With Ben Simmons (knee) sidelined for another game, things appeared to be straightforward for the Nets in Monday’s game against the Lakers. Seth Curry, who’s rostered in 32% of Yahoo leagues, remained in the starting lineup, which made him the clear target for fantasy managers. However, two other Nets would step forward in the team’s 121-104 win over the Lakers. Patty Mills and Cam Thomas, who are both rostered in one percent of Yahoo leagues, scored 21 points apiece off the bench to help lead the way. Mills supplemented his point total with three assists, two steals, and four 3-pointers, while Thomas accumulated four rebounds, one assist, and four 3-pointers.
As good as Mills and Thomas were on Monday, would they be worth adding moving forward? If Simmons and T.J. Warren (shin) are cleared soon, the answer would be no. But if those two cannot play Wednesday night in Boston, Mills, and Thomas would be worth a roll of the dice in deeper leagues. Day’Ron Sharpe also had a good night off the bench, putting up eight points, 14 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks in 21 minutes. His prospects moving forward appear less promising than those of Mills or Thomas, as he’s backing up one of the NBA’s most improved players in Nicolas Claxton. And he’s played 21 minutes or more in just four of his 25 appearances this season.
Troy Brown Jr. (2%)
Brown benefitted from the absences of LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (toe). Starting for the ninth straight game, Brown accumulated 11 points, 17 rebounds (a career-high), four assists, and two 3-pointers in 31 minutes. His shot at fantasy relevance will depend on the healthy of the Lakers’ two stars, as he’s only providing 15th-round value in 9-cat formats over the last two weeks. Kudos to the few who streamed Brown, but his rostered percentage isn’t going to increase much (if at all) ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Knicks. And that’s even if James and/or Davis remain sidelined.
Deni Avdija (32%)
With Kristaps Porzingis back after a three-game absence, Monday appeared to be the night when Avdija would lose some luster fantasy-wise. However, Daniel Gafford (illness) was ruled out, keeping Corey Kispert in the starting lineup while also ensuring that Avdija’s role would remain unchanged. And the man the Wizards call “Turbo” was outstanding, scoring a career-high 25 points with nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, one blocked shot, and two 3-pointers. Avdija, a 7th-round player over the last two weeks, made his final nine field goal attempts after starting out 1-of-3. His play was a big reason why the Wizards extended their win streak to six games and beat the Spurs in San Antonio for the first time since 1999. Even if Gafford is healthy enough to play Wednesday night in Detroit, it would be wise to hold onto Avdija if you have him rostered to see what his role will be as part of a fully healthy frontcourt rotation (minus Anthony Gill, who’s in health and safety protocols).
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Zach Collins (15%)
The Spurs are seemingly running the NBA’s version of a timeshare, at least in handling the center position. Jakob Poeltl, the focus of numerous trade rumors, remains the starter, but the playing time has been close to an even split between him and backup Zach Collins. Both played 22 minutes in the loss to the Wizards, with Collins recording a line of 16 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks, and one 3-pointer. Over the last two weeks, Poeltl has played 23.1 minutes per game and Collins 22.1. Even if you missed out on Collins for Monday’s action, now would be a good time to add him ahead of the trade deadline because the minutes are clearly there.
Chris Boucher (26%)
Precious Achiuwa is the popular add among Raptors now that O.G. Anunoby has been ruled out with a sprained left wrist, as he’s filling the void in the starting lineup. But that absence also enhances Boucher’s fantasy prospects due to Toronto’s lack of depth. An 11th-round player over the last two weeks, he played 24 minutes in Monday’s loss to the Suns, scoring five points with 11 rebounds, one assist, one block, and one 3-pointer. The offensive production wasn’t great, but Boucher is talented enough to offer solid fantasy value in fewer than 25 minutes per game (he played 24 in Phoenix). Anunoby has already been ruled out for the final three games of Toronto’s road trip, which is another reason for adding Boucher if available.
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Kenrich Williams (7%)
“Kenny Hustle” was in the starting lineup for Monday’s loss to the Warriors, with Jaylin Williams moving to the bench. Kenrich played 33 minutes, accounting for seven points, eight rebounds, two assists, and three steals. The ability to offer production in multiple categories makes him a more attractive streaming option than Aaron Wiggins, who produced three points, two rebounds, and one 3-pointer in 23 minutes as Lu Dort’s replacement in the starting lineup. And Kenrich is someone who will likely be in the rotation regardless of which established players are (or aren’t) available.
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