Friday’s Daily Dish: DeMar “It Goes In” DeRozan

Friday night brought ten more games of NBA action including another red-hot shooting performance from DeMar DeRozan who looks like he’s forgotten how to miss a shot over the last few weeks. His performance on Friday marked his tenth straight game shooting at least 52% from the field. What do we make of the suddenly historically-efficient DeRozan? We answer that question and more after a quick add/drops and injury update from Friday night.

Add(s) of the Night

Jaxson Hayes, C, New Orleans Pelicans – 29 minutes, 18 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, two blocks, one steal, 7-for-8 FG

With Derrick Favors going down yet again with a right hamstring injury, it was Jaxson Hayes who stepped up and took control of the frontcourt void with a rock-solid performance. It’s not unheard of for Favors to take his time getting back onto the court after injuries and Hayes is worth an add to wait and see how long Favors is out. It’s quite likely he misses a few weeks and Hayes will put up standard-league value in that time as he has clearly surpassed Jahlil Okafor in the rotation.

Alex Len, C, Atlanta Hawks – 25 minutes, 10 points, 14 rebounds, one block, 5-for-9 FG

Alex Len is far from an exciting fantasy option, but his recent run of production is becoming harder and harder to ignore. While coming off the bench for the Hawks, Len has scored in double digits in six of his last seven games while also averaging over eight rebounds per game. Don’t think of him as a potential game changer, but if you need some big man stats for the back end of your roster take a look and see if he’s available as it seems his role coming off the bench is safe for the time being.

If you’re looking for more potential adds, check out our Pickups of the Night, part of the Hoop Ball Gametime Premium package.

Drop Zone

We’re not saying that you have to drop any of these guys, only that you should at least consider it depending who’s on your waiver wire. Your mileage may vary based on league size and team build, but for the most part we’ll try to cut dead weight in the 12-team range.

RJ Barrett

RJ Barret’s college production and draft pedigree suggest he has a high ceiling in fantasy but the simple truth is his rookie season has been one to forget so far. Considering he averages a miserable 39/30/58 percentage slash line and only averages 13 points, five rebounds and two assists it’s clear that the negative impact he has on turnovers and efficiency is not even close to worth the pedestrian production he produces elsewhere. Other than dynasty leagues, I see no reason to continue to subject your fantasy team to such cannibalization of your efficiency stats. Cut him loose for someone in a good streaming spot and your fantasy production can only improve. 

Kendrick Nunn

One of the better rookies so far this year and a feel-good story for the Miami Heat player development team, Kendrick Nunn is starting to fall victim to the dreaded Miami minutes crunch. Even though Justise Winslow didn’t play again tonight, Nunn logged just 23 minutes which was the fewest in the starting lineup. The elite steals production from the beginning of the year has also been tailing off. If you want to wait until Winslow returns and see what happens I don’t blame you, but if there’s a must-add option on your wire don’t hesitate to part with Nunn if he’s your worst player. 

Injury Report

Derrick Favors suffered a right hamstring injury in Friday’s game and did not return

DeMar “It Goes In” DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan is on an absolutely insane ten-game run. Starting with the game agains the Clippers on 12/21, DeRozan has yet to see his field goal percentage dip below 52%. In that time, he’s averaging a chill 26.2 points, 5.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals on 64% shooting and 89% at the free throw line. This run of production puts DeRozan in the top-10 among fantasy players over the last two weeks.

Simply put, if DeRozan is on your team right now he has been absolutely carrying your scoring and efficiency categories while still not contributing in threes. How on brand. That being said, it is the perfect time to shop DeRozan around and see if anyone out there thinks this hot streak will last because if history is any indication it won’t.

If anyone is willing to offer a top-25 type fantasy asset for DeRozan right now, I think you have to do it as the hot shooting is a very safe bet to come back down to earth and it could happen quickly.

Thaddeus Young or Daniel Gafford?

As you all know, fantasy basketball many times revolves around injuries and the opportunities that arise in the wake of those injuries. There is a situation like this brewing in Chicago right now where Wendell Carter Jr. is projected to miss some weeks with a severe ankle injury. Two names have surfaced as the main ones to add in Thaddeus Young and Daniel Gafford. But who knows what Jim Boylen is going to do on a regular basis?

Since Carter Jr. went down, both Young and Gafford have drawn starts and neither have been overly effective. For now, I’d say who you add will depend on your team situation. If you are in need of some more immediate production, go with Young. If you are higher in the standings and looking for a high-upside play, Gafford is your guy.