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This column will concentrate on borderline fantasy options who should get strong consideration to start/bench during the upcoming week based on schedules. Something to note: Leading up to the All-Star Break, every team in the league plays either one or two games this week.
Wayne Ellington: He’s averaged 17.4 points, 1.0 steals and 2.4 3pt over the past five contests, when Ellington has been a top-75 player. While he’s shot poorly over that span, he’s also been given 39.0 mpg while getting 15.6 FGA. To put that in perspective, the former would be the second highest in the NBA this season, while the latter would be more than Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Dirk Nowitzki and John Wall. In fact, among the top-30 fantasy assets this season, only 12 have more FGA than Ellington has over this stretch. It’s a small sample, but it’s also clear he’s going to be the biggest beneficiary of Kobe Bryant’s season-ending injury. Both of the Lakers’ matchups in Week 16 come against teams that rank in the top-10 in PACE, but even for a season-long view, it seems crazy Ellington is owned in just 26 percent of Yahoo leagues.
J.R. Smith: Over the last five games, he’s averaged 13.2 points, 2.2 steals and 3.2 3pt while committing just 0.8 tpg and shooting 47.2 percent from the field (which would easily be a career high). Smith was nothing short of a disaster with New York earlier this year, but since joining Cleveland, he’s been the No. 38 ranked fantasy player over 16 games. Still available in a quarter of Yahoo leagues, Smith is worth starting in all weeks, let alone ones in which the Cavs play an NBA high.
Devin Harris: With Rajon Rondo sidelined throughout the All-Star Break, J.J. Barea has moved into the starting lineup, but it’s Harris who gets the bigger fantasy boost. While the former has shot an ugly 37.0 percent (20-of-54) from the floor with just one steal in five games since Rondo went down, the latter has averaged 2.6 3pt and 0.6 blocks with a 4:1 AST:TO ratio. Harris has been the No. 53 ranked fantasy player over the past week yet is owned in only 12 percent of Yahoo leagues. Assuming his recent ankle tweak isn’t serious, he should continue to see a nice increase in minutes and Usage Rate in Week 16, when both of Dallas’ opponents rank in the bottom-half in Defensive Efficiency (moreover, the Mavs are one of only two teams to play an NBA-high three games in Week 17).
Markieff Morris: He’s owned in 88 percent of Yahoo leagues despite not being a top-150 player over the past month. Morris’ prolonged shooting slump will come to an end at some point, but the Suns play just one game in Week 16, and that’s against a Houston team that has third best Defensive Efficiency in the NBA.*
Nicolas Batum: I’ve been on board with Batum as a buy-low candidate for some time, but it’s become increasingly hard to deny his struggles, as he’s shot an ugly 31.9 percent from the field over the last 16 games, a span in which he’s been the No. 162 ranked player. It’s clear his wrist injury has really hindered his shooting ability this season. Obviously don’t go dropping Batum, but Portland plays just one game next week (albeit in a favorable home matchup against a Lakers team that has the second worst Defensive Efficiency in the league), so he’s not exactly a must-start in shallower formats.
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*
Wayne Ellington: He’s averaged 17.4 points, 1.0 steals and 2.4 3pt over the past five contests, when Ellington has been a top-75 player. While he’s shot poorly over that span, he’s also been given 39.0 mpg while getting 15.6 FGA. To put that in perspective, the former would be the second highest in the NBA this season, while the latter would be more than Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Dirk Nowitzki and John Wall. In fact, among the top-30 fantasy assets this season, only 12 have more FGA than Ellington has over this stretch. It’s a small sample, but it’s also clear he’s going to be the biggest beneficiary of Kobe Bryant’s season-ending injury. Both of the Lakers’ matchups in Week 16 come against teams that rank in the top-10 in PACE, but even for a season-long view, it seems crazy Ellington is owned in just 26 percent of Yahoo leagues.
J.R. Smith: Over the last five games, he’s averaged 13.2 points, 2.2 steals and 3.2 3pt while committing just 0.8 tpg and shooting 47.2 percent from the field (which would easily be a career high). Smith was nothing short of a disaster with New York earlier this year, but since joining Cleveland, he’s been the No. 38 ranked fantasy player over 16 games. Still available in a quarter of Yahoo leagues, Smith is worth starting in all weeks, let alone ones in which the Cavs play an NBA high.
Devin Harris: With Rajon Rondo sidelined throughout the All-Star Break, J.J. Barea has moved into the starting lineup, but it’s Harris who gets the bigger fantasy boost. While the former has shot an ugly 37.0 percent (20-of-54) from the floor with just one steal in five games since Rondo went down, the latter has averaged 2.6 3pt and 0.6 blocks with a 4:1 AST:TO ratio. Harris has been the No. 53 ranked fantasy player over the past week yet is owned in only 12 percent of Yahoo leagues. Assuming his recent ankle tweak isn’t serious, he should continue to see a nice increase in minutes and Usage Rate in Week 16, when both of Dallas’ opponents rank in the bottom-half in Defensive Efficiency (moreover, the Mavs are one of only two teams to play an NBA-high three games in Week 17).
Markieff Morris: He’s owned in 88 percent of Yahoo leagues despite not being a top-150 player over the past month. Morris’ prolonged shooting slump will come to an end at some point, but the Suns play just one game in Week 16, and that’s against a Houston team that has third best Defensive Efficiency in the NBA.*
Nicolas Batum: I’ve been on board with Batum as a buy-low candidate for some time, but it’s become increasingly hard to deny his struggles, as he’s shot an ugly 31.9 percent from the field over the last 16 games, a span in which he’s been the No. 162 ranked player. It’s clear his wrist injury has really hindered his shooting ability this season. Obviously don’t go dropping Batum, but Portland plays just one game next week (albeit in a favorable home matchup against a Lakers team that has the second worst Defensive Efficiency in the league), so he’s not exactly a must-start in shallower formats.
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*