by Zak Hanshew, Rotoworld
Xavier Tillman (19% rostered)
The Grizz waived Bismack Biyombo, and Tillman logged 28 minutes off the bench Tuesday. He delivered a 14/11/2 line with two swats in that one and stepped into the starting lineup Friday with more positive results. Tillman finished with 20 points, nine boards, two dimes, a steal, two swats and a triple across 31 minutes in the loss to Los Angeles, and he should be in line for plenty of minutes moving forward.
David Roddy (1% rostered), Jacob Gilyard (1%), Ziaire Williams (5%)
Desmond Bane sprained his left ankle Friday and had to leave Memphis’ matchup with the Clippers early. David Roddy saw some additional run and finished with 17/6/4/1 and three triples across 27 minutes. Roddy could see extended playing time moving forward if Bane is forced to miss time. Already down Ja Morant and Marcus Smart, the Grizzlies can ill afford to lose another starter. Memphis plays again Saturday, which means we could see more from Roddy, Gilyard or Williams, and the trio’s fantasy values are ranked in that order.
Mo Wagner (35% rostered)
Mo, Mo, Mo. How do you like me? The big man has been on fire as of late, averaging 18.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 triples across his last four games with Wendell Carter Jr. still on the sidelines. Wagner has stepped up to replace Carter Jr.’s production as a big, and he’s doing his best to replicate his brother’s scoring while the younger Wagner is on the shelf. There’s no reason to turn away from Big Mo now. Ride the hot hand until he cools off.
T.J. McConnell (55% rostered)
He’s widely rostered after fantasy managers scrambled to nab him off the waiver wire earlier in the week, but McConnell is still available in 45% of fantasy leagues. The veteran has been racking up dimes and steals on an elite per-minute basis throughout his career, and his recent increase in opportunity sans Haliburton is just what the doctor ordered. Andrew Nembhard has started each of the last two games with Hali on the sidelines, but it’s been McConnell making waves as a fantasy stud. He delivered six points, 14 assists, four rebounds, three steals and a block across 25 minutes in Friday’s win over Atlanta. He turned defense into offense with a swipe and ally-oop to Obi Toppin just to show the haters that he’s got a little flash to his game.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>OKAY T.J. <br><br>the steal and lob to Obi Toppin. <a href=”https://t.co/yVVRAzL7Yc“>pic.twitter.com/yVVRAzL7Yc</a></p>— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) <a href=”
“>January 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Nick Richards (38% rostered)
He’s “Mark Williams lite” with useful boards, blocks and elite FG%. He’ll offer steady production and a relatively high floor, though he’s rarely going to pop for a big game.
Kris Dunn (13% rostered)
He’s been a top-50 option over the last week behind 3.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 steals. He’s not going to score much, but Dunn’s across-the-board contributions (particularly as a defender) make him an intriguing pickup in 12-team leagues.
Dominick Barlow (2% rostered)
Barlow posted 8.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks across 23.1 minutes in three games before Friday. He had a solid first half against the Hornets but played little in the third and fourth quarters while San Antonio ran away from Charlotte. Barlow is best suited in deep leagues for now, but he’s worth monitoring everywhere.
Kelly Olynyk (33%)
He’s been just outside the top 100 over the last month thanks to solid, across-the-board contributions. Olynyk won’t dazzle in any one category, but he does enough as a rebounder and facilitator while shooting effectively and protecting the ball. There’s no reason to believe he can’t sustain his current level of production.