Fantasy Basketball: Fringe Report – Jahlil Okafor

A busy Wednesday across the league with 20 teams in action, highlighted by the unfortunate knee injury to Victor Oladipo. The only real fringe player who could benefit is Cory Joseph who played 32 minutes in the victory over the Toronto Raptors. Jahlil Okafor continues to feast with the absence of Anthony Davis and should be a player to add, at least for the rest of the week. I will run down all 10 games, focusing on the borderline players rostered in less than 50 percent of standard leagues.

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Fantasy Basketball Fringe

Players to add

Ante Zizic
Tyler Johnson
Kenneth Faried
T.J. McConnell
DeAndre Bembry
Jahlil Okafor

Players to stream

Delon Wright
Norman Powell
Ed Davis
Avery Bradley
Gerald Green
Allonzo Trier
Landry Shamet
Bryn Forbes
Patty Mills
Marco Belinelli
Alex Len
Jeremy Lin
Willy Hernangomez
Bismack Biyombo
Reggie Bullock
Kyle Korver

Indiana Pacers def. Toronto Raptors 110-106

Pacers

Cory Joseph (20%) – Watch: Victor Oladipo suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury Wednesday which could see Joseph move into a bigger role. Tyreke Evans is the obvious pickup but Joseph played 32 minutes in the victory and while his ceiling isn’t the highest, he is worth keeping an eye on as a source of assists and steals.
Kyle O’Quinn (12%) – Drop
Doug McDermott (10%) – Drop
TJ Leaf (6%) – Drop

Raptors

Delon Wright (18%) – Stream: Wright was a letdown Wednesday but had been playing well prior to this dud. Kawhi Leonard should return for the next game which will likely impact Wright’s playing time. Owners could give him another look but picking up a hot free agent wouldn’t be the worst decision.
Greg Monroe (14%) – Drop
Norman Powell (12%) – Stream: Powell had 12 points in 20 minutes Wednesday but is expected to take a hit when Kawhi Leonard returns Friday. Much like Delon Wright, he is worth another look if you need points and steals but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t produce as he has been.
C.J. Miles (9%) – Drop

Boston Celtics def. Cleveland Cavaliers 125-103

Celtics

Robert Williams (16%) – Drop
Aron Baynes (13%) – Drop: Baynes started for Al Horford who was resting but failed to deliver any real value. He can be left on the waivers in all standard formats.
Daniel Theis (11%) – Drop

Cavaliers

Alec Burks (38%) – Drop: Burks had a solid game Wednesday but had been struggling over the past week. The return of Rodney Hood has impacted Burks and owners would want to see more of this before considering him a must-roster player.
Ante Zizic (34%) – Add: Zizic continues to be one of the hottest pickups right now, finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds in 33 minutes. He has scored in double-digits in seven of his past eight games while contributing solid rebounding numbers. He is efficient from the field as well as the free-throw line and should be picked up if you need a big man.
Cameron Payne (13%) – Watch
Matthew Dellavedova (6%) – Drop

Brooklyn Nets def. Orlando Magic 114-110

Nets

Ed Davis (24%) – Stream: Despite just five rebounds Wednesday, Davis is averaging 9.3 boards across his last 10 games.
Rodions Kurucs (23%) – Watch: Kurucs continues to see decent minutes but his limited ceiling prevents him from being a player worth adding in most 12-team leagues.
Shabazz Napier (16%) – Drop
Treveon Graham (5%) – Drop

Magic

Jonathon Simmons (19%) – Drop: Simmons finished with 13 points Wednesday but is still far from a must-roster player and can be ignored in standard formats.
Isaiah Briscoe (7%) – Drop

Los Angeles Clippers def. Miami Heat 111-99

Clippers

Avery Bradley (34%) – Stream: Bradley continues to look better, dropping at least 12 points for the fourth time in his past five games. He can help out with points, threes, and assists but stream him in only if there is nothing else even remotely tempting on the waivers.
Marcin Gortat (30%) – Drop: A solid game from Gortat should not get owners too excited and he can be safely left on the waivers.
Boban Marjanovic (15%) – Drop

Heat

James Johnson (42%) – Drop
Rodney McGruder (32%) – Drop
Tyler Johnson (29%) – Add: Johnson moved into the starting lineup Wednesday, replacing Rodney McGruder who wasn’t even in the rotation. Johnson has been playing well of late and if this move sticks, he is worth adding if you need guard numbers.
Dion Waiters (22%) – Drop: Waiters scored just nine points Wednesday after back-to-back games of at least 18 points. His value is completely reliant on his ability to score, making him a risky option in most leagues.
Derrick Jones Jr. (20%) – Watch

Houston Rockets def. New York Knicks 114-110

Rockets

Kenneth Faried (42%) – Add: Faried played 26 minutes in his second game for the Rockets, finishing with 11 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. He is a nice fit for the Rockets and as long as Clint Capela is out, Faried is going to be worth rostering in most 12-team leagues.
Austin Rivers (35%) – Drop
Gerald Green (19%) – Stream: Green struggled Wednesday but remains a solid source of three-pointers. He could still be streamed in if you need perimeter scoring but be advised that Chris Paul is nearing a return which will likely hurt Green’s overall value.
James Ennis (14%) – Drop

Knicks

Mario Hezonja (49%) – Drop
Frank Ntilikina (36%) – Drop
Trey Burke (33%) – Drop
Allonzo Trier (24%) – Stream: Trier went off for a career-high 31 points Wednesday, his third straight game in double-digits. The rotations in New York are basically a joke and so rostering him is going to be tough. Stream him in by all means but just don’t be surprised if he plays 15 minutes in the next game.
Damyean Dotson (19%) – Watch: Dotson has been decent over the past two weeks but his minutes and associated production remain somewhat inconsistent.

Philadelphia 76ers def. San Antonio Spurs 122-120

76ers

T.J. McConnell (20%) – Add: McConnell continues to fly under the radar as a serviceable standard-league option. He is the 90^th ranked player over the past two weeks in just 23 minutes per game. McConnell is certainly worth adding if you need assists and steals as well as high efficiency from the point guard position.
Wilson Chandler (18%) – Drop
Landry Shamet (16%) – Stream: Shamet has hit 13 triples across his last five games but provides basically nothing else. Stream him in if you need perimeter scoring but don’t expect him to provide a long-term solution.
Mike Muscala (14%) – Drop
Jonah Bolden (10%) – Drop: Bolden is far from being a standard league option but has been trending in the right direction. He is a regular part of the rotation but would still need an injury to Joel Embiid to have a shot at moving into 12-team consideration.

Spurs

Bryn Forbes (41%) – Stream: Forbes continues to be one of the more consistent three-point shooters readily available in many formats. His playing time is secure, making him a fine three-point specialist with plenty of opportunities.
Pau Gasol (37%) – Drop
Jakob Poeltl (35%) – Drop
Patty Mills (26%) – Stream: Mills put up his highest points total since late November, producing 17 points including three triples. The Spurs have a number of guys who can get hot from the perimeter on any given night which does make owing them quite difficult. However, they can all be streamed in with owners simply needing to hope that have grabbed them on the right night.
Marco Belinelli (27%) – Stream: Much like Patty Mills and Bryn Forbes, Belinelli is a three-point specialist who will likely move in and out of lineups for the rest of the season.

Atlanta Hawks def. Chicago Bulls 121-101

Hawks

DeAndre Bembry (46%) – Add: Bembry was disappointing Wednesday, ending with just two points in 28 minutes. The playing time was still there and he had been putting up solid numbers over the month of January. He is still worth grabbing if you need a player who can contribute across the board. There have been occasional trade rumors surrounding Taurean Prince and if anything comes of those, Bembry could find himself in a larger role moving forward.
Alex Len (45%) – Stream: Len put up 14 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday’s victory, yet another strong performance. Keep in mind this came against arguably the worst team in the league and owners should view him as more of a streaming option with both Dewayne Dedmon and John Collins healthy.
Jeremy Lin (45%) – Stream: Lin finished with 15 points for the second straight game and appears to be rounding back into form after returning from a one-game absence due to injury. He is locked in as the backup point guard but his ability to have value in limited playing time mean he can still be streamed in at a pinch.
Omari Spellman (17%) – Drop

Bulls

Chandler Hutchison (16%) – Drop
Ryan Arcidiacono (14%) – Drop
Shaquille Harrison (13%) – Watch
Robin Lopez (13%) – Drop: Despite moving into the starting lineup, Lopez is struggling to play more than 20 minutes on a nightly basis and can be left for deeper formats.
Wayne Selden Jr. (9%) – Drop
Antonio Blakeney (9%) – Drop: Blakeney finished with 12 points for the second straight game but is about as one-dimensional as players come and can be ignored in most formats.

Charlotte Hornets def. Memphis Grizzlies 118-107

Hornets

Malik Monk (47%) – Drop
Willy Hernangomez (34%) – Stream: Hernangomez and Bismack Biyombo continue to basically cancel each other out in terms of fantasy value. Both are legitimate streaming options if you can pick the right night to grab them.
Miles Bridges (33%) – Drop
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (21%) – Drop
Bismack Biyombo (17%) – Stream: Much like Willy Hernangomez, Biyombo is fine to stream in assuming you select the right night to do so.
Tony Parker (15%) – Watch: Parker continues to flash vintage form albeit with limited consistency. If you are desperate for points and assists, Parker could be a last resort type of player.

Grizzlies

Garrett Temple (26%) – Drop
Shelvin Mack (18%) – Drop
Jevon Carter (9%) – Drop

Detroit Pistons def. New Orleans Pelicans 98-94

Pistons

Reggie Bullock (45%) – Stream: Bullock finished with just five points, his lowest points total in almost a month. Prior to this game, he had hit multiple three’s in 14 consecutive games, leaving him a long-term streaming option.
Luke Kennard (26%) – Watch: Kennard had been playing well up until his last two games and is still worth keeping an eye on in case he can get things going again.
Stanley Johnson (23%) – Drop
Bruce Brown (11%) – Drop
Langston Galloway (10%) – Drop
Zaza Pachulia (8%) – Drop: Pachulia started again Wednesday, finishing with eight points and ten rebounds. Andre Drummond was close to returning for this one and there is a strong possibility he is back in the lineup for Saturday’s game against Dallas. As soon as Drummond does return, Pachulia will lose all his recent value.
Jon Leuer (3%) – Drop

Pelicans

E’Twaun Moore (46%) – Drop
Jahlil Okafor (17%) – Add: Okafor had his second straight double-double Wednesday, also adding a season-high six blocks. Anthony Davis is going to miss the rest of the week which means Okafor will likely remain in the starting lineup and should be rostered in most formats while the playing time is there.
Frank Jackson (11%) – Drop
Tim Frazier (11%) – Drop
Darius Miller (10%) – Drop

Utah Jazz def. Denver Nuggets 114-108

Jazz

Kyle Korver (18%) – Stream
Royce O’Neale (17%) – Watch: O’Neale had been playing well over the past few games but that production came with Ricky Rubio missing. Rubio is now back in the starting lineup and O’Neale is likely to start trending the other way. Owners could still keep watch, however, as he has been stealing the ball well of late and can provide out of position rebounds.

Nuggets

Mason Plumlee (36%) – Drop
Monte Morris (30%) – Drop: With the Nuggets almost back to full health, Morris is going to find It hard to hold any consistent value moving forward.
Malik Beasley (30%) – Drop
Trey Lyles (27%) – Watch: Lyles has had three productive games in a row, however, we will need to see him continue to produce as the starters work their way back to regular playing time.
Juancho Hernengomez (22%) – Drop
Torrey Craig (11%) – Drop: Will Barton returned Saturday which limited Craig to just 24 minutes. As Barton works his way back to full health, Craig will likely start to trend down and can be left on the waivers at this stage.

Got a question about today’s fantasy basketball fringe report? Hit Adam up on twitter @adamking91 or give a shout out to @Fantrax

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