24/25 Feb. 3 Box Score Analysis (10 Games)
Wizards 124 Hornets 114
Bilal Coulibaly: Great stuff from Bilal who is just a borderline 12-team asset. We know the drill at this point. He’ll have the odd night like last night before playing like a top-300 player for two weeks. I would not consider him a must-hold through the deadline. A Kuzma trade wouldn’t necessarily lead to a notable bump in value for Coulibaly. His role has been very solid all year long. His rough stretches haven’t been due to a dip in minutes or touches. He just isn’t very good at the moment and is having trouble sustaining strong stretches. Over the last month, the Wizard is ranked outside of the top 200 in nine-category leagues.
Malcolm Brogdon: Brogdon doesn’t need to be stashed. If he’s moved to a playoff team, he’s unlikely to end up in a role large enough to make him relevant in 12-team leagues. He’s had some nice stretches with Washington and Portland the last couple of years, but on a good team, he’s not a big minute player at this point in his career. If he is still with the Wizards after the break, he’ll be a pickup in 14-team leagues and a watch in 12-team setups.
Nick Smith (Pick Up in 16+ team leagues): Smith has been terrible since moving into the Hornets’ starting lineup, so it’s hard to get excited about the strong back-to-back games. As a starter, he’s averaged 12.2 PPG on 40.2 FG%, 2.1 3PG, 2.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 2.0 TOPG. That is not close to a standard league line. In 12- and 14-team leagues, you should have no problem finding a player who helps more in points and threes and hurts you less in FG% and turnovers. In 16-team leagues, Smith is viable but is an easy drop if a must-grab pops up on the wire on Thursday.
Josh Green (Pick Up in 14+ team leagues): Green is an elite steals streamer in 12-team leagues and is doing enough in swipes and threes to be worthy of a roster spot in 14-team leagues. Over the last month, in 28.1 MPG, Green has averaged 1.4 3PG and 1.5 SPG. Those numbers should not be considered his ceiling with Brandon Miller done for the year. Green could see minutes in the low-to-mid 30s going forward. He’s played at least 32 minutes in five of his last six games.
Hawks 132 Pistons 130
Vit Krejci: 28 minutes is good to see after he played a combined 36 minutes over the Hawks’ two previous games. We need to watch Krecji, but we shouldn’t add just yet with the deadline coming up. The Hawk is not a high-upside option and is not worth stashing over any player with top-100 upside who could step into a larger role after Thursday. If Krejci is playing close to 30 MPG during the Hawks’ back-to-back set that starts on Friday, then we can start looking at him as a flier again. In 14-team leagues, the guard should be rostered.
Larry Nance: Nance will be a solid streaming option if Capela has to miss more time. He’s needed just 19.2 MPG to average 8.5 PPG on 51.2 FG%, 1.5 3PG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.0 SPG this year. I would not view him as a long-term hold in deep leagues because it looks like his minutes are going to end up in the mid-teens when Capela is active. To be a 12-team option, Nance needs to play about 24 MPG.
Ausar Thompson (Pick Up in 14+ team leagues): Last night was not as encouraging for Thompson stashers as the line suggests. The second-year man played great, but he was still given just 26 minutes of playing time. If he produced this line in 30, I’d be much more excited about his prospects. Thompson is playing very well at the moment, but he’s still just a luxury stash in 12-team leagues because of the low minutes ceiling. Thompson has topped the 26-minute mark just twice this year. In 14-team leagues, he’s a must-roster for his ability to provide elite steals without hurting you in FG%. Over his last seven, he’s averaged 2.0 SPG while shooting 58.3 percent from the floor.
Knicks 124 Rockets 118
Precious Achiuwa: Anunoby has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Raptors, so Precious should get at least one more start. However, with the Knicks having just one game between Wednesday and Monday, I wouldn’t be in a rush to add the big man. There are a handful of teams that play four games over that stretch. When Achiuwa starts and plays heavy minutes, he’s a double-double threat who can give us a steal and a rebound. He could be useful for a couple of weeks but is unlikely to be a long-term piece with Mitchell Robinson potentially returning this month.
Miles McBride: McBride also got a minutes bump with Anunoby out but couldn’t do much with the extra run. He’s safe to ignore in all leagues due to his limited role and the Knicks’ poor schedule. In a mid-20s role, he wouldn’t do anything that can’t be easily found on a 12- and 14-team wire. McBride is low-end points, threes, and not much else. That is a very easy line to find.
Cam Whitmore: Whitmore should have a nice week with VanVleet likely out until the All-Star break. He should be especially valuable tonight and either Saturday or Sunday when Eason sits again during the Rockets’ second back-to-back set of their five-game week. With Fred down, Whitmore’s minutes should jump from the high teens into the mid-20s. In an expanded role, he’s a good bet for about 12 PPG and 2.0 3PG. He won’t give us nearly as much as he did last night elsewhere, so if you don’t need a points and threes bump, pass on him.
Jae’Sean Tate/Steven Adams: Sengun is back tonight, so we can ignore the extra run for both Tate and Adams. Tate should stick in the rotation this week with VanVleet and Smith out and Eason set to miss two games, but won’t play enough to be useful. Adams plays about 12 MPG when Sengun is active and is just a forgettable boards streamer (5.1 RPG).
Kings 116 Wolves 114
Keon Ellis: Great stuff from Ellis who should go back to his usual low-20s role once LaVine makes his debut on Wednesday. He will be a must-watch in all leagues, but he needs an injury to the Kings’ starting five to become a 12-team pickup. In 14-team leagues, he should be rostered. The 2.2 3PG and 1.7 SPG that he’s managed over the last month in just 24.2 MPG are numbers that usually can’t be found on a 14-team league wire.
Kings Rotation with LaVine: The Kings’ rotation with LaVine should look similar to how it looked with Fox. LaVine should play a similar amount of minutes to what Fox played (37.0 MPG). That’s good news for LaVine, as he was playing 34.1 MPG for the Bulls. The slight minute increase should offset any per-minute dips caused by playing beside Monk, DeRozan, and Sabonis. LaVine and Fox are both sporting very similar usage rates, so I would not expect the swap to lead to a bump in scoring for Monk, DeRozan, or Sabonis. However, we should see their assist rates rise slightly. LaVine is a decent creator, but he’s not Fox. The remaining three studs should pick up some extra playmaking responsibilities.
Mike Conley (Pick Up): Conley’s scoring ability is cooked, but he can still do some damage in threes, assists, and steals when given heavy minutes. With DiVincenzo out, the veteran is worth considering if he fits your matchup well. Over the last two weeks, in 29.4 MPG, Conley has averaged 9.7 PPG on 42.2 FG%, 2.0 3PG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.7 SPG. Whether or not he sits during back-to-back sets is hard to project. He did sit during the Wolves’ most recent one, but that may have been because the second half of the set involved a trip to Utah. Conley did play against both the Knicks and Cavaliers when the Wolves had a back-to-back set in the middle of January.
Thunder 125 Bucks 96
Isaiah Joe (Pick Up in 14+ team leagues): This game went as expected. The Thunder rested some regulars but it didn’t matter. Joe is an elite threes streamer in 12-team leagues and a reasonable 14-team league hold if threes are a toss-up category. If they’re not, ignore him. Joe has played great as of late but hasn’t done anything outside of hit from deep at an unsustainable rate. Over his last 12, in just 23.3 MPG, Joe has put up 13.5 PPG on 51.4 FG%, 3.6 3PG, 2.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, and 0.7 SPG.
Gary Trent: There is no need to spend any time on this box score. The Bucks sat Giannis, Lillard, Middleton, Lopez, and Portis. Everyone but Lillard is probable for Wednesday’s game against the Hornets. Lillard is listed as questionable with groin soreness. Trent is just an inconsistent points, threes, and steals streamer in 12-team leagues. He’s worth an add in 14-team leagues when he’s hot but is fine to drop when he’s not. AJ Green and Taurean Prince are just threes streamers, even in the deepest of leagues.
Grizzlies 128 Spurs 109
Luke Kennard (Pick Up in 14+ team leagues): Kennard got the start with Desmond Bane potentially out through the break. Unfortunately, the start didn’t lead to decent minutes. He’ll be a must-roster on nights when Morant sits, but when the All-Star point guard is healthy, Kennard will be just a threes and assists streamer in standard leagues. In 14+ team leagues, I would hold while Bane is out. In leagues of that size, he can be useful in a mid-20s role. Over his last 14, in 23.9 MPG, Kennard has averaged 12.2 PPG on an unsustainable 53.9 FG%, 2.6 3PG, 3.9 APG, and 0.9 SPG.
G.G. Jackson: Jackson will probably have a handful of games like this down the stretch. The problem is we usually won’t be able to predict when they happen. It’s also not a lock that he continues to play decent minutes with Smart about to return and Brandon Clarke’s knee injury not expected to keep him sidelined for long. Keep an eye on him if you play in a deep league, but it is very, very unlikely that Jackson becomes a 12-team option at any point this year. Last year’s big run to end the year was made possible by the Grizzlies getting annihilated by injuries.
Stephon Castle (Drop): Good stuff from the rookie, but with De’Aaron Fox coming to town, he can be dropped in all leagues. Almost all of Castle’s value is in points which is bad news with a major usage hit coming down the pipe. It’s possible Castle continues to start but his minutes and touches are about to take a significant hit.
Jeremy Sochan (Drop): Same deal as Castle. This is a nice line, but not one we can get excited about given that the Spurs are about to add a 25 PPG player into their rotation. Sochan should continue to be a quality source of boards and steals, but his ceiling now feels very low. 30 MPG doesn’t seem like it is in play and his usage rate is about to become nonexistent. To get into the 12-team conversation, he will need to steal Barnes’ starting spot. That’s unlikely. Barnes has started all 47 of the Spurs’ games this year. In 14-team leagues, Sochan is just a borderline option.
Nuggets 125 Pelicans 113
Aaron Gordon (Pick Up): Gordon didn’t play in this one and will likely miss one of the Nuggets’ games during the team’s back-to-back set that begins on Wednesday. That’s not ideal, but he should be added. Once the Nuggets feel comfortable with where his calf is at, he could start playing huge minutes. With Peyton Watson and Russell Westbrook likely out through the break, and the Nugget’s bench is now in extremely rough shape, Gordon could start playing around 34 MPG. If he does, he should be a borderline top-100 option. The forward has been producing solid per-minute numbers this year. The dip in value is mostly due to the drop in minutes (26.7 MPG). He’s a stronger add in points leagues than in category leagues since his weak FT% and lack of defensive contributions matter less in points leagues.
Julian Strawther: Strawther will be the team’s sixth man while Westbrook and Watson are sidelined. He doesn’t need to be added, even in 16-team leagues, but he should be a decent points and threes streamer for a couple of weeks. The second-year man has needed just 23.5 MPG to average 9.9 PPG and 1.9 3PG over the last month. If you need anything else, ignore him. His per-minute numbers in the other counting categories are very weak (3.5 RP36, 2.2 AP36, 1.1 SP36).
Jose Alvarado: A disappointing night for those who added Alvarado after Dejounte Murray went down for the year. The Pelicans opted to give Javonte Green 28 minutes instead of giving their backup point guard heavy run. He’s obviously droppable for a hot deadline pickup, but if one doesn’t pop up, try to give him a little leash. He should find his way into a big minute role eventually. It’s hard to picture the Pelicans playing C.J. McCollum big minutes in the middle of March with Cooper Flagg on the line. It’s also possible that the Pelicans are sellers at the deadline with their season being over. If Alvardo does eventually start, he should be a top-100 player. As a starter, he’s produced 15.1 PPG on 40.9 FG%, 3.1 3PG, 3.1 RPG, 4.9 APG, and 1.6 SPG in 31.2 MPG.
Yves Missi: The big minutes beside Zion are good to see, but as long as Williamson is active, we should be treating Missi as a streamer in 12-team leagues and just a borderline option in 14-team setups. Over the last month, he’s produced just top-180 numbers. The boards (7.0 RPG) and blocks (1.7 BPG) have been very useful, but everything else has ranged from mediocre (51.5 FG%) to very poor (6.8 PPG, 1.2 APG, 0.5 SPG, 69.0 FT%). Missi will be a pickup again at some point this year, but we’re not there yet.
Pacers 112 Jazz 111
Andrew Nebmhard (Pick Up): This is Nembhard’s third straight top-30 type of line in a row. He’s not a must-add in 12-team leagues, but if you need assists and steals this week, he’s a strong option. Indiana has three games left and neither of their next two games come on the 11-day Wednesday slate. He should be one of the top options for teams who have to deal with overload on that day. Over his big three-game stretch, the Canadian managed 14.7 PPG on 68.0 FG%, 1.7 3PG, 4.0 RPG, 7.3 APG, and 2.3 SPG in 30.4 MPG.
Aaron Nesmith (Pick Up in 16+ team leagues): Nesmith is worth keeping an eye on in 12-team and 14-team leagues and should be added in 16-team leagues. If he starts eating into Bennedict Mathurin’s minutes, he could become a decent source of points, threes, and steals. He did have some extended stretches last season where he was posting top-100 numbers thanks to his contributions in those three categories. Last season, in just 27.7 MPG, the Pacer averaged 12.2 PPG on 49.6 FG%, 1.9 3PG, 3.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, and 0.9 SPG.
Lauri Markkanen (Sell): You should have traded him a month ago, but if you still haven’t made that move, try to make it now. If you can get someone who is more than a streamer, take it. Markkanen probably won’t play more than a dozen more games this year and he may not even hit that mark. The Jazz start a stretch of six games in nine nights on Wednesday and Ainge and co. will use that busy stretch as an excuse to sit their star. Swapping Markkanen for a borderline top-100 won’t be much of a per-game hit. He’s coasting through games these days. Over his last 10 appearances, he’s produced just 18.7 PPG on 41.0 FG% and 71.4 FT%, 3.5 3PG, 5.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 0.8 BPG in 31.4 MPG. Those are just top-120 numbers.
Jordan Clarkson: The big minutes were due to Sexton leaving early with an ankle sprain. He’ll likely miss time which will lead to George moving back into the starting lineup and Clarkson’s minutes jumping. While the injury is a good development for Clarkson’s fantasy value, I would not be in a rush to add him. He’s unlikely to play during back-to-back sets (the Jazz have two over the next nine days) and is a long shot to be valuable in March. He’s more of a one-game streamer in 12-team leagues and not someone to add until the night’s final injury report has been submitted.
Warriors 104 Magic 99
Brandin Podziemski (Pick Up): Podziemski is playing extremely well and is fine to add, but as long as the minutes remain low, it’s hard to call him a must-grab. He’s been a top-60 player over the last two weeks, but he’s only played 23.2 MPG over that span. We can’t bank on his recent elite per-minute production holding up. Podziemski wasn’t an especially strong per-minute producer in his rookie year or during the first half of the season. In 14+ team leagues, he needs to be added due to the Warriors’ upcoming schedule. On Wednesday, the Warriors begin a stretch of six games in nine nights.
Draymond Green (Pick Up): Green is not a high-upside option at this point in his career, but he does produce a very unique line that makes him a must-roster in 12-team leagues. His scoring ability has completely disappeared, but he can still bring the heat in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Those are four categories that are rarely found together. In just 27.8 MPG, Green is producing 8.3 PPG on 41.6 FG%, 1.3 3PG, 6.1 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. In points leagues, he’s a low-end option in 12-team setups and a streamer in 10-team leagues.
Goga Bitadze (Hold): Things aren’t looking great, but I would hold for now. We could get some rotation changes in Orlando soon with the team looking like the worst team in basketball. Orlando has now lost nine of their last ten and haven’t looked competitive against some of the league’s bottom-feeders. The dip in minutes isn’t too surprising, as Mosley has preferred WCJ beside Paolo in the past. Fortunately for Goga managers, the center doesn’t need a major bump in minutes to get back inside the top 100. If he can get to even 23 MPG, he will be a no-doubter 12-team asset.
Cole Anthony: Back-t0-back 20+ point games for Anthony. He’s fine to stream in deep leagues, but in standard leagues, I would be very careful with him. His role could disappear quickly with Jalen Suggs on the verge of a return. The last time Suggs was healthy, Anthony was just a bit player in the Magic’s rotation. I would expect him to be a little more than that going forward. Orlando’s offense is horrendous and pulling one of the few players in their rotation capable of creating for himself and others doesn’t make much sense.
Blazers 121 Suns 119 (OT)
Scoot Henderson (Hold): The minutes will be all over the place for the next few weeks. That will be annoying, but unless you are in big trouble, you should hold. Henderson continues to play very well and is likely to step into a 33+ MPG late. In a role of that size, his ranking may not look great, but he will be a difference-maker in playoff matchups where points and assists are swing categories. As a starter this year, Scoot has averaged 17.5 PPG on 48.0 FG%, 2.5 3PG, 3.5 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 3.6 TOPG. In points leagues, he should be viewed as untouchable. He could be a top-eight player on your roster in that setting in March.
Toumani Camara (Pick Up): Camara should be viewed as a must-roster in all category leagues and should not be dropped at the deadline unless he is somehow your worst player (in 12-team leagues that is unlikely) and a top-75 player pops up. The Blazer has been a top-75 over the last month and has been trending upwards. Over his last seven, he’s produced top-40 numbers in a whopping 37.1 MPG. Over those seven games, he’s put up 14.4 PPG on an unsustainable 64.4 FG%, 2.0 3PG, 7.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, and 0.7 BPG. In points leagues, he is a 12-team add and a borderline 10-team option.
Royce O’Neale (Pick Up in 14+ team leagues): O’Neale is a must-roster in 14-team leagues and is worth considering in 12-team leagues as well. His current role is a little unpredictable, and we don’t know what the Suns’ roster is going to look like after the deadline, but there is some upside here. O’Neale has now hit the 30-minute mark in two of his last four games. If he can start flirting with the 30-minute mark consistently, he’ll be at least a top-100 player in friendly builds. He’s neeeded just 25.2 MPG to put up top-125 numbers this year. The Suns’ upcoming schedule adds to his appeal. Phoenix starts a stretch of three games in four nights on Wednesday.
Nick Richards: Richards is fine to have in 12-team leagues, but I wouldn’t consider him a must-hold if he’s your worst or second-worst player and a couple of interesting pickups pop up at the deadline. He’s useful on teams that need a rebounds boost, but on teams that are already set in the category or are rarely competitive in the category, turning his spot into a streaming spot will up your championship odds. Since joining the Suns, Richards has averaged 9.2 PPG on 55.2 FG%, 10.4 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.2 SPG, and 0.9 BPG.