Saturday’s 12-game schedule didn’t lack injuries or players who could potentially emerge as value pickups. In the case of the Indiana Pacers, they headed into their game in Miami without the services of Tyrese Haliburton, who was ruled out with a knee injury and an upper respiratory ailment. While this opened the door for Andrew Nembhard to move into the starting lineup, he isn’t the only point guard whose fantasy value increases on nights when Haliburton can’t play. Remember T.J. McConnell? Rostered in just two percent of Yahoo leagues, he was nothing more than an afterthought among managers searching for a point guard to stream.
He shined in the Pacers’ 144-129 win over the Heat, shooting 10-of-11 from the field and finishing with 20 points, two rebounds, and 11 assists in 25 minutes off the bench. McConnell played two more minutes than Nembhard, who finished with four points (1-of-9 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), one rebound, 11 assists, and one steal. McConnell isn’t going to wow anyone with his scoring, but he exercises good shot selection while focusing primarily on the distribution aspect of his job. Indiana is back in action on Monday when they host Boston in an In-Season Tournament quarterfinal, and that could be a spot where McConnell and Nembhard are in play if Haliburton remains sidelined.
Unfortunately for Rick Carlisle, this isn’t the only health concern the Pacers could have to address. Obi Toppin tweaked his ankle during the fourth quarter but stayed in the game, playing 35 minutes. Should his injury give him any trouble ahead of Monday, Aaron Nesmith (8% Yahoo) would be in the mix for an expanded role. He played 29 minutes on Saturday, scoring 20 points with four rebounds, one assist, one block, and four 3-pointers on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.
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Let’s take a look at a few more of Saturday’s top pickups:
Patrick Williams (36%)
Williams has been difficult for many fantasy managers to honestly believe in, especially on nights when DeMar DeRozan and/or Zach LaVine are active. DeRozan was back in the lineup for Saturday’s win over the Pelicans, but LaVine wasn’t, which meant Williams would get another start. And he had a productive night, posting a line of 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks, and one 3-pointer in 29 minutes. Should there come a point when the Bulls decide to move a high-salary star (or two), Williams is a player who could benefit. In the short term, keep him in mind on nights when the Bulls are down one (or both) of their scoring wings.
Moritz Wagner (32%)
With good reason, Wagner remains well behind Goga Bitadze in the fantasy rankings, as the fill-in for Wendell Carter Jr. has been more productive as a rebounder and shot-blocker. But Moe still has value in deep leagues, especially when scoring at an efficient clip. He’s hit double figures in nine straight games, the most recent being an 18-point effort in Saturday’s loss to the Nets. Wagner played 22 minutes to Bitadze’s 15; that isn’t a huge difference, but it’s enough for fantasy managers to be aware of. Bitadze remains the preferred option, as the matchup could have influenced the minutes split on Saturday.
Killian Hayes (21%)
Hayes hangs around on the periphery, as many fantasy managers refuse to let the first three seasons of his NBA career go. But he’s been better this season, offering 12th-round value in 9-cat formats. After scoring 21 points with a full line in Thursday’s loss to the Knicks, Hayes finished Saturday’s loss to the Cavaliers with another full stat line. Shooting 6-of-11 from the field, he finished with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block, and one 3-pointer in 33 minutes. The inconsistency and track record are concerns, but Hayes is worth tracking in the aftermath of Bojan Bogdanovic’s return. Hayes has been considerably better than Jaden Ivey, which could put the second-year guard at greater risk of losing minutes.
Moses Moody (6%)
Starting a second consecutive game in place of the injured Andrew Wiggins, Moody put up 21 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers in 32 minutes on Saturday against the Clippers. The accuracy from the field (5-of-13) left something to be desired, but the overall line was one that deep league managers would take. Moody’s value moving forward depends on Wiggins’ availability, with the Warriors off until Wednesday. But even if Wiggins is back, there’s no guarantee that Chris Paul will be cleared at that point.
