Special to Yahoo Sports
As we head down the stretch of the NBA regular season, some players have gotten hot for fantasy managers at just the right time.
The question is, can they continue to remain productive?
Let’s dive into six such players and discuss what to expect over the final month of the regular season.
Rozier has been stellar since joining the Hornets and is on pace to average at least 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.7 three-pointers for the third straight season. His scoring numbers have taken a bit of a step back compared to last season, but it’s difficult to complain when he’s providing 19.5 points and 3.1 three-pointers per game. Both LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges have also had breakout seasons, which have cut into Rozier’s scoring burden.
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With the Hornets battling for a playoff spot, they have turned to Rozier even more down the stretch. Over their last 15 games, he’s averaged a robust 38 minutes. That’s left him to provide 23.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.5 three-pointers per game. They have limited guard depth behind him and Ball, so Rozier should continue to play a ton. The only negative impact to his role could be the return of Gordon Hayward (ankle), but that doesn’t appear to be on the immediate horizon since there is still no timetable for him to retake the floor.
Barnes started the season on a high note, but it was followed by a 34-game stretch — which extended through January — in which he only provided 14.5 points per game. Part of the problem was that he shot 42.2 percent from the field during that span while attempting only 10.6 shots per game.
As disappointing as that production was, Barnes is shooting a stellar 56.5 percent from the field over his last 15 games, putting up 20.1 points per contest. What’s noteworthy is that his usage rate didn’t change much considering he attempted 10.3 shots per game during that stretch.
As efficient as Barnes has been throughout his career, he’s never shot higher than 49.7 percent for a season, so he could be in line for some regression. Another major concern is that the Kings will only play two games in Week 23, which makes it very difficult to start Barnes in what could be championship week for some leagues. Enjoy the hot streak while you can, but be prepared to bench him when the schedule falls out of his favor.
With so many weapons around him, Crowder has only averaged 9.5 points per game this season. His role is to space the floor and play tough defense, which he does well. However, Chris Paul (thumb), Devin Booker (COVID-19) and Cameron Johnson (quadriceps) have all been forced to miss time recently. That has helped propel Crowder to 14.3 points and 2.4 three-pointers over the last seven games. That’s in addition to elevated averages of 5.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 steals during that stretch.
Paul isn’t going to be back anytime soon, but Booker will play Wednesday night and Johnson should be back within the next couple of games.
My advice? Ride Crowder’s hot hand while you can, but expect his scoring numbers to decline as the Suns’ health situation improves. He could still be worth starting when the Suns play four games in Week 22, but they only play three games in both the following two weeks.
Once buried on the Suns’ depth chart, Smith has been allowed to play since joining the Pacers. The 2020 lottery pick may be on track to turn his career around, as he’s providing 13.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 three-pointers over the last 10 games. For those who play in category leagues, Smith shooting 55.1 percent from the field and 84.0 percent from the charity stripe during that stretch is equally as exciting.
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With the Pacers in rebuilding mode, expect Smith to hang on to an elevated role over the next few weeks. He’ll have to contend with some other young bigs — Goga Bitadze, Oshae Brissett, Isaiah Jackson — but thus far, they’ve all been able to coexist. That could change if/when Myles Turner makes his return from a foot injury, however.
Unfortunately, the Pacers only have one four-game week left this season, so Smith isn’t exactly a must-roster. However, he’s still available in 57 percent of Yahoo leagues, so if you’re backed into a corner, starting him could prove to be beneficial.
Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks
The Knicks have continued to stick their promising young point guard behind veterans on the depth chart, even resorting to starting Alec Burks at point guard over him. Quickley has only averaged 22 minutes per game this season and has made just two appearances in the starting five.
Quickley still isn’t starting, but he has logged an average of 24 minutes over the last seven games. During that stretch, he put up 16.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.6 three-pointers. Crazy enough, he’s up to 54.3 percent from the field during that run.
Quickley shot only 39.5 percent from the field last season, and he’s at 38.5 percent for this season, so don’t expect him to stay this hot from the field. Plus, his inconsistent playing time makes him risky. With that said, if you’re in desperate need of a guard, the Knicks do play four games each in Weeks 23 and 24, and Quickley is available in 60 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Aleksej Pokusevski, Oklahoma City Thunder
Make no mistake about it, Pokusevski is raw. He has a ton of upside, but he’s extremely thin, listed at 190 pounds despite being seven feet tall. He looks that thin on the court, and will likely need to bulk up as his career moves along.
With the Thunder tanking (again) and dealing with a lot of injuries (again), they have turned to Pokusevski to average 26 minutes over the last 12 games. He’s responded by putting up 11.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers per game during that stretch.
Playing Pokusevski more probably doesn’t improve their chances of winning games, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him maintain his current role. The Thunder still have three weeks left in which they play four games, which makes Pokusevski an intriguing waiver wire option who is still available in 66 percent of Yahoo leagues. On Tuesday, Oklahoma City ruled Lu Dort and Mike Muscala out for the season — and Kenrich Williams is also expected to miss more time — which only helps Poku’s outlook.
