TOP: Editor’s Note: Now, all our premium tools for Fantasy, DFS, and Betting are included in one subscription at one low price. Customers can subscribe to NBC Sports EDGE+ monthly ($9.99) or save 20% on an annual subscription ($95.88). And don’t forget to use promo code SAVE10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
Fantasy playoff time has finally arrived. While some leagues won’t get their postseasons going until next week, that tends to be the exception rather than the rule. And there have been some key injuries on the landscape, with rookies and second-year players alike being impacted. This week’s Rookie/Sophomore Report will begin with Detroit losing its starting center to a knee injury, and how it will impact the rest of the team’s interior rotation.
Pistons lose Stewart to a knee injury
Isaiah Stewart, who has made 57 starts in the middle for Detroit this season, went down during the first quarter of Monday’s win over the Hawks with a bone bruise in his right knee. The Pistons have since announced that he’ll be re-evaluated in a week’s time, but there is no timeline for a return to game action. And with the franchise headed back to the draft lottery, it’s fair to wonder if Monday was the last that we’ll see of Stewart in an NBA game this season.
Averaging 8.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 25.8 minutes per game, Stewart was a 16th-round player in 9-cat formats (per Basketball Monster) at the time of his injury. While he was shooting 51.5% from the field, the combination of his being primarily a rebounds and blocks guy while shooting 67.9% from the foul line weighed down Stewart as far as his fantasy value was concerned. As for who will step up to fill the void left by “Beef Stew,” the obvious answer is Marvin Bagley, who has been close to a top-100 player over the last three weeks. Rostered in 40% of Yahoo leagues, he’s averaging 25.4 minutes per game during this stretch.
Kelly Olynyk (36% rostered) has been a 12th-round player over the last three weeks, but he’s played no more than 18 minutes in any of Detroit’s last three games. One more name to watch is that of rookie Isaiah Livers, who did not make his season debut until February 27, but he did play 25 minutes Monday night. The former Michigan standout finished with nine points, two rebounds, three assists, three steals, and three 3-pointers, shooting 3-of-6 from the field. Livers is worth keeping an eye on when the Pistons host the Bulls Wednesday night.
Cavaliers’ Mobley goes off without trusted sidekick
Cleveland, arguably the NBA’s biggest surprise this season, received some bad news on Sunday as starting center Jarrett Allen went down with a fractured middle finger on his left (non-shooting) hand. How long he’ll be sidelined has yet to be determined, and until Allen returns it will be up to rookie Evan Mobley to pick up the slack. The prohibitive betting favorite to win Rookie of the Year (PointsBet has him at -400 as of Wednesday morning), Mobley has provided 8th-round value in 9-cat formats this season. Allen’s absence gives him a shot at being a top-50 player for the time being, and that may be selling the rookie short.
Mobley finished Sunday’s win over Toronto with a line of 20 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and one 3-pointer, shooting 9-of-15 from the field. The negatives from that performance were his foul shooting (1-of-5) and turnover count (four), but those are both areas in which Mobley has been solid by big man standards. And he was noticeably better in those categories during Tuesday’s win over the Pacers, tallying 22 points (8-of-15 FGs, 6-of-8 FTs), 12 rebounds, three assists, five steals, and one blocked shot, while not recording a single turnover. Taking those two games alone, that’s close to top-25 value. Look for Mobley to flourish as the Cavaliers do their best to remain in the top-6 of the East while Allen is sidelined.
Injuries lead to Raptors’ Barnes manning the point
Toronto coach Nick Nurse has played a relatively limited rotation this season by NBA standards, with each of his starters averaging at least 34.7 minutes per game. But recent injuries forced the coach’s hand, as Fred VanVleet (knee) has missed the Raptors’ last five games and fellow point guard Malachi Flynn (hamstring) was recently ruled to be out indefinitely (he’ll be re-evaluated on March 16). Add to this OG Anunoby (finger) having been sidelined since the All-Star break, and even more has been asked of rookie Scottie Barnes.
With VanVleet and Flynn sidelined for Sunday’s loss to the Cavaliers, Barnes was moved to the point guard position. And he played well, finishing with 19 points (8-of-14 FGs, 3-of-6 FTs), 12 rebounds, six assists, and three steals in 42 minutes. Just as important as that production was the turnover count, as Barnes had none after accumulating a total of 14 in the four games prior. He’s the highest-ranked fantasy rookie in 9-cat formats, providing 6th-round value according to Basketball Monster. While the aforementioned Mobley is the clear favorite for standard Rookie of the Year honors, Barnes is worthy of that distinction in fantasy circles.
VanVleet is expected to be available for Wednesday’s game against San Antonio, which would move Barnes back to the wing. But as we’ve seen throughout the course of this season, the rookie will be impactful regardless of where he’s asked to play.
MIDDLE: The App is Back! Don’t forget to download the NBC Sports EDGE app to receive real-time player news, mobile alerts and track your favorite players. Plus, now you can check out articles and player cards. Get it here!
Warriors’ Moody is earning Steve Kerr’s trust
While there was no shortage of chatter about Jonathan Kuminga earlier this season, fellow Warriors rookie Moses Moody had a tougher time cracking the rotation. But injuries opened the door for him in late January, and the former Arkansas standout appears to have earned Steve Kerr’s trust. Moody has played 16 minutes or more in five of Golden State’s last six games, averaging 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.3 steals, and 2.0 3-pointers in 22.6 minutes per. And he’s shot the ball well, making 58.7% of his field goals and 70.0% of his free throws during this stretch.
Moody’s best performance came in Monday’s loss to the Nuggets, a game he started due to the Warriors being without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins. Shooting 10-of-23 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line, Moody finished with a career-high 30 points while also tallying three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and five 3-pointers. He remained in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s win over the Clippers, an interesting game to watch based upon the fact that Curry, Thompson, and Wiggins were all back in the lineup.
Could Moody do more than score, since his opportunities were going to be limited in comparison to Monday’s game? He did just that, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds (matching his career-high), three assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer in 30 minutes. Kuminga, who has been close to a top-100 player over the last two weeks, offers a bit more in the way of fantasy upside given his defensive production. But Moody will be worth keeping an eye on as the Warriors await the return of Draymond Green. Green is expected to return for the March 14 home game against Washington, which will be preceded by matchups with the Nuggets (Thursday) and Bucks (Saturday). Two more opportunities to start would make Moody a player worthy of streaming consideration, especially for managers in need of 3-pointers.
Defensive prowess makes Pelicans’ Jones a top-50 player
Only two rookies have managed to provide top-50 value over the last week, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and New Orleans’ Herbert Jones. Cunningham doing this comes as no surprise; he was the top overall pick in last summer’s draft for a reason. Jones, on the other hand, has emerged as a key figure for a Pelicans squad that is hot on the heels of the Lakers for the 9th-seed in the West. The fact that he’s getting the job done on the defensive end of the floor should come as no surprise, as Jones was SEC Defensive Player of the Year at Alabama last season.
Over the last week, Jones is averaging 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, while also accounting for 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.8 3-pointers on 52.0% shooting from the field. He had two of his better defensive performances in blowout wins over the Kings (March 2) and Jazz (March 4), accounting for totals of five steals and four blocked shots. And those stats don’t tell the full story of Jones’ impact as a defender, as he was able to harass Donovan Mitchell into a 5-of-18 night from the field on Friday. As noted in a prior edition of this report, no rookie has made an All-Defensive Team since Tim Duncan in 1998. While ending that dry spell will be difficult for either Jones or Evan Mobley to do, neither should be sold short.
And in the case of Jones, his play is one of the reasons why the Pelicans have been fine despite not having Zion Williamson. Even with the lack of scoring, Jones should be rostered in more than 50% of Yahoo leagues, as he currently is.
Lakers’ Reaves emerging as a key figure
While the aforementioned Jones was a second-round pick, at least he heard his name called on draft night. That was not the case for Austin Reaves, but things may have worked out for the best. After signing with the Lakers as an undrafted free agent the rookie out of Oklahoma earned himself a roster spot, and now he’s in the starting lineup. Reaves has started the last six games, averaging 7.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 3-pointers in 26.2 minutes per. Rostered in just 2% of Yahoo leagues, Reaves has been a 12th-round player over the last two weeks.
The Lakers may have “sexier” short-term fantasy options such as Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk that fantasy managers can roll the dice on, but Reaves should not be overlooked, especially as a starter. In his most recent performance, Reaves finished Monday’s loss to the Spurs with 13 points, six rebounds, and one 3-pointer in 27 minutes. One would certainly like to see some production from Reaves in the assists and defensive categories, but the points, rebounds, and field goal percentage (6-of-8) areas were solid. If LeBron James (knee) has to miss another game, with the Lakers scheduled to visit the Rockets on Wednesday, then Reaves would definitely be worth streaming.