Tuesday was a day to catch our collective breaths, after the crazy trade Monday. With only two game Tuesday, we could relax, get our minds right and then get ready for 13 games Wednesday! Well, they say fantasy owners never sleep.. or something like that.
CAN I BORROW A FEEL-LEN?
While his minutes are still not quite where's you'd hope them to be, the impact that sophomore Alex Len is having is not to be denied. In his 12 games since being named a starter, Len has blocked 31 shots, at a rate of 2.6 per game in just 21 minutes of action. Against the Bucks, Len blocked another five shots, grabbed himself eight rebound and scored nine points, efficiently as usual. Len is the clearly better player at center for the Suns, and since the beginning of December, he is ninth n the NBA in blocked shots, and hasn't even started all of those games. While there is still a risk in 10 team leagues, for his upside and shot blocking ability alone, he is worth a look in most 12 team formats and his ownership, six percent on ESPN and 15 percent of Yahoo, means that you can scoop him up in a number of places.
M.I.A.
These guys all sat out Tuesday's action, for one reason or another.
- Bucks
- Larry Sanders (personal)
- Ersan Ilyasova (concussion)
- Spurs
- Kawhi Leonard (hand)
FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT
Brandon Knight continued his breakout season, scoring 26 points (10-20 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), with two rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one block in 35 minutes. He is a surprise inside the top 30 fantasy players, being drafted in the last few rounds of most drafts, and is showing no signs of slowing down. He is clearly the best player on the Bucks, is the only player getting consistent minutes, night in, night out and the only reliable fantasy option. This is not a case of a sell-high opportunity. Knight is giving you stats and giving you stats regularly. Just enjoy it if you drafted him.
ROTATION NOTES AND QUIRKS
Gerald Green was limited to just 16 minutes, with both Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe playing in excess 37 minutes. Green scored just seven points with four rebounds and no three-pointers, and that's the risks of owning any of the Suns' guards. On the season, he is hitting 2.2 triples per game, but he has little value outside of that category and his form is streaky due to the rotation.
With the exception of Knight and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jason Kidd continues to split the rest of the Bucks' minutes fairly evenly, making it hard to own any of them in most leagues. Zaza Pachulia and John Henson split the center minutes evenly, Henson posting 13 points with six rebounds, while Pachulia had seven points and eight rebounds, in his 24 minutes. With minutes like this, which will only be complicated when Larry Sanders returns, it's hard to own any Bucks centers in standard leagues.
Tim Duncan was limited to just 22 minutes, but was still productive, scoring 15 ponts, with seven rebounds and two blocks and only played in the fourth quarter when there was eight seconds left in the game. With a back-to-back looming, Duncan may rest at the end of this week. With Duncan sitting, Jeff Ayres scored a season-high 16 points with four rebounds, while Aron Baynes, Duncan's usual replacement didn't see the court. If Duncan does sit, Baynes has been a great daily fantasy play on those nights, but we'll have to look closer to the game to see if we can gain any info as to Gregg Popovich's thought process.
Tony Parker returned, started, but played just 13 minutes for three points and two assists. Parker's minutes will increase, as will his output, but it was interesting to see Cory Joseph play 27 minutes as opposed to Patty Mills who played only 21 minutes. It may be a fitness issue for Mills, but I wouldn't own either of these guys in standard leagues now.
BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES
Markieff Morris put up his third 20 point plus night in his last four games, scoring 26 points to go with 10 rebounds. The 10 rebounds were a mild surprise, as the last time he reached double digits was over a month ago. Still, the value Morris gives you is nice as a center eligible player in most leagues.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had his second consecutive game with 16 points and 12 rebounds, adding another blocked shot to his totals. I've said it before, but I'll say it again, Giannis needs to be owned in all leagues. He is the Bucks' second best player behind night and his fantasy value is starting to come around. In his last four games, Antetokounmpo is averaging 13.0 points, 0.5 three-pointers, nine rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 2.5 blocks, on 49 percent shooting from the field and 71 percent from the line. Remember, he is a shooting guard for fantasy purposes, so those are some crazy numbers.
Andre Drummond's dominant performances continues, scoring 20 points with 17 rebounds, averaging 15.8 points with 16.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.2 blocks in his last six. He has flourished without Josh Smith and is the head-to-head beast we all thought he could be. Hopefully, you didn't sell low at the beginning of the season.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope played 37 minutes to Jodie Meeks' 30 minutes, ut Meeks still outscored the youngster. The minutes split makes it hard to own either guy in 10 team leagues, and if I had to lean one way in 12 team leagues, I'd go with the guy getting more minutes, KCP.
Brandon Jennings didn't shoot well, but still added 13 points, seven assists and a game-winner and is must-own if he still on your waiver-wire.
NIGHTLY LEADERS
Points
- Markieff Morris, F, PHX, 26 points
- Brandon Knight, G, MIL, 26 points
- Andre Drummond, C, DET, 20 points
Rebounds
- Andre Drummond, C, DET, 17 rebounds
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, MIL, 12 rebounds
- Greg Monroe, F, DET, 11 rebounds
Assists
- Eric Bledsoe, G, PHX, 10 assists
- Manu Ginobili, G, SAN, 8 assists
- Brandon Jennings, G, DET, 7 assists
Steals
- Brandon Knight, G, MIL, 3 steals
- Andre Drummond, C, DET, 2 steals
- Greg Monroe, F, DET, 2 steals
- Danny Green, G, SAN, 2 steals
- Manu Ginobili, G, SAN, 2 steals
- Eric Bledsoe, G, PHX, 2 steals
- Khris Middleton, F, MIL, 2 steals
- Gerald Green, F, PHX, 2 steals
- Kyle Singler, F, DET, 2 steals
Blocks
- Alex Len, C, PHX, 5 blocks
- Tim Duncan, F, SAN, 2 blocks
- 13 players with 1 block
Three-Pointers
- Danny Green, G, SAN, 3-5 3Pt
- Markieff Morris, F, PHX, 2-4 3Pt
- Brandon Knight, G, MIL, 2-8 3Pt
- Goran Dragic, G, PHX, 2-4 3Pt
- Isaiah Thomas, G, PHX, 2-2 3Pt
- Manu Ginobili, G, SAN, 2-2 3Pt
- Marco Belinelli, G, SAN, 2-5 3Pt
Minutes
- Goran Dragic, G, PHX, 39 minutes
- Eric Bledsoe, G, PHX, 38 minutes
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G, DET, 37 minutes