Week 22 is “Championship Week” for Yahoo! public leagues and leagues that use the default settings. And with most of the NBA’s teams playing four games, there won’t be a lack of options amongst teams competing for playoff seeding or looking to improve their draft lottery odds. Here are some low-rostered players (below 50 percent in Yahoo! leagues) who should be on your radar heading into Week 22.
Priority Adds
1. Justin Edwards
2. Toumani Camara
3. Kyle Filipowski
4. Scotty Pippen Jr.
5. Guerschon Yabusele
6. Matas Buzelis
7. Gary Trent Jr.
8. Davion Mitchell
9. Keldon Johnson
10. Anthony Black
SG/SF/PF Toumani Camara (49%), Portland Trail Blazers
Camara remains rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Even though the Trail Blazers have fallen off the pace in the race for the final play-in spot, the second-year wing may be safe from a late-season shutdown. Camara has been among the best defenders in the NBA this season and has made strides offensively. Since the All-Star break, he has averaged 13.6 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting from the field, one reason why Camara has been a top-50 player in nine-cat formats. Portland plays four games during Week 22, with two against teams that will also be in the draft lottery (Toronto and San Antonio).
PG/SG Scotty Pippen Jr. (37%), Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies have been without Ja Morant since March 14, with the starting point guard missing six games with a hamstring injury. While Luke Kennard was the replacement in the starting lineup for the first three contests, Pippen took over that role in the last three and has provided top-10 value in eight-cat formats over the past week. If Morant is available for the beginning of Week 22, there won’t be a need to roster Pippen in most leagues. However, with Memphis beginning the week with a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back, there’s the opportunity to get at least one start out of Pippen for injury management reasons.
SF Justin Edwards (36%), Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers’ intentions are well-known by now, as the front office looks to strengthen its chances of holding onto its top-6 protected first-round pick. Due to those ambitions and injuries to key players, Edwards has played plenty, averaging 30.2 minutes per game since the All-Star break. And over the past two weeks, the rookie small forward has offered fifth-round value in eight-cat formats. Philadelphia only plays three games during Week 22, but Edwards’s status as a fixture in the starting lineup makes him worth the risk.
SG/SF/PF Keldon Johnson (37%), San Antonio Spurs
Over the past two weeks, Johnson has been a top 100 player in nine-cat formats while sitting just outside that threshold in eight-cat. He’s hit double figures in three of his last four games, including a 17-point, 10-rebound effort in a March 27 loss to the Cavaliers. As long as Johnson averages 25 minutes per game, his fantasy value should hold steady. The Spurs play four games during Week 22, starting with the Magic on Tuesday as part of a back-to-back (at Denver on Wednesday).
PF/C Kyle Filipowski (29%), Utah Jazz
While the Jazz announced on March 14 that John Collins (ankle) will be re-evaluated in two weeks, there’s little reason to believe he will take on a full workload again this season. And the same can probably be said about Lauri Markkanen, who has missed Utah’s last five games. Filipowski, who has started the previous three, may not provide much defensive value, but the rookie can be helpful for managers seeking points, rebounds and three-pointers. However, the rookie did finish Utah’s March 27 loss to the Rockets with 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, two blocks and one three-pointer in 33 minutes. His fantasy ceiling will be raised if Filipowski can approach 30 minutes per game during Utah’s four-game Week 22.
PF/C Guerschon Yabusele (29%), Philadelphia 76ers
Yabusele may only be a 10th-round player in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks, but he’s still logging just over 29 minutes per game on a team down multiple frontcourt contributors. Maybe there will come a point when the 76ers decide to prioritize rookie Adem Bona, but we aren’t there yet. Yabusele offers a safe floor and has reached double figures in six straight games, providing eighth-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats. Bona (nine percent rostered) has been more productive in the steals and blocks categories, which has boosted his value in recent weeks.
PG/SG/SF Gary Trent Jr. (27%), Milwaukee Bucks
Damian Lillard is out indefinitely due to a deep vein thrombosis in his calf, and Trent may be the Bucks player best equipped to pick up the slack. Over the past two weeks, he has provided sixth-round value in nine-cat formats, averaging 14.9 points, 1.3 steals and 3.4 three-pointers per game. Trent does not offer much value in the other fantasy-relevant categories. Still, he remains the superior choice to Ryan Rollins or Kevin Porter Jr. Milwaukee, which is fighting for positioning in the Eastern Conference standings, plays four games during Week 22.
SF/PF Matas Buzelis (16%), Chicago Bulls
While Buzelis’s playing time has decreased recently, the schedule works in his favor for Week 22. The Bulls will play four games, including a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back, which makes the rookie worth the risk in deeper leagues. Buzelis has offered 11th-round value over the past two weeks, including a 31-point effort in Chicago’s March 22 blowout of the Lakers.
PG/SG Anthony Black (14%), Orlando Magic
The Magic have been without Cole Anthony (toe) for the last five games, resulting in Cory Joseph (zero percent) entering the starting lineup. However, Black has been the superior fantasy option, averaging 25.3 minutes per game to Joseph’s 22.6 over the past two weeks. However, Orlando does not have the best Week 22 schedule, as it begins with a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back and ends with a third game on Thursday. However, that may work in Black’s favor, especially for managers who conserve their transactions and can drop him after Thuesday’s action.
PG/SG Davion Mitchell (13%), Miami Heat
Mitchell may not rank among the best point guards regarding fantasy value, but the playing time has been there in Miami. Over the past two weeks, “Off Night” has logged 32.4 minutes per game while ranking just outside the top 100 in eight-cat formats. Mitchell has shot 52.3 percent from the field during this stretch, nearly six percentage points higher than his mark for the season (46.7). Since arriving in Miami, he has shot 51.6 percent from the field and 48.4 percent from three, averaging 1.4 three-pointers per game. Add in the assists and steals, and there’s value to be had, especially with the Heat playing four games during Week 22.
C Tristan Vukcevic (13%), Washington Wizards
Alexandre Sarr is firmly entrenched as the Wizards’ starting center and has been a much-improved player since the All-Star break. However, deep-league managers needing a center should not overlook Vukcevic, who has provided 10th-round value in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. During this run, he’s averaged 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1.4 three-pointers per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 76.5 percent from the foul line. And with Washington having four games on its Week 22 schedule, that’s even more reason to roll the dice on Vukcevic.
SF/PF Julian Champagnie (8%), San Antonio Spurs
Champagnie has been a slightly better option in nine-cat formats than eight-cat, but he’s worth a look across the board with the Spurs playing four games during Week 22. He’s hit double figures in two of his last three games, including a 20-point effort and a complete stat line in a March 23 win over the Raptors. Champagnie doesn’t need starters’ minutes to offer value, and San Antonio’s upcoming schedule makes him worth the risk in deep leagues.
