Another big night in the NBA coming up, with 11 games scheduled. It has certainly reached the pointy end of the fantasy basketball season as owners look to sure up their playoff positions. There are plenty of injuries to be aware of, many of which could open up playing time for a number of fringe players. As well as the potential streaming options, there are a few players carving out a role for themselves, including Robin Lopez who is playing at an efficient level right now. As strange as it is to say, Lopez should be considered a must-roster player in many 12-team formats.
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Fantasy Basketball Daily Forecaster
Key Injuries
- Avery Bradley – Grizzlies (ankle – probable)
- Darius Miller – Pelicans (ankle – probable)
- Derrick Jones Jr. – Heat (illness – probable)
- Domantas Sabonis – Pacers (ankle – out)
- Evan Turner – Heat (knee – out)
- George Hill – Bucks (groin – out)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – Bucks (knee – probable)
- Ivan Rabb – Grizzlies (heel – doubtful)
- James Johnson – Heat (shoulder – questionable)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. – Grizzlies (thigh – out)
- Jeff Teague – Timberwolves (knee – questionable)
- Justise Winslow – Heat (knee – probable)
- Kris Dunn – Bulls (migraine – questionable)
- Marvin Williams – Hornets (toe – doubtful)
- Otto Porter – Bulls (leg – questionable)
- Robert Covington – Timberwolves (ankle – out)
- Rodney McGruder – Heat (knee – questionable)
- Spencer Dinwiddie – Nets (thumb – out)
- Tyreke Evans – Pacers (illness – questionable)
Potential Pickups
- Delon Wright – Grizzlies
- Dion Waiters – Heat
- Dorian Finney-Smith – Mavericks
- Dwight Powell – Mavericks
- Kenrich Williams – Pelicans
- Kevin Huerter – Hawks
- Luke Kennard – Pistons
- Robin Lopez – Bulls
- Thomas Bryant – Wizards
- Tyus Jones – Timberwolves
Potential Streamers
- Allen Crabbe – Nets (three-pointers)
- Cheick Diallo – Pelicans (rebounds, FG%)
- Ed Davis – Nets (rebounds)
- Gerald Green – Rockets (three-pointers)
- Ivica Zubac – Clippers (rebounds)
- JaMychal Green – Clippers (points, rebounds)
- Joakim Noah – Grizzlies (Rabb injury)
- Josh Okogie – Timberwolves (steals)
- Kyle O’Quinn – Pacers (Sabonis injury)
- Landry Shamet – Clippers (three-pointers)
- Marco Belinelli – Spurs (three-pointers)
- Patty Mills – Spurs (three-pointers, assists)
- Reggie Bullock – Lakers (three-pointers)
- Timonthe Luwawu-Cabarrot – Bulls (Dunn injury)
- Wayne Ellington – Piston (three-pointers)
Matchups for Wednesday, Feb. 27
Rockets @ Hornets
The Rockets are finally healthy but continue to run out interesting combinations. Kenneth Faried started the previous game alongside Clint Capela, a pairing that seemed highly unlikely only a few weeks ago. Faried was likely dropped in a number of leagues but remains worth a look if you have a spare roster spot.
Marvin Williams is doubtful with a toe injury, however, there is no real winner when it comes to fantasy value. The Hornets could cover his absence with a number of stop-gap solutions making value hard to predict.
Timberwolves @ Hawks
Jeff Teague continues to battle ongoing injuries and is questionable heading into Wednesday’s game. Tyus Jones was impressive in a spot start in the previous game and is worth a speculative pickup, even if Teague down take the floor. Jones can provide assists and steals in limited minutes, two stats that are certainly hard to come by.
Kevin Huerter returned in the Hawks previous game and while he was disappointing, he will likely trend up as his playing time increases. His fantasy ceiling is not the highest but the Hawks like him and he should be able to flirt with standard league value moving forward.
Wizards @ Nets
Bobby Portis moved into the starting lineup for the previous game, shifting Thomas Bryant back to the bench. Bryant was excellent in his 31 minutes, finishing with 23 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals. Obviously, these numbers are unlikely to stick but perhaps a move into the second unit is enough to rejuvenate his season.
The Nets have settled into a nice rhythm as they begin to get their injured players back. Ed Davis remains a solid source of rebounds off the bench, almost guaranteeing double-digit boards every night. As the fantasy playoffs approach, Davis could be a sneaky stream if you need rebounds in a hurry.
Warriors @ Heat
Once again, nothing to see in terms of the Warriors fantasy value. DeMarcus Cousins played a season-high 32 minutes in his last game, taking basically all the value away from Kevon Looney.
The Heat are all over the place right now, with only a handful of players receiving consistent playing time. One of those is Dion Waiters who has played at least 30 minutes in seven straight games. He is hitting threes and scoring the ball well as well as chipping in with assists. He is rostered in only 63 percent of all leagues and so could be available if you need a player of his skillset.
Trail Blazers @ Celtics
Jake Layman had been a hot pickup only one week ago but has fallen off as of late. He delivers points, threes, and blocks, however, has come up short over the past two games. He should be monitored in case he gets going again but is hard to vouch for on such a high-volume day.
The Celtics are coming off a big loss to the Raptors and face a Trail Blazers team that is playing very well at the moment. The Celtics have lost three straight games and need this victory to steady the ship.
Bulls @ Grizzlies
The Bulls are much-improved over the past few games, thanks in large part to the impressive play of Robin Lopez. Lopez has turned back the clock over his past eight games, scoring in double digits every night, adding blocks and rebounds. As unbelievable as it may sound, Lopez is a must-roster player in standard formats right now, however, is only on 37 percent of teams.
Joakim Noah is another veteran playing well right now and needs to be on everyone’s radar. Ivan Rabb is doubtful to play Wednesday which would ensure Noah has a chance to put up big numbers once again. The value may not stick for the rest of the season but owners should pick him up to see what happens.
Pistons @ Spurs
The Pistons are another team in the East playing very well over their past few games. They currently sit in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference and come up against a Spurs team that has lost seven of their past eight games. The fantasy value basically comes from about three players, however, Wayne Ellington has hit multiple three-pointers in four consecutive games, appearing to have the green light for his new team.
The Spurs are headed home after losing seven of eight games on the road, throwing a spanner into their playoff aspirations. Their regular big-names have been playing well, with the supporting cast struggling. Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli remain potential three-point streaming options, however, there might be more reliable candidates available in your league.
Pacers @ Mavericks
Domantas Sabonis rolled his ankle in the final seconds of the Pacers last game and could miss a few games. In his absence, Kyle O’Quinn will likely step into the backup role and has shown he can have value in only 20 minutes. O’Quinn had been starting during Myles Turner’s stint on the sidelines but was far from impactful. He is better suited to the second unit meaning he should be better as the backup.
Dwight Powell had a solid outing in his last game, playing 37 minutes as the starting center. He appears to have moved ahead of Maxi Kleber as the primary beneficiary after DeAndre Jordan was traded to the Knicks. Powell has scored in double-digits in three straight games could be in for a nice run to end the season.
Clippers @ Jazz
Montrezl Harrell has been dynamic over the past few games, limiting Ivica Zubac to about 20 minutes per game. Zubac has had at least seven rebounds in five of his past six games, making him a potential streaming option in certain formats.
Much like the Warriors, the Jazz have little value other than about six players. Jae Crowder has scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games, however, he is more of a fringe 12-team guy.
Bucks @ Kings
Giannis Antetokounmpo appears likely to return after missing the Bucks last game due to knee soreness. His return will likely end Ersan Ilyasova’s short stint as a fringe standard league player.
For the Kings, Marvin Bagley moved into the starting lineup, sending Bogdan Bogdanovic back to the bench. Bagley has been on a tear of late whilst Willie Cauley-Stein continues to struggle. There is potential for the Kings to shift Bagley over to the center position with Bogdanovic coming in as the starting small forward. This is all hypothetical at the moment but owners of Cauley-Stein should certainly temper any expectations they have.
Pelicans @ Lakers
Anthony Davis’ minutes’ restriction appears set to continue, much to the frustrations of his owners. Cheick Diallo had put together two strong performances prior to the game against the 76ers, making him a hot pickup. Despite the less than optimal showing in that one, he should still be given another game or two to see how things play out. He can provide points and rebounds as well as high efficiency and defensive stats. The return on investment is potentially very high if he can carve out a regular role.
The Lakers are a mess right now, with Reggis Bullock the only player worth looking at outside of their bigger names. Bullock has hit 13 three-pointers over his past four games, playing at least 30 minutes in all four. He does very little else but has a demonstrated ability to score from the perimeter making him one of the more reliable streaming options.
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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