Even if you’re down because of a lot of injuries and COVID impacted games, look to make it to the next week. Take this season week by week because we clearly don’t know when a player will be ruled out. Jrue Holiday was ruled out minutes before his game last week and we haven’t seen him since. Keep your head on a swivel, as consistent long-term multi-category producers are hard to find on the wire. For guards, look for three boards and four dimes as secondary stats. Look for three boards and a steal from guards as secondary categories. Every little bit of production helps!
Josh Hart SG, SF NO-28% Ownership: Hart will be frequently mentioned in this article because he has the potential to be a multi-category producer and he’s etched into the Pelicans rotation. He can play three positions and even though he doesn’t always score in double figures, he’s consistent enough in grabbing boards and steals that it gives him a good floor when it comes to playing time and overall production. He’s even dished three-plus assists in his last three games. If you need more consistent scoring, go with another option such as Grayson Allen from the Grizzlies who almost made the list. Allen will post scoring and steals and Hart will help with boards and steals. Play the short game when it comes to picking up mid-court options.
Juan Toscano-Anderson F GSW-12% Ownership: His rolls to the basket are getting better and the Warriors have a severely banged up frontcourt and Toscano-Anderson can fill in at any frontcourt position. He’s grabbed at least five boards in five of his last six and produced blocks and steals in two of his last three games. He’s been flirting with double figures when it comes to scoring but has been just missing out. Seeing him get 20 minutes or more is encouraging. Draymond Green is no stranger to injury and briefly left the Warriors previous game. He can step back and hit three’s and JTA has taken 10 or more shots in 2 of his last 3 games. He has some long term potential because of the versatility factor. He’s been a better asset (in my opinion) than Eric Paschall and he should continue to get rewarded with more minutes.
Jae’Sean Tate SG HOU-18% Ownership: The Rockets are dealing with an injured backcourt and Tate has been able to pick up more shots. He’s taken at least nine in his last three contests and he is not married to the arc and will attack the basket and draw contact. Tate has hit double figures in scoring in three of his last four games. Tate’s biggest attribute is his commitment to defense. The Rockets have improved defensively and Tate helps in that department as he’s pulled down five boards per game. Tate has also swiped balls in four of his last six contests. Tate has short-term value as we’ll have to see how the Rockets handle Victor Oladipo . If they bring him back slowly, it will benefit Tate more. John Wall not playing in back to backs should also benefit Tate because Oladipo or Eric Gordon can always shift to PG.
T.J. McConnell G IND-31% Ownership: McConnell has been seeing more minutes as he’s hit 32 in his last 2 games. The Pacers have a lot of guards, but McConnell has proven he can be beneficial at both guard spots and until Caris LeVert is ready to return to action, McConnell should continue seeing late-20’s minutes for the most part. Expect him for the short-term to take seven to eight shots per game. McConnell is a fiend on the perimeter and his steals numbers reflect that. He’s grabbed six steals total in his last two games and he’s even blocked shots in his last two outings. Don’t focus on the scoring when it comes to McConnell as it’s clearly the other stats that have made him a relevant fantasy producer. Let’s not forget that McConnell dishes 6.8 assists per game as well.
Denzel Valentine SG, SF CHI-8% Ownership: With Otto Porter Jr. still hurt, Valentine continues to see more playing time and shots in the Bulls rotation. He’s taken 10 or more shots in 5 of his last 6 games. He scored in double figures in all six of those games and Valentine has been helping a bit in other categories and it’s worth taking a chance on him. The Bulls are still without Lauri Markkanen as well and that has opened up more perimeter jumpers. Valentine has hit multiple three-pointers in his last six games. The Bulls need as much help scoring as possible and with Patrick Williams scoring being up and down lately, the Bulls have clearly had to rely on Valentine a bit more. Valentine is grabbing 3.7 boards per game and he’s posted swipes in 4 of his last 6 games. Frontcourt scoring is just not happening in Chicago and the wings will continue to get fed.
Dwayne Bacon SG ORL-4% Ownership: Like the Bulls, the Magic continue to deal with their own injuries and with James Ennis and Evan Fournier still not 100 percent, Bacon will continue to see more minutes and shots. He’s taken at least 12 shots in three of his last four games and scored 11 or more in all 4 contests. He’s been grabbing at least three boards in most of his games as of late and he has posted steals in three of his last four games. The Magic are horrible defenders and it’s up to Bacon to provide any kind of mid-court defense. Aaron Gordon is still out and even if Fournier returns in the next couple of games, Bacon should still see late-20’s minutes. He’s hit the 30-minute mark in his last four outings.
Michael Carter-Williams PG ORL-18% Ownership: Even if Cole Anthony returns to the lineup, the veteran Carter-Williams is clearly needed. MCW will help out defensively on the perimeter and he’ll grab long rebounds. There is plenty of playing time for him alongside Anthony. In his return to the lineup from a Foot injury, he scored 21 points, grabbed seven boards and dished seven dimes. He’s grabbed over five boards per game and he should be able to take double-digit shots for at least the next few games. He should be playing mid-20’s minutes consistently moving forward with Markelle Fultz out for the rest of the season. View any help he provides with blocks and steals as an added bonus. His game is driving the lane and not as much jump shooting.
Dorian Finney-Smith F DAL-8% Ownership: Finney-Smith is doing just enough and I’d argue to say he’s one of the Mavericks best defenders. He has scored in double figures in two of his last four games and more importantly, he grabs a steal per game. He plays a lot of minutes as we can regularly expect him to play 30 minutes per game. On offense, he’s used a lot as a bailout option and he hits 1.8 three-pointers per game. We’ve seen a small uptick in his rebounding lately as well as Finney-Smith has grabbed at least five boards in each of his last four games. He has also blocked shots in two of his last three games. With everything combined, Finney-Smith has been a steady producer, but he’ll never put up outstanding stats in multiple categories. He’s a good end of fantasy bench player to have and his minutes provide a safe floor.
STILL GOOD TO ADD: (Previously Mentioned)
Cole Anthony PG ORL-37% Ownership: He should be returning within the next few
Rudy Gay F SAS-18% Ownership