In the Emirates NBA Cup, the Atlanta Hawks have proven to be “giant killers” to a certain extent, knocking off Boston and Cleveland to win their group and advance to the quarterfinals. On Wednesday, the Hawks added the Knicks to that list, ratcheting up the defensive effort during the second half to win 108-100. While De’Andre Hunter (41% rostered, Yahoo) didn’t contribute any defensive stats, his offensive production off the bench was massive.
Shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-6 from the foul line, he tallied a team-high 24 points and shot 4-of-5 from three. The lack of rebounds (one) was a bit disappointing, but Hunter’s production this season has been surprisingly good. He’s provided 7th-round value in 9-cat formats, just outside the top 75. While Zaccharie Risacher’s production has waned recently, it may be in Atlanta’s best interest to keep Hunter in his current reserve role. And the minutes will be there, with Hunter averaging nearly 29 minutes per game over the past three weeks.
Let’s look at a few more of Wednesday’s top pickups. The list includes players whose teams will be active on Thursday.
PG Payton Pritchard (54%), Boston Celtics
Pritchard has been productive enough to merit being rostered in most standard leagues, and he could have added value based on the injury report released ahead of Thursday’s game against the Pistons. Fellow reserve Sam Hauser (right adductor strain) is doubtful to play, while Jayson Tatum (right patella tendinopathy) is questionable. Even if Tatum plays against Detroit, Pritchard will be worth the risk. Also, the Celtics end their week against the Wizards on Sunday night. Fantasy managers in leagues where Pritchard is available should strongly consider adding him.
SF/PF Tari Eason (51%), Houston Rockets (returned Wednesday)
Eason was back in the Rockets’ rotation after missing two games due to a stint in the NBA’s concussion protocol. The final stat line, nine points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer in 24 minutes, will not jump off the page. But Eason has provided top-50 fantasy value this season in 23.0 minutes per game. He’ll have value for the rest of the season, beginning with Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal against the Thunder.
SG/SF Buddy Hield (48%), Golden State Warriors
Hield has started three of Golden State’s last four games, including Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup with the Rockets. He got going in the second half, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds, two steals, three blocks, and three 3-pointers in 35 minutes. Fantasy managers should not count on that defensive production moving forward, but Hield, as a starter, should be rostered in far more Yahoo leagues. Also, he passed the 2,000 3-pointer mark for his career, the 17th player in the history of the NBA. The only concern is that Steve Kerr may have much more tinkering to do with his rotation. The Warriors will face the Mavericks on Sunday to end their week.
C Yves Missi (36%), New Orleans Pelicans
Still rostered in less than 40% of Yahoo leagues, Missi is a rare player who fantasy managers should overlook his current ranking because of the situation. While his season-long fantasy ranking is outside the top 150, the rookie center has been a 9th-round player over the past two weeks. In addition to the absences of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, the Pelicans will be without the seldom-used Karlo Matkovic (lower back spasms) for Thursday’s game against the Kings. That leaves Missi and Daniel Theis to handle the center responsibilities, and the rookie has tightened his grip on the starting job in recent weeks.
SG/SF Ochai Agbaji (20%), Toronto Raptors
On Wednesday, it was announced that Scottie Barnes (right ankle sprain) will be sidelined for “weeks” after falling injured during Monday’s loss to the Knicks. Agbaji has been a fixture in the starting lineup since November 1, providing 10th-round per-game value in 9-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster. With Barnes and Immanuel Quickley (elbow) sidelined, Agbaji is one of the players well-positioned to take on more responsibility. Gradey Dick (46%) would also qualify, and Kelly Olynyk (18%) should be in the mix once he’s playing without a minutes restiction.
SG/SF/PF Brandon Boston Jr. (19%), New Orleans Pelicans
As mentioned above, the Pelicans won’t have Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson for a while. Boston is the best non-Missi streaming option among those who aren’t already rostered in a high percentage of Yahoo leagues. He’s been a 9th-round player in 9-cat formats since November 1, averaging 29.7 minutes per game. Since Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum have been in the lineup together (November 27), Boston’s played 23.4 minutes. The decrease hasn’t been sharp enough to wholly disregard him, especially with the fourth-year wing playing 28 minutes in Sunday’s loss to the Spurs. The positional versatility doesn’t hurt Boston in Yahoo leagues, either.
PG/SG Davion Mitchell (4%), Toronto Raptors
With Scottie Barnes joining Immanuel Quickley on the sideline, the Raptors will lack playmakers for the foreseeable future. RJ Barrett will surely benefit, but he’s already rostered in 93% of Yahoo leagues. Mitchell hasn’t been a great fantasy option this season, but Barnes’ absence will boost the values of multiple players, including “Off Night.” Deeper-league managers should keep an eye on Jonathan Mogbo (3%) and Ja’Kobe Walter (1%), especially in preparation for Week 8 (Yahoo leagues).
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