16 teams will take to the court Tuesday, headlined by an Eastern Conference battle between the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers. Meanwhile, Cody Zeller appears as though he could make his return after missing 16 games with a hand injury. He does not have the highest upside but is worth rostering in most competitive leagues, especially with neither backup taking advantage of his absence. I will look ahead to all eight games, focusing on those fringe players who should be considered relevant, including Zeller who could be a solid addition moving forward.
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Fantasy Basketball Fringe
Players to add
- Cody Zeller
- Jerryd Bayless
- Tyler Johnson
Players to stream
- Malik Monk
- Ante Zizic
- Alec Burks
- Mario Hezonja
- Delon Wright
- T.J. McConnell
- Landry Shamet
- Nerlens Noel
- Terrance Ferguson
Los Angeles Clippers @ Charlotte Hornets
Clippers
- Avery Bradley (39%) – Watch: Bradley has been trending down over the past two games and with Danilo Gallinari, a chance of returning, is a tough player to hold onto.
- Marcin Gortat (30%) – Drop
- Boban Marjanovic (16%) – Watch: Marjanovic was ahead of Marcin Gortat in the rotation Sunday but it remains to be seen whether this is a permanent move. If he can carve out a regular 18-minute role, Marjanovic is worth a look if you need points, boards, and high efficiency.
Hornets
- Malik Monk (47%) – Stream: Monk has increased his offensive production over the past four games, scoring at least 14 points in each outing. He offers very little outside of points and threes but appears to be a nice streaming option if that suits your needs.
- Cody Zeller (36%) – Add: Zeller appears to be on the cusp of a return and has been ruled as probable for Tuesday. Prior to going down, Zeller had been a top-100 player across the season. Willy Hernangomez and Bismack Biyombo did very little with their time in the starting lineup meaning Zeller should be able to work his way back to playing time in the high-twenties rather quickly.
- Miles Bridges (33%) – Drop
- Willy Hernangomez (31%) – Drop
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (21%) – Drop
- Bismack Biyombo (16%) – Drop
- Tony Parker (15%) – Drop
Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Celtics
- Aron Baynes (13%) – Drop
- Daniel Theis (10%) – Drop
Cavaliers
- Ante Zizic (48%) – Stream: Zizic has seen his minutes fall over the past two games and with Kevin Love nearing a return, he could continue to trend down. As of right now, however, he is still worth a look as a streaming option if you need points and boards.
- Alec Burks (37%) – Stream: Rodney Hood was traded to the Trail Blazers only two days ago which could result in a slightly increased role for Burks. He has shown himself to be a decent scorer during his time with the Cavaliers but can also chip in a few assists, somewhat increasing his overall value.
- David Nwaba (10%) – Watch: Nwaba returned to action Saturday, scoring 12 points in 15 minutes. He certainly has an interesting skill set and could be in line for additional playing time with the Cavaliers likely to see what they have in their younger players. Until his role becomes clearer, he is simply a player to monitor.
- Matthew Dellavedova (7%) – Drop
Los Angeles Lakers @ Indiana Pacers
Lakers
- Lance Stephenson (19%) – Drop: Despite two decent performances over his last two games, Stephenson is too inconsistent to put any faith in. Trade rumors continue to fly, centering around the Lakers acquiring Anthony Davis from the Pelicans, making it hard to get a read on any of their players right now. Chances are there is a safer option available, and Stephenson can be left for someone else to deal with.
- Michael Beasley (12%) – Drop
Pacers
- Cory Joseph (29%) – Watch: Joseph remained in the starting lineup Tuesday, playing 13 more minutes than Tyreke Evans. His value to the team is far better from a reality perspective and aside from his steals and assist numbers, he has next to no value in standard formats.
- Aaron Holiday (19%) – Watch
- Kyle O’Quinn (11%) – Drop
- Doug McDermott (10%) – Drop
- TJ Leaf (6%) – Drop
Detroit Pistons @ New York Knicks
Pistons
- Reggie Bullock (37%) – Watch: Bullock has drilled a combined eight triples over his past two games and could be getting hot again. There are plenty of three-point streaming options available in competitive leagues making Bullock’s appeal quite limited.
- Luke Kennard (24%) – Watch: Kennard continues to frustrate with inconsistent performances. He compiled 14 points in 24 minutes Monday but had scored just five points across his previous two games. The potential is there for Kennard but he is too risky to warrant a regular roster spot in any competitive league.
- Stanley Johnson (22%) – Drop: Johnson ended Monday’s game with 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 25 minutes. Garbage time was a factor here and based on his past two weeks, we would need to see this again before having any trust.
- Ish Smith (17%) – Drop
- Bruce Brown (11%) – Drop
- Langston Galloway (10%) – Drop
- Zaza Pachulia (8%) – Drop
Knicks
- Mario Hezonja (48%) – Stream: Hezonja has now figured as a substantial part of the rotation for five consecutive games. As long as that sticks, he is worth picking up to see if he can continue producing. The long-term value still remains questionable but he could be a nice addition for this week.
- Allonzo Trier (40%) – Drop: Trier played just 15 minutes Sunday, ending with three points. For those that are still holding onto him, it is safe to part ways and move on to a more reliable option.
- Frank Ntilikina (35%) – Drop
- Damyean Dotson (23%) – Watch: Dotson’s minutes were back down Sunday with Dennis Smith Jr. and Wes Matthews making their Knicks debut. Matthews is still a real chance to be moved before Thursday and owners should keep an eye on how things play out over the next few days.
- Luke Kornet (22%) – Watch: DeAndre Jordan made his Knicks debut Sunday, sending Kornet back to the bench. There are a number of questions to be answered over the next week and owners should sit tight until the future of Jordan is decided. Mitchell Robinson was also out for Sunday’s game but will likely return Tuesday. This only complicates matters further.
Toronto Raptors @ Philadelphia 76ers
Raptors
- OG Anunoby (30%) – Drop
- Delon Wright (18%) – Stream: Wright was productive Sunday, totaling 14 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Kyle Lowry appears as though he is going to miss at least one more game which should afford Wright extra run. There is a risk with streaming him in, however, that is typically the case with streaming any player.
- Greg Monroe (13%) – Drop
- Norman Powell (12%) – Watch: Powell is another player who could benefit from the absence of Kyle Lowry although Delon Wright is probably the player to target given his playmaking abilities.
- C.J. Miles (8%) – Drop
76ers
- T.J. McConnell (22%) – Stream: McConnell’s offensive abilities are certainly not his strongest asset, however, he continues to produce both assists and steals and is worth considering given they are two of the harder to find categories.
- Wilson Chandler (19%) – Drop
- Landry Shamet (17%) – Stream
- Mike Muscala (14%) – Drop
- Jonah Bolden (11%) – Watch: Bolden brings the defense on a nightly basis but would need to find his way to more playing time before being considered viable in a competitive league.
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Memphis Grizzlies
Timberwolves
- Jerryd Bayless (24%) – Add: Derrick Rose returned to action Saturday, however, Bayless remained in the starting lineup. He finished with 15 points and 10 assists and is clearly a must-roster player right now.
- Josh Okogie (20%) – Watch
- Gorgui Dieng (15%) – Drop
- Luol Deng (3%) – Drop
Grizzlies
- Garrett Temple (24%) – Drop
- Shelvin Mack (20%) – Drop
- Bruno Caboclo (12%) – Drop: Coboclo started his first game Sunday but was disappointing across the board. Garrett Temple could return Tuesday which would likely send Coboclo back to the bench.
- Joakim Noah (12%) – Drop
- Jevon Carter (10%) – Watch
- Ivan Rabb (10%) – Watch: Rabb played just 14 minutes Sunday, after a couple of strong performances prior. He is a player to watch as the trade deadline approaches in the instance Marc Gasol is moved on.
Orlando Magic @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Magic
- Jonathon Simmons (19%) – Drop
- Jerian Grant (17%) – Drop
- Wes Iwundu (5%) – Drop
Thunder
- Nerlens Noel (36%) – Stream: Noel has blocked 12 shots in his last four games but should only be viewed as a defensive specialist if you don’t need any other stats.
- Terrance Ferguson (18%) – Stream: Ferguson played 34 minutes Sunday, increasing his workload after missing one game due to injury. Ferguson is playing better than Dennis Schroder and the playing time appears to be locked in moving forward. He is worth considering if you need points and threes as well as decent steal numbers.
- Patrick Patterson (8%) – Drop
Miami Heat @ Portland Trail Blazers
Heat
- James Johnson (41%) – Drop
- Tyler Johnson (31%) – Add: Johnson has struggled over his past two games which has soured many opinions. He should be better than this moving forward and is a very backend pickup in standard formats.
- Dion Waiters (21%) – Drop
- Wayne Ellington (21%) – Drop: After a brief period of relevance, Ellington has basically moved back out of the rotation and can be dropped everywhere.
Trail Blazers
- Zach Collins (29%) – Drop: Collins was decent in his last outing but was playing without Jusuf Nurkic. With Nurkic slated to return Tuesday, Collins will likely shift back to a 15-minute role.
- Evan Turner (26%) – Drop
- Moe Harkless (24%) – Watch: Harkless continues to tease standard league value, especially on the defensive end. His playing time has fluctuated over the past week making him a tough player to pick up outside of deeper formats.
- Seth Curry (15%) – Drop: The addition of Rodney Hood could impact Curry and until the rotations are figured out, he is going to be more of a deep league option only.
- Jake Layman (14%) – Watch: Layman continues to flirt with standard league relevance as a points and threes streamer. His ability to score in bunches while providing blocks and boards make him an intriguing prospect should he carve out a substantial role.
- Meyers Leonard (9%) – Drop: Leonard impressed in his previous matchup but Jusuf Nurkic sounds as though he could return Tuesday. This move would likely prevent Leonard from having any lasting value.
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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