past two weeks. He won’t provide many points, but he can contribute in most other categories.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker- 3%
NAW started in place of the injured Mike Conley again on Wednesday. He posted a 6/5/5/1 line in 31 minutes after scoring 18 points and hitting four 3-pointers as a starter on Monday. If Conley remains out on Thursday, NAW should be worth streaming, even if he didn’t have a great game on Wednesday.
Silly Season Hero Watch:
Both of these guys played well off the bench for the Grizzlies, but they probably aren’t worth adding in standard leagues at this point. However, if you have the luxury to stash a player or two for the next month, here are two players to consider.
GG Jackson- 11%
17 points (5-of-9 FGs), four rebounds, two assists and four 3-pointers in 26 minutes
Scotty Pippen Jr.- 1%
15 points (5-of-7 FGs), six rebounds, six assists and one 3-pointer in 24 minutes.