We’re winding down this week of the regular season, which means there is only two full weeks left before the playoffs. It is officially silly season, as multiple teams have their eyes set on Victor Wembanyama. Sure, the stars are still dominating games, like Joel Embiid, Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and may others did on Friday. But this late in the season, it’s the randoms that make a difference in fantasy basketball. Here’s a handful that could seize the opportunity and make a huge impact in the fantasy playoffs.
Luke Kennard- 7% rostered in Yahoo leagues
Friday’s game may be seen as more of an outlier, but Kennard has thrived since joining the Grizzlies. He hit a career-high and franchise record ten 3-pointers against Houston on Friday. Over his last six games, he has hit a total of 27 triples, which has led to him providing third round value during that stretch. He has carved out a role in Memphis and should continue to provide a huge boost from deep off the bench.
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Davion Mitchell- 5%
De’Aaron Fox exited early from Friday’s win over the Suns with a right hamstring injury. The Kings play a back-to-back on Saturday, so if Fox can’t play, Mitchell will slide into the starting unit, where he has had some success as of late.
T.J. McConnell- 39%, Isaiah Jackson- 21%
With Tyrese Haliburton back in the lineup, McConnell still played 23 minutes and scored 10 points off the bench. With eight games left in the season, Indiana sits 2.5 games out of the play-in tournament. There’s a good chance that they decide to make a shift towards improving their lottery odds. If that happens, Haliburton and Myles Turner would be the main candidates for a shut down, which would allow McConnell and Jackson to return to the starting unit. In six starts this season, McConnell has averaged 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.3 steals, while Jackson has averaged 11.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 2.9 blocks in seven starts.
Corey Kispert- 10%, Deni Avdija- 26%, Johnny Davis- 1%
Similarly to the Pacers, Washington is 2.5 games out of the play-in tournament, and Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma have been out of the lineup for their last two games. They were able to get a win on Friday over the tanking Spurs, but they had lost seven of their previous eight. Kispert and Avdija have started in place of Kuz and Beal and should be streamed until they return. However, if they pull the plug over their final eight games of the season, Davis should play big minutes so they can figure out what they have in last season’s 10th pick.
Coby White- 6%
White has shined as of late, which has led to him providing top-100 value over the past two weeks. Billy Donovan had high praise for him after the game, saying that White is “evolving into a two-way player”. That led to two steals in this game, but even if it doesn’t lead to defensive stats consistently, it’ll at least keep him on the floor.
Dennis Smith Jr.- 29%, Svi Mykhailiuk- 1%
Charlotte was without both Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre on Friday. That allowed DSJ and Mykhailiuk to start at the guard spots. DSJ finished with a 13/5/9 line, while Mykhailiuk put up a line of 13/3/3 with three triples. The Hornets are all but locked in to the 4th best lottery odds, and they have no reason to keep playing their starters. If Rozier and Oubre remain sidelined, DSJ and Mykhailiuk will be worth streaming.
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The Spurs
San Antonio has been flip-flopping who is available each and every game. Whoever plays will get a chance to provide value, but nobody on the team seems to be in a position to produce every game. They’re worth keeping an eye on from game to game, though they’re also an incredibly frustrating team for fantasy at this point.
The Trail Blazers
It appears that they may have finally done it. Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkić, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant were all sidelined on Friday, and Matisse Thybulle only played 14 minutes. Shaedon Sharpe (24%), Trendon Watford (36%) and Drew Eubanks (8%) are the best options, but everyone available for Portland will play big minutes and provide excellent value.
