numbers on the glass. He’s averaged 11.3 rebounds per game over his past 7 games, posting no fewer than eight in any of those. His scoring output has been a bit more up and down, but he’s put up double figures in 5 out of his last 7 and is usually a good bet for somewhere in the 15 range each night so long as he continues to get this many minutes. Turner is a High Injury Risk according to Inside Injuries and has yet to return to practice, so expect him to remain out for at least a couple more contests, making Sabonis a solid play this week.
Domantas Sabonis with the spin move on LeBron! LeBron yells at Kevin Love.
pic.twitter.com/EvXRjOIiag
— David Astramskas (@redapples) January 13, 2018
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope LAL – SIT ‘EM
KCP was out Sunday against the Knicks due to an Achilles issue. He has now missed two straight, and will likely be questionable for the Lakers as they move into the rest of the week. He’s a High Injury Risk according to Inside Injuries, so even if he trends back into the lineup, he’ll likely have a lesser chunk of the minutes and might struggle to get back into a rhythm. With Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, Josh Hart and others vying for minutes, the Lakers also won’t need to push KCP back in there. All-in-all, he’s a stay-away this week.
Wayne Ellington MIA – START ‘EM
With Dion Waiters out for the season and Goran Dragic banged up, Ellington is getting plenty of minutes, and doing plenty with the opportunity. He has put up 14.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 3.4 3-pointers on 46 percent shooting in 33 minutes over his last five games. He’s been a bit up and down, but the volume of shots, especially from three, and minutes have been enough for him to sustain nightly value. Dragic is a High Injury Risk according to Inside Injuries, and it’s unclear if he’s quite ready to return yet. Continue to ride Ellington in your lineups this week.
Terry Rozier BOS – SIT ‘EM
Rozier was red hot early this month, putting up huge games off the bench for the Celtics. He remains a key piece, but his Fantasy production has really fallen off. He has scored in single digits in each of his last 4 games, and his three-point shooting has been woeful. With Kyrie Irving returning from a one game absence Sunday, there won’t be many extra minutes for Rozier, which means it’s going to be tough for him to give you starter worthy value this week, so leave him on the pine.
Waiver Adds
Milos Teodosic – SG LAC (31%)
30-year-old rookie Milos Teodosic also recently returned from an injury of his own; his plantar fasciitis luckily only kept him out for three games. But he came back and immediately jumped into a very important role for the Clippers. Teodosic started the season as the backup PG, but starter Patrick Beverley recently had knee surgery that will potentially end his season. Unless there is a trade of some sort, Teodosic is going to be the starter going forward.
So far in this role, he has looked pretty solid, averaging 11.2 points and 5.8 assists per game over his last five. He is not a world-beater on the court, as he is not likely to put up a 30-point game any time soon, but the fact is that he gets into double digits point regularly and has some assist and rebound upside. Additionally, because of the severity of Beverley’s injury, this is a long-term play, as he should be getting minutes all season. Teodosic is a good guy to stash in case you start having point guard injury issues of your own.
Montrezl Harrell – PF LAC (14%)
Montrezl Harrell is a short-term flier with a ton of value in the near-future. Harrell is the backup PF for the Clippers, but with DeAndre Jordan out for at least the next few games, Blake Griffin has dropped down to Center and Harrell has gotten starter-level playing time at forward. In his last five, Harrell has averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds. He is shooting well over .500 from the field, meaning he has maximized the opportunities that he has had. The key to Harrell’s success is his number of shot attempts: when he has double digit attempts, he averages 18.3 points per game, making him of starter quality for at least the next week or two.
As mentioned earlier, this is a short-term solution. When DeAndre Jordan returns from injury, Harrell’s playing time and usage are likely to drop down to level that make him not worth owning. Until that time, he is a great option for those dealing with PF injuries. And who knows, in the chaos of the looming Clippers tear-down and the potential trade of Jordan, maybe Harrel could find himself a permanent starting role, in which case picking him up now would be like buying a winning lottery ticket.
Featured Image: (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
