NBA

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins decided to switch up the starting lineup on Wednesday, with Rose and David Roddy replacing Jacob Gilyard and Santi Aldama. The move worked, as the Grizzlies won their first home game of the season. Rose was efficient offensively as both a scorer and distributor, proving to be a solid sidekick next to Desmond Bane (17/7/9/3 with three 3-pointers in 35 minutes). Given the history of knee issues, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect to see Rose go too far past 25 minutes on most nights. But given how well he played on Wednesday, the starting job may be his until Marcus Smart (foot) and Ja Morant (suspension) are back in action. Gilyard was a DNP-CD, so the few managers who have him rostered need to drop him.

The Grizzlies have finally won a home game! Six players scored in double figures with Jackson leading the way, and his six blocks are a new season-high. Prior to blocking three shots in Sunday’s loss to the Timberwolves, JJJ had endured a nine-game stretch in which he accounted for no more than one rejection in any outing. Given the hit that he’s taken in the field goal percentage category, the defensive stats are of even greater importance with regard to Jackson’s fantasy value. Wednesday’s win was a big one for the Grizzlies, as they finish Week 6 with a road back-to-back against the Mavericks (Friday) and Suns (Sunday).

Pascal Siakam was expected by many to take a leap this season. So far, managers who drafted him have been underwhelmed. In Wednesday’s contest against the Suns, Siakam had a respectable game and played a pivotal role in the Toronto victory. Scottie Barnes had a productive night with 23 points and seven rebounds. Siakam may be able to increase his per-game value. If he can find a way to improve his free throw percentage, he might be able to finally crack the
top 100.

Batum appeared to dislocate his finger early in the third quarter, immediately walking back to the locker room after the 76ers gave a foul to stop play. With the veteran forward finished for the night, Robert Covington and KJ Martin should absorb the minutes that would have gone to Batum.

Anthony’s growth over the last two weeks is one reason why the Magic have won eight straight games. During that stretch of games, he’s averaging 18.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.6 3-pointers in 29.4 minutes per game, shooting 45.7% from the field and 87.5% from the foul line. Efficiency has long been a concern for Anthony, but he’s beginning to clean some things up. As a result, he’s rostered in more than 60% of Yahoo leagues despite coming off the bench. Anthony still hasn’t cracked the top 100, but at the rate he’s going, that may happen eventually this season.

Orlando’s had a pretty good recent schedule as far as fantasy basketball is concerned. After capping their Week 6 slate with the Hornets, the Magic will play two games at home against the struggling Wizards. And Suggs has exceeded expectations after two injury-plagued seasons, providing top 75 per-game value in 9-cat formats. And he’s one of three Magic players providing top 100 value over the last three weeks, a stretch that began just before Orlando’s current eight-game win streak. Suggs is still rostered in 59% of Yahoo leagues, suggesting that some managers aren’t fully on board just yet. It’s OK to board the bandwagon now.

On a night when frontcourt partner Paolo Banchero (6/4/4 in 27 minutes) only scored six points, Wagner picked up the slack in a big way. The 31 points are a season-high for him, one more than his total in Sunday’s win over the Hornets. Orlando’s won eight straight games, with multiple players enhancing their fantasy values during this two-week run. Wagner’s ranked 33rd in 9-cat per-game value over the last two weeks according to Basketball Monster, and he’s cracked the top 75 for the season. With Orlando hosting the Wizards again on Friday, Wagner is capable of extending his streak of 30-point games to three in a row.

D’Angelo Russell had himself a game on Wednesday against the Pistons. The Lakers were in control for most of the match and Russell led the way with 35 points. After Monday’s 44-point loss to the Sixers, D-Lo and the Lakers played with a sense of urgency. Anthony Davis outperformed the inexperienced Detroit frontcourt, dropping 28 points, grabbing 16 boards, and swatting three shots. Russell is a top 100 player in 9-cat so this performance is an outlier that may lead to a sell-high opportunity if he can string together a few more big games.

Is Poole beginning to turn things around? As a scorer, he’s put up 19 points or more in four of his last five games. However, the production in other categories has been lacking, hence his being ranked outside the top 200 in 9-cat per-game value over the last two weeks. Poole has been of greater value to points league managers than those looking to win category leagues, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

Avdija’s Wednesday night came to a painful end, as he suffered an apparent right forearm injury after attempting a shot during the fourth quarter. He didn’t appear to be receiving any treatment on the Wizards bench after exiting the game, and that may be a good sign regarding the severity of the injury. The 22 points matched his season-high, and this was a much-needed performance. Avdija scored a total of 27 points in the three games prior, shooting 10-of-23 from the field and 2-of-7 from three. He’s closing in on top 100 per-game value for the season, well ahead of his Yahoo ADP of 146.