A busy Monday brings with it nine games across the NBA, including a number of players still trying to acclimate themselves into their new teams’ structures. The Miami Heat will face the Denver Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back, buoyed by their impressive efforts against the Golden State Warriors. Dion Waiters has put together two strong performances after the Heat traded away Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington. He played 41 minutes Sunday and could prove a handy pickup if you need points and threes. I will look ahead, covering all 18 teams while focusing on a number of players worth considering in competitive leagues.
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Fantasy Basketball Fringe
Players to add
- Mario Hezonja
- Cody Zeller
- Dion Waiters
Players to stream
Luke Kennard
- Wesley Matthews
- Ed Davis
- Wayne Selden Jr.
- Dwight Powell
- Maxi Kleber
- Dorian Finney-Smith
- Landry Shamet
- Jake Layman
- Terrance Ferguson
- Mason Plumlee
New York Knicks @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Knicks
- Mario Hezonja (47%) – Add: It could be time to consider Hezonja a pickup in standard leagues. There is certainly risk involved but as long as he is starting, the upside is there. Owners should give him a look if you have a spot to fill.
- Allonzo Trier (32%) – Drop
- Damyean Dotson (21%) – Drop
- Luke Kornet (19%) – Drop
Cavaliers
- Ante Zizic (41%) – Drop
- Marquese Chriss (17%) – Watch: Chriss appears to have landed in a favorable role in Cleveland, however, that could be shortlived as Kevin Love works his way back. For now, Chriss should be monitored in 12-team leagues in case he can carve out a sizeable enough role.
- Brandon Knight (13%) – Drop
- David Nwaba (12%) – Watch: Nwaba was disappointing in his last game, after a solid effort prior. The minutes in Cleveland are going to be tough to predict with the hot-hand typically getting the run. Nwaba can have back-end value on nights he is firing but could then come back with a dud.
- Matthew Dellavedova (7%) – Drop
Washington Wizards @ Detroit Pistons
Wizards
- Sam Dekker (9%) – Drop
- Jordan McRae (8%) – Drop
- Ian Mahinmi (5%) – Drop
- Chasson Randle (5%) – Watch: Randle is coming off a career-high 20 points against the Bulls, making him an intriguing player to watch. The Wizards need a backup point guard and Randle could be the man for the job. He will likely find it tough to have any sustained value in standard formats but could emerge as a deep league asset.
- Wesley Johnson (4%) – Drop
Pistons
- Luke Kennard (27%) – Stream: Kennard scored 12 points in 29 minutes Friday, a promising sign for those that have added him. The playing time is the only concern moving forward but if he is on the floor enough, the production should come. He is worth scooping up if you have a spare roster spot and you are able to show patience moving forward.
- Wayne Ellington (22%) – Watch: Ellington will basically come in and fill the spot left by Reggie Bullock, although he may not start. Even with ample playing time, Ellington is merely a three-point streamer and owners should not get too excited about his upside.
- Ish Smith (17%) – Drop
- Thon Maker (14%) – Drop
- Svi Mykhailiuk (13%) – Watch
- Bruce Brown (10%) – Drop
- Langston Galloway (10%) – Drop
Charlotte Hornets @ Indiana Pacers
Hornets
- Cody Zeller (46%) – Add: Zeller continues to trend upwards in both minutes and production. His upside is certainly far from spectacular but owners in competitive leagues could certainly do worse than Zeller when needing big man numbers.
- Miles Bridges (32%) – Drop
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (20%) – Drop: Kidd-Gilchrist shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the field Saturday, finishing the game with 11 points. He had scored just 10 points combined over his past three games and there is really nothing to see here.
- Tony Parker (14%) – Drop
- Bismack Biyombo (12%) – Drop
Pacers
- Wesley Matthews (46%) – Stream: Matthews will look to make his season debut for the Pacers on Monday after clearing waivers. His role is unclear but he could be looking at upwards of 30 minutes given the poor form shown by Tyreke Evans. At best, Matthews could prove to be a fringe standard league player, making a speculative stream well worthwhile.
- Cory Joseph (27%) – Watch: Joseph flirted with a triple-double Saturday but the arrival of Wesley Matthews figures to cut into his playing time. He has been solid over the past week and owners should still monitor the situation to see who is impacted the most by Matthews presence.
- Aaron Holiday (18%) – Watch
- Kyle O’Quinn (11%) – Drop
Brooklyn Nets @ Toronto Raptors
Nets
- DeMarre Carroll (47%) – Watch: Carroll is questionable heading into Monday’s game which makes him a tough player to roster ahead of time. The return of Caris LeVert will also likely have an impact on Carroll in the long term, impacting his value even further.
- Shabazz Napier (40%) – Watch: Napier failed to score in 12 minutes Friday, possibly bringing to an end his standard league run. Caris LeVert returned and looked fantastic in limited minutes, putting Napier’s role under serious pressure.
- Ed Davis (30%) – Stream: Davis has struggled over his previous three games but should be given one more look as a rebounds streamer if you have a roster spot to spare.
- Rodions Kurucs (20%) – Drop
- Theo Pinson (7%) – Drop
- Treveon Graham (6%) – Drop
Raptors
- OG Anunoby (30%) – Watch
- Norman Powell (12%) – Watch: Powell ended Saturday’s game with 14 points in 16 minutes, also connecting on three triples. His playing time did not increase despite Delon Wright being traded. His value moving forward is reliant on whether he can carve out a more sizeable role, something which at this stage, seems unlikely.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Chicago Bulls
Bucks
- George Hill (30%) – Drop
- Ersan Ilyasova (19%) – Drop
- D.J. Wilson (11%) – Drop
- Sterling Brown (10%) – Drop
- Pat Connaughton (7%) – Drop
Bulls
- Ryan Arcidiacono (14%) – Drop
- Robin Lopez (14%) – Watch: Lopez remains the starter for the Bulls and appears likely to stay there for the foreseeable future. He is basically there out of necessity and possesses very little upside. That being said, he can put up points and blocks in limited minutes and could potentially be streamed in across certain situations.
- Wayne Selden Jr. (13%) – Stream: Selden scored 17 points against the Wizards on Saturday, his second consecutive game with double-digits. Selden has the tools to flirt with standard league value and just needs to find consistency. The Bulls are far from loaded with talent and Selden should receive plenty of opportunities as long as he is contributing.
- Shaquille Harrison (13%) – Drop
- Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (5%) – Watch
Dallas Mavericks @ Houston Rockets
Mavericks
- Dwight Powell (42%) – Stream: The timeshare continues in Dallas, with Powell and Maxi Kleber basically seeing the same amount of court time Sunday. Both remain viable streaming options depending on your teams’ needs.
- Trey Burke (39%) – Watch
- Maxi Kleber (33%) – Stream: Kleber was solid without being amazing Sunday, continuing his flirtation with 12-team value. If you need threes and blocks, Kleber could be your man.
- Dirk Nowitzki (30%) – Drop
- Dorian Finney-Smith (23%) – Stream: While Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell continue to take playing time away from one another, Finney-Smith has been putting up sneaky value. He ended Sunday’s loss with 11 points, six rebounds, one assist, and one block in 35 minutes. His minutes appear more assured than both Kleber and Powell, making him an interesting pickup.
- Jalen Brunson (17%) – Watch
Rockets
- Austin Rivers (22%) – Drop
- Iman Shumpert (17%) – Watch: Shumpert played 24 minutes in his Rockets debut, however, he failed to impress from a fantasy standpoint. He is a steals and threes specialist which makes him a nice fit for the Rockets. Owners could watch how he goes over the next few games but it is likely he will be too inconsistent to have sustained value.
- Gerald Green (14%) – Drop
Los Angeles Clippers @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Clippers
- JaMychal Green (37%) – Watch: Green played just 15 minutes in his season debut for the Clippers and it appears as though he is not going to get the minutes he had been getting in Memphis.
- Garrett Temple (22%) – Drop
- Landry Shamet (18%) – Stream: Of all the new players to debut for their respective teams, Shamet was arguably the most impressive. He finished with 17 points in 27 minutes, including four triples. He doesn’t have the highest upside but the Clippers may want to see what they have with their young guards and Shamet certainly fits that bill. Give him a look if you need three-pointers and scoring.
- Wilson Chandler (17%) – Drop
Timberwolves
- Jerryd Bayless (32%) – Drop: Bayless is questionable heading into Monday, adding to the fact that Jeff Teague returned in the game prior. Teague himself is probably but this is likely just a case of the team being extra careful. Bayless had a nice run but that appears to have ended, barring another setback for Teague.
- Josh Okogie (19%) – Watch
- Gorgui Dieng (14%) – Drop
- Luol Deng (4%) – Drop
Portland Trail Blazers @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Trail Blazers
- Zach Collins (29%) – Drop
- Evan Turner (26%) – Drop
- Moe Harkless (23%) – Watch
- Jake Layman (21%) – Stream: Layman finished with just nine points Sunday, however, still saw upwards of 25 minutes court time. Layman has been a real find for the Trail Blazers this season and those of you in competitive leagues should consider streaming him in if you need points, threes, and rebounds.
- Seth Curry (15%) – Drop
- Meyers Leonard (9%) – Drop
Thunder
- Nerlens Noel (33%) – Drop: Noel has been a solid streaming option across the season but he is entering drop territory due to his lack of contributions across the board. He could still be thrown on the end of your bench if you need blocks and steals but he basically does nothing else outside of a few token rebounds.
- Terrance Ferguson (16%) – Stream: Ferguson scored 15 points Saturday, hitting three triples during his 35 minutes on the floor. Ferguson has been a permanent fixture in the starting lineup, primarily due to his ability to space the floor. He won’t do a lot outside of threes and scoring but if that suits your needs, give him a look.
- Patrick Patterson (8%) – Drop
Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets
Heat
- James Johnson (42%) – Watch
- Rodney McGruder (26%) – Watch
- Dion Waiters (22%) – Add: Waiters played a whopping 41 minutes Sunday, ending the game with 24 points including six triples. The Waiters of old was on show here, much to the delight of those that picked him up. It appears as though he is the big winner after Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington were traded. He typically doesn’t offer a lot outside of scoring and threes but can chip in with assists and steals, making him a reasonably strong add in competitive leagues.
Nuggets
- Mason Plumlee (43%) – Stream: Plumlee had another strong game Friday, continuing to fill in admirably for the injured Paul Millsap. Plumlee certainly has the ability to put up standard league numbers and has demonstrated that over the past three games. Millsap is questionable once again Monday making Plumlee a risky stream. That being said, Plumlee has looked better than Millsap of late, even when Millsap is healthy. The Nuggets could look to ease Millsap back into the rotation meaning Plumlee could have extended value.
- Trey Lyles (28%) – Drop: Lyles continues to shoot the ball well while contributing in other areas, albeit periodically. His playing time has increased with Paul Millsap out of the lineup and with Millsap questionable Monday, Lyles would certainly be a risky player to consider.
- Juancho Hernengomez (18%) – Drop
- Torrey Craig (12%) – Drop
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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