16 teams were in action on Wednesday with the undermanned Chicago Bulls upsetting the Miami Heat on the back of a strong performance by Wayne Selden Jr. He has moved into the starting lineup, replacing Chandler Hutchison who is out with a toe injury. Selden has had two strong performances over the past three games and is certainly worth a look in most competitive leagues as long as he is starting. I will cover all eight games, analyzing a number of fringe players including Selden, worthy of consideration as the all-star break approaches.
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Fantasy Basketball Fringe
Players to add
- Wayne Selden Jr.
- Tyler Johnson
- Trey Burke
- Jeff Green
- Jerryd Bayless
- DeAndre Bembry
Players to stream
- Malik Beasley
- Darius Miller
- Jeremy Lin
- Kyle Korver
Boston Celtics def. Charlotte Hornets 126-94
Celtics
- Aron Baynes (13%) – Drop
- Daniel Theis (10%) – Drop
Hornets
- Malik Monk (46%) – Watch: Monk scored in double-digits for the second straight game, ending with 16 points in 26 minutes. The scoring is nice but he does little else to help a fantasy squad leaving him on the outside looking in when it comes to 12-team leagues.
- Willy Hernangomez (32%) – Drop
- Miles Bridges (32%) – Drop
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (21%) – Drop
- Bismack Biyombo (18%) – Drop
- Tony Parker (15%) – Drop
Chicago Bulls def. Miami Heat 105-89
Bulls
- Chandler Hutchison (15%) – Drop
- Ryan Arcidiacono (14%) – Drop: Despite moving into the starting lineup Wednesday, Arcidiacono will likely head back to the bench upon Zach LaVine’s return which could be as soon as Sunday against the Hornets.
- Shaquille Harrison (13%) – Drop
- Robin Lopez (13%) – Drop
- Wayne Selden Jr. (12%) – Add: Selden dished out a career-high eight assists, adding a season-best 20 points including four triples. It appears as though he is going to get plenty of run in Chandler Hutchison’s absence, having played at least 28 minutes in his last three games. Owners could do a lot worse than picking him up now with the hope he can maintain this sort of production.
- Antonio Blakeney (9%) – Drop
Heat
- James Johnson (41%) – Watch
- Tyler Johnson (30%) – Add: Johnson was back for Wednesday’s game and despite coming off the bench, still managed a solid enough line. As long as he is seeing close to 30 minutes per night, he is a player to pick up in standard leagues if you need points and assists.
- Dion Waiters (21%) – Drop
- Wayne Ellington (20%) – Watch: Ellington remained in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s clash, totaling 13 points including three triples. He had been out of the rotation prior to the last game and it remains to be seen whether this move sticks. Owners should monitor the situation and if Ellington does remain active, he could move back into three-point streaming territory.
Dallas Mavericks def. New York Knicks 114-90
Mavericks
- Dirk Nowitzki (30%) – Drop: Nowitzki put on a step-back clinic Wednesday, dropping a season-high 14 points. He literally had no other stats and should not be on a roster anywhere.
- Dorian Finney-Smith (18%) – Watch
- Dwight Powell (20%) – Drop
- Maxi Kleber (17%) – Drop
- Devin Harris (6%) – Drop
Knicks
- Trey Burke (47%) – Add: Burke played a team-high 32 minutes Wednesday, finishing the game with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting. He is locked in as the starting point guard for at least the next week and is worth picking up in competitive leagues.
- Mario Hezonja (46%) – Watch: Hezonja played in excess of 25 minutes for the third straight game, compiling 13 points and a pair of steals. Owners should get ready to jump on him if this is a sign of things to come. A pre-emptive add is not the worst idea but keep in mind we have seen this already this season.
- Allonzo Trier (42%) – Watch: Trier played just 19 minutes, putting up 11 points and not much else. He has the ability to score the ball in bunches but if his playing time remains mired in the teens, his upside is going to be capped.
- Frank Ntilikina (35%) – Drop
- Damyean Dotson (19%) – Watch
Washington Wizards def. Indiana Pacers 107-89
Wizards
- Jeff Green (48%) – Add: Green scored 23 points in Wednesday’s victory, as he continues to deliver points and three-pointers. Otto Porter suffered a toe injury in this game and could miss time. If that is the case, Green should be able to maintain his current value making him a backend add in standard leagues.
- Sam Dekker (9%) – Drop
- Ian Mahinmi (5%) – Drop
- Chasson Randle (5%) – Drop: Randle has alternated good and bad performances over the past week but has flashed upside over that period. He is a deep league player at this stage and owners in competitive leagues should stay away.
- Jordan McRae (1%) – Drop: Much like Chasson Randle, McRae is seeing extra run right now and has scored in double-digits in two straight games. We would need to see this on more than two occasions to even consider him for 12-teams leagues.
Pacers
- Cory Joseph (30%) – Watch
- Aaron Holiday (19%) – Watch: Holiday played over 20 minutes for the second straight game Wednesday, scoring 10 points to go with three assists. The game in itself was a disaster for the Pacers and so reading too much into it could prove detrimental. With Victor Oladipo done for the season and Tyreke Evans set to miss at least one more game, Holiday is someone to watch but will likely find it difficult to have any real value no matter the playing time.
- Kyle O’Quinn (12%) – Drop
- Doug McDermott (10%) – Drop
- TJ Leaf (6%) – Drop
Minnesota Timberwolves def. Memphis Grizzlies 99-97
- Timberwolves
- Josh Okogie (20%) – Watch
- Gorgui Dieng (15%) – Drop
- Jerryd Bayless (15%) – Add: Bayless scored a team-high 19 points Wednesday, adding a career-high 12 assists and seven rebounds. He is balling out right now and his zero turnovers were just icing on the cake. Derrick Rose sounds as though he could return for the next game but there is a chance he remains in the starting lineup, along Rose to provide offense off the bench. As of right now, Bayless should be rostered in all standard leagues to see how things play out over the next few games.
- Luol Deng (3%) – Drop
Grizzlies
- Garrett Temple (24%) – Drop
- Shelvin Mack (17%) – Drop
- Jevon Carter (19%) – Drop
- Bruno Caboclo (9%) – Drop: Caboclo blocked four shots in Wednesday’s loss, playing 32 minutes in another decent performance. He is still not there as a standard league option but there is a chance he is moved up in the rotation as the season progresses.
- Joakim Noah (7%) – Drop
- Ivan Rabb (6%) – Drop: Rabb had his second double-double of the season Wednesday, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. He saw additional playing time with Jaren Jackson in foul trouble and JaMychal Green not at 100 percent. He is a far better option than Joakim Noah and perhaps he will move ahead of him in the rotation at some stage.
Denver Nuggets def. New Orleans Pelicans 105-99
Nuggets
- Mason Plumlee (40%) – Drop
- Monte Morris (31%) – Watch: Morris moved into the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game, finishing with 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Jamal Murray remains out with an ankle injury which could see Morris remain relevant in the short-term. If Murray misses another game, Morris could be worth considering if you need points and assists.
- Malik Beasley (27%) – Stream: Beasley continues to score the ball with regularity despite healthy bodies returning. He provides points and threes only but could be streamed in if they suit your needs right now.
- Trey Lyles (27%) – Drop
- Juancho Hernengomez (20%) – Drop
- Torrey Craig (12%) – Drop
Pelicans
- E’Twaun Moore (46%) – Drop
- Darius Miller (13%) – Stream: Miller has hit multiple threes in five straight games now and could provide your team with a boost in that category, should you need it. The Pelicans are basically running their second unit which means projecting the numbers is going to prove difficult. As long as he is playing decent minutes, he should be viewed as a viable streamer in competitive leagues.
- Frank Jackson (13%) – Watch
- Cheick Diallo (8%) – Drop
- Tim Frazier (8%) – Watch: Frazier handed out eight assists in Wednesday’s loss and as long as Elfrid Payton is sidelined, should be able to help in that category.
- Kenrich Williams (5%) – Watch: Williams continues to impress, setting career-high marks in scoring, assists, and blocks in Wednesday’s loss. He played a whopping 38 minutes and owners need to start paying attention. Of course, as soon as Nikola Mirotic, Julius Randle, and Anthony Davis return, he will lose all value. The future of all three of those players in unclear and if they are ruled out again Sunday, Williams could certainly be worth a speculative pickup.
Sacramento Kings def. Atlanta Hawks 135-113
Kings
- Harry Giles (30%) – Drop: Giles exploded for a career-high 20 points Wednesday, adding seven rebounds in 21 minutes. If he ever moves into a more consistent role, he would have to be rostered in a lot of leagues. Until that time, however, he is more of a deep league player.
- Justin Jackson (16%) – Drop
- Iman Shumpert (15%) – Drop
- Yogi Ferrell (12%) – Drop
Hawks
- Jeremy Lin (45%) – Stream: Lin was less impactful Wednesday but still ended with 11 points and five assists. Kent Bazemore made his return which could Impact Lin’s playing time somewhat, but Lin remains a serviceable streaming option if you need points and assists on the end of your bench.
- DeAndre Bembry (41%) – Add: Bembry scored 11 points in 20 minutes Wednesday, improving slightly on his past three performances. Kent Bazemore returned which is likely going to have an impact on Bembry meaning owners should closely monitor his playing time moving forward.
- Omari Spellman (17%) – Drop
Portland Trail Blazers def. Utah Jazz 132-105
Trail Blazers
- Zach Collins (29%) – Drop
- Evan Turner (26%) – Drop
- Moe Harkless (24%) – Watch: Harkless played just 21 minutes Wednesday but with the game basically in their control at half-time, playing was reduced across the board. Owners should monitor his progress as he continues to work his way back from a knee injury but keep in mind his upside is certainly not the highest.
- Seth Curry (15%) – Drop
- Jake Layman (13%) – Drop: Layman had 11 points in Wednesday’s blowout victory, as he continues to shoot the ball on most nights. Garbage time was a factor here as well as the fact Jusuf Nurkic was out. Despite nice scoring effort over the past few weeks, Layman is more of a deep league player at this stage.
- Meyers Leonard (9%) – Drop: Leonard moved into the starting lineup Wednesday, replacing Jusuf Nurkic who was out with a knee injury. He scored a season-high 16 points including four triples but it doesn’t sound as though Nurkic is going to miss extended time with his injury. His return to the lineup would likely send Leonard back to a 15-minute role which would negate any value he had after this performance.
Jazz
- Kyle Korver (18%) – Stream: Korver was disappointing Wednesday but the game was a blowout and many of the Jazz players were clearly off their game. Korver had been hitting his three-pointers prior to this game and remains a serviceable streaming option in most formats.
- Royce O’Neale (17%) – Watch
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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