Author: Brandon C. Williams Staff Writer
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the week having recorded at least five assists in four of his last five games. He’s owned in just 46 percent of CBSSports.com leagues, yet Ntiliknia makes a good option as a streamer who can be a short-term answer if your team is lacking in dimes.
Jeremy Grant, SG/SF, Thunder: More of a deep-league option, Grant (12 percent ownership in CBSSports.com leagues) is a good stat suffer who has scored in double-digits in four of his last six games. As the sixth man for OKC, Grant gets steady minutes (23 per night) and could see his value rise if either Paul George or Andre Roberson is injured.
Frank Ntilikina could be a short-term help to Fantasy teams needing assists. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
John Henson, PF/C, Bucks: His per 36-minutes rates in rebounding (10.6) and blocked shots (2.6) makes Henson a good option for those in need of a steady glass eater. He’s also shown surprising production with his passing as Henson had a six-assist effort in Friday’s win over the Spurs. Owned in 37 percent of CBSSports.com leagues, Henson’s numbers should climb in the wake of Greg Monroe’s departure to the Suns in the Eric Bledsoe deal. He’s worth keeping eye on, especially if coach Jason Kidd’s patience with Thon Maker thins.
Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Nuggets: Normally, we don’t celebrate those shooting 42 percent from the field, yet considering where Mudiay’s accuracy once was, Hell Yes, we’re breaking out the cake and champagne. Mudiay is averaging 12.3 points per game off the bench for a Denver team starting to hit its offensive stride. He’s owned in 54 percent of CBSSports.com leagues and while his scoring is a surprise, Mudiay can hand his Fantasy owners a trickle of rebounds and assists to justify playing him.
Streamers. Lots of Streamers
P.J. Tucker, SF, Rockets: Those looking for a rebounder who can knock down the occasional triple, Tucker averaged 8.1 rebounds in three games this week and had a pair of 11-point outings in wins over the Cavaliers and Grizzlies. Keep him in mind for Thursday night when Houston visits a Phoenix team allowing a league-high 116.7 points per game.
Kyle Korver, SG, Cavaliers: He can still bury the 3-ball and hit a trio of them in Saturday’s win over the Mavericks. He offers little else besides his scoring, yet Korver continues to average 20-22 minutes a night and still gets a green light off the bench. Cleveland is 28th in points allowed per game and will have potential shootouts against the Knicks (Monday) and Clippers (Friday) as part of their four-game docket this week.
Marquese Chriss, SF/PF, Suns: It’s still not safe to play him on a consistent basis, but Chriss’ stat-stuffing effort in Saturday’s win over the Timberwolves (13 points, seven rebounds, two assists, five blocks) might be a step toward being more than a matchup-oriented option. Chriss gets a pair of games against the Lakers (Monday, Friday) sandwiched between another high-scoring contest against the Rockets on Thursday night.
Our Bobby Portis Moment of the Week
The Bulls’ big man debuted with a pair of double-double outings against the Raptors and Pacers before adding a solid third act in Saturday’s loss to the Spurs. While he’s flashing the potential that we’ve been waiting on, I still wouldn’t go all-in with Portis via a trade attempt or attacking the FAAB basket with a foolish bid. First off, we’ve been here before with his streaky play. Second, with Nikola Mirotic set to come back by the end of the month, his minutes are going to be disjointed. Consider him a good streaming option for now, but let’s see how his playing time shapes up.
Most Fantasy-Friendly Game of the Week
Suns at Lakers on Sunday is a hell of an opportunity to stack for DFSers, with the hidden gem being Lakers PF Kyle Kuzma, who is making a run at keeping Larry Nance, Jr. on the bench (once he returns from injury) after scoring 21 points and pulling down 11 boards in Saturday’s loss at the Bucks. He is fifth among all rookies with a 15.2 PER.
Best Fantasy Matchup of the Week
Speaking of Kuzma, he and Ben Simmons face off when the Sixers visit the Lakers on Wednesday night. Simmons leads all first-year players with a 20.1 PER and enters the week averaging 16 points, 8.8 boards, eight assists, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in his last five games. Lonzo Ball – Saturday’s historic triple-double notwithstanding – is more of a side act compared to these two.
Best Fantasy Matchup to Exploit
With Kawhi Leonard (ankle) out until at least past Thanksgiving, small forwards have been able to exploit the Spurs offensively. Harrison Barnes owners should keep that in mind for Tuesday night when Dallas welcomes San Antonio. Barnes came into Sunday’s game against the Thunder having averaged 22.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists this month and may finally be taking the step forward toward becoming a legitimate second-tier Fantasy option.
Evan So True
Magic SG/SF Evan Fournier’s impressive start has been helped by the slight increase in his usage percentage (23.7, compared last year’s 23.5), yet it’s his True Shooting percentage that has had the greatest impact. Fournier’s TS% is at .619, a considerable jump from the .555 he recorded in 2016-17. His Effective FG% sits at .584. Combined with his 89 percent free throw percentage, it’s no wonder he’s averaging 20 points per night as he and Aaron Gordon have led Orlando’s early scoring outburst. The Magic entered Sunday averaging 110.8 points per game, fourth-best in the league.
TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES
Warriors, Timberwolves, Suns, Trail Blazers, Kings, Raptors, Jazz, Wizards
TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES
Hawks, Nets, Celtics, Hornets, Bulls, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic, 76ers, Kings
TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES
Thunder
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