Week 19 of the Fantasy Basketball season is approaching, and like every Monday, I’ll be breaking down a few players who are under 50% represented in the Sportzshala Fantasy Basketball Leagues. Remember, the fantasy trade deadline for most leagues ends this Thursday and the fantasy playoffs start as early as next week, so now is a good time to retool and reset.
But before we get into this week’s waiver collection, here are the games played by each team in week 19.
Fantasy Schedule
Four games: 18 teams (76ers, Bucks, Bulls, Celtics, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Hornets, Knicks, Lakers, Magic, Nets, Rockets, Spurs, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Warriors and Wizards)
Three games: 10 teams – Hawks, Jazz, Kings, Mavericks, Pacers, Pelicans, Pistons, Raptors, Suns and Timberwolves).
Two games: 2 teams (Cavaliers and Nuggets)
Okay, now that you know which commands to choose for streaming, let’s get to the pickups.
Priority addition in shallow leagues (10 teams or less)
Kyle Anderson – SF/PF, Minnesota Timberwolves (48% of members)
Anderson’s roster percentage is still too low considering he has been in the top 100 in nine leagues over the past month. He’s still putting up a solid 12.0 points on 6.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 52/33/81 shooting in his previous five games. Slo-Mo must be entered in all leagues if he continues to start instead Carl Anthony Towns.
Talen Horton-Tucker – SG/SF, Utah Jazz (33% members)
Mike Conley were sold and Colleen Sexton latest hamstring injury clears the way for THT this week. His assists have been great, with at least six in six of his last seven games, but he’s also filled the stats. He’s averaging 12.0 points on 6.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.5 steals, 2.0 blocks in 30.2 minutes over his previous three games, so make sure he’s not sitting on wire.
Kevin Love – PF/C, Miami Heat (44% members)
Love has fulfilled his desire for more playing time since being bought out by the Cavs, starting and playing 20+ minutes in each of his first two games with Miami. On Saturday, he made a double-double, finishing the game with 13 points and 13 rebounds, two assists and a block in 26 minutes of play. At the end of the season, you’ll find few starting players dropping out, so take advantage of his contributions in the following main categories: Points, Rebounds, Trips, and FT Percentage.
Malachi Branham – SG/SF, San Antonio Spurs (40% roster)
The rookie has been putting in some tough minutes lately, and Branham is capitalizing on the success of the Spurs tank. They are in the middle of a 16-game losing streak and that was critical to his late-season surge. He developed into the Spurs’ second leading scorer after the deadline with at least 22 points in 5 of his last 10 games and double figures in the previous 10 competitions.
He dabbles in rebounds and assists, but fantasy managers should expect him to help scoring in 9-cat leagues. The Spurs have a busy schedule with the Rockets twice, with the Jazz and Pacers in Week 19, so grab him if he’s available. All signs point to him also having stamina in the future.
Intermediate additions
Josh Richardson – SG/SF, New Orleans Pelicans (39% of members)
Pelicans coach Willie Green must really like JRich because the newly acquired combo guard started the last two nights for the Pelicans by sending Trey Murphy III to the bench, although he has started in 46 of 63 games so far. Richardson has been a perimeter thief, recording 14 interceptions and 3 blocks in just four games since joining his new team. He played 33 minutes in Saturday’s competition, and with Herb Jones struggles, Richardson’s role is safe, especially given Zion Williamson still on the mend.
And by the way, what’s my boyfriend rocking?
Richardson is ranked 48th per game over the past 14 days and by all indications, the move to a playoff contender has changed his game. I would pick him in all leagues as long as he plays great defensively and provides cross-category value in 9-cut formats.
Delon Wright – PG/SG, Washington Wizards (25% of participants)
Arguably one of the most underrated fantasy assets in the 9-cat format, Delon Wright is ranked 62nd in value per game this season due to his efficiency and ability to contribute across categories.
He’s only played 31 games this year, mostly 22 minutes a night off the bench, and yet he’s averaging two steals per competition, a substantial boost to his rankings. However, Monte Morris (back pain) missed Sunday’s game and Wright started in his place, scoring 14 points and 4 rebounds in 28 minutes.
Even if Morris returns during the Wizards’ four-game week, Wright is still the preferred fantasy option at point guard.
Drew Eubanks – PF/C, Portland Trail Blazers (15% of members)
It’s hard to recommend anyone at the Blazers when Damian Lillard locked in So, but Eubanks is a cheap source of rebounds and blocks. The Blazers are playing four games and so far Yusuf Nurkic left out with a calf strain, Eubanks will play for at least 20 minutes.
His schedule is also favorable, as he plays teams this season that allow centers to score over 53 fantasy points per game: the Warriors, Hawks, Magic and Pelicans.
Jaylene Williams – PF/C, Oklahoma City Thunder (12% of attendees)
Not to be confused with his teammate J-Dub (Jalen Williams), Jay Will has recently been fit in the 9-tier leagues, averaging 8.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.2 triples over his last four games. He showed his upside a few games ago with 16 boards, but he’ll likely only be useful in highly competitive leagues for fantasy managers who need rebounds and a couple of triples.
It is worth noting that Jay Will has started in four games in a row and in 7 of the last 10 games. His minutes have fluctuated a bit, but as long as he plays 20 or more minutes a night, the rookie forward can play a consistent role for the Thunder when they fall out of playoff contention.
Gabe Vincent – PG/SG, Miami Heat (19% of participants)
Kyle Lowry indefinitely, so Vincent will start with PG, which will keep him relevant as a streaming option for week 19. If you need help with FG%, Vincent is not the player for you, but despite his poor performance lately, now is the the right time to turn it around. Three of the four Heat games this week are played at home, where Vincent has been more effective thanks to better production and use this season.
Short term additions
Josh Okogi – SG/SF, Phoenix Suns (44% of participants)
The Suns and fantasy managers are looking forward to KD’s return, but until then, Okogie will hold onto SF’s starting position. He’s ranked 67th in the per-game rankings for the last 14 days, but the clock is ticking. Kevin Duran looking to make a comeback on Wednesday against the Hornets, so Okogi’s time as a starter is probably over. However, Suns has limited perimeter depth so he can still be a useful player in deeper leagues even when KD returns. Considering it’s featured in 44% of the leagues, you should probably be able to get your hands on it later this week. It’s hard to argue with a guy who has 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 3.0 triples and 2.0 steals in his last six games.
Alec Burks – PG/Defensive Guard/Guardian, Detroit Pistons (18% of players)
Hamidou Diallo – SG/SF – Detroit Pistons (5% of participants)
Both players will have increased playing time. Jayden Ivey (personal) and Boyan Bogdanovich (Achilles) missed the competition on Monday evening. Burks finished 93rd in the nine-cat leagues in Week 18, although he played under 20 minutes in his final two games. With more free time to start a three-game week, Burks should be a reliable source of points, triples and at least a few rebounds and assists.
Excluding last week, Diallo has shot a lot of field goals this season (58%), and in February, the utilization rate was 24.5%. He will have double figures (he scored at least 10 points in five games in a row) but I’m more inclined to pick him for defense as he has amassed 37 shares (29 steals and 8 blocks) throughout his career. last 21 games.
The Pistons will play three games in four nights to start Week 21, so given their position and position, the likes of Burks and Diallo could prove to be strong fantasy playoff players if you look ahead.
Others to Consider according to my rating
Keita Bates-Diop – PF, San Antonio Spurs (4%)
Isaiah Hartenstein – PF/C, New York Knicks (27%)
Isaiah Joe – PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder (13%)
Austin Reeves – SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers (7%)
Chris Dunn – PG/SG, Utah Jazz (5%)
Xavier Tillman – C, Memphis Grizzlies (6%)
Source: sports.yahoo.com
