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April 11, 2021, 1:52 amWe opened with the undermanned Raptors flying out of the blocks against the Cavs. Chris Boucher cooled off after his career night, while Gary Trent Jr. exploded with 44 points on wildly unsustainable shooting. However, it was Malachi Flynn who once again controlled things and continues to demonstrate just how good he could be. Kyle Lowry is slated to return on Sunday but with Fred VanVleet out at least one more game, Flynn should continue to have value for at least a little while longer. The Cavs were basically out of this one after the first quarter, resulting in some interesting rotations. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland were both productive and Kevin Love continues to look decent enough in limited minutes. The talking point here was Isaiah Hartenstein who turned in another gem of a performance. As soon as Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance Jr. return, the playing time is likely to evaporate for Hartenstein. Until then, he needs to be looked at in all formats.
The Lakers shocked the Nets, recording a comfortable victory thanks to a balanced offensive onslaught. Andre Drummond had his best game as a Laker and needs to be rostered everywhere, at least for now. Kevin Durant moved into the starting lineup and saw his playing time increase to 24 minutes. Outside of his performance, there were not many positives for the Nets and they will simply move on and look forward to their next outing. The Kings hung with the Jazz but were outclassed down the stretch. Richaun Holmes and De’Aaron Fox were the standout performers for the Kings, while Delon Wright played just nine minutes and he can safely be dropped everywhere. Donovan Mitchell had 42 points for the Jazz and they simply keep rolling along as the best team in the NBA. Despite Jordan Clarkson sitting this one out, Bojan Bogdanovic failed to impress and he really needs to be viewed as a streaming option only.
Joel Embiid had his way with the inexperienced Thunder frontcourt, guiding the Sixers to an easy win. Ben Simmons continues to struggle and while he is clearly not a drop, trading him away is not a good idea given how low his value is right now. Tony Bradley had another strong game for the Thunder and although Moses Brown continues to start, there is a case to be made for Bradley being the more consistent option. The Pistons welcomed back Mason Plumlee but he played just 18 minutes in what was a blowout loss. It seems inevitable that his playing time is going to trend in the wrong direction but as of right now, he remains a must-roster player. Killian Hayes finished with just two points in 17 minutes and it would seem he is a while off being a consistent fantasy asset. Jusuf Nurkic was out for the Blazers, allowing Enes Kanter to take full advantage of the Pistons sub-par resilience. He ended with 24 points and 30 rebounds and despite Nurkic being back in the picture, he can still have some value moving forward.
The Wizards couldn’t keep pace with the Suns who cruised to victory without really breaking a sweat. The playing time was down across the board and so taking too much away from this one is pointless. Daniel Gafford returned for the Wizards and played 17 minutes off the bench. Alex Len continues to start for some reason and given Scott Brooks’ track record, it is going to be hard to put our faith in Gafford until we see some consistent playing time. Steph Curry dropped a casual 38 points including eight triples as the Warriors closed the night with a win over the Rockets. Jordan Poole found his rhythm, scoring 21 points of his own. Outside of being a points streamer, Poole is not a player to prioritize in 12-team formats. Christian Wood continues to be serviceable but the numbers are not what we had been hoping for. Jae’sean Tate fouled out but not before contributing 11 rebounds and four steals to go with seven points. His offensive game is not there yet but his ability to put up numbers across the board makes him a solid 12-team option.
Add(s) of the Night
Kelly Olynyk, F/C, Houston Rockets – Olynyk has carved out a nice role for himself with the Rockets and if he has fallen through the cracks in your league, make sure it doesn’t stay that way any longer.
Malachi Flynn, G, Toronto Raptors – Flynn’s value seems dependant on the availability of others. However, he has been excellent for the Raptors over the past week, and even when they are fully healthy, there is a case to be made for him playing more down the stretch.
Drop Zone
Seth Curry, G, Philadelphia 76ers – Despite holding down a substantial role, Curry just isn’t doing enough to be held in standard formats. GMs are likely to get more value out of streaming his spot.
Blake Griffin, F, Brooklyn Nets – In case anyone is still holding onto hope, he can safely be dropped everywhere.
Injury Report
Pascal Siakam was given the night off for rest purposes
Kyle Lowry missed another game but appears as though he will return on Sunday
Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance Jr. continue to miss time
Kyle Kuzma and Marc Gasol were both out due to injuries, with neither sounding serious
Jordan Clarkson missed his second straight game due to an ankle sprain
Tobias Harris and Danny Green were both out but the opposition may have been a factor here
Aleksej Pokusevski left Saturday’s game with an arm injury and was unable to return
Darius Bazley returned and is probably worth a look at this point
Mason Plumlee returned for the Pistons but played just 18 minutes
Jusuf Nurkic was out as part of his injury management
Davis Bertans was having a rest
Bradley Beal didn’t play on the second night of a back-to-back
Sterling Brown left with a knee injury and didn’t return
Kelly Oubre Jr. was out with a wrist injury suffered in their previous game
James Wiseman injured his knee and is slated for an MRI
Late Season Streamers
The fantasy playoffs are right on our doorstep and for many, productivity is at a premium. Whether you are in a head-to-head league or simply looking to push up in a roto format, streaming is going to be one of the keys to success. With that in mind, let’s run through a few names who might be able to give you the boost you need to get over the line.
Points
Gary Trent Jr, G, Toronto Raptors
Dillon Brooks, G/F, Memphis Grizzlies
Darius Bazley, F, Oklahoma City Thunder
Rui Hachimura, F, Washington Wizards
Danilo Gallinari, F, Atlanta Hawks
Rebounds
Enes Kanter, C, Portland Trail Blazers
Bobby Portis, F/C, Milwaukee Bucks
Isaiah Hartenstein, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tristan Thompson, F/C, Boston Celtics
Tony Bradley, C, Oklahoma City Thunder
Assists
Cory Joseph, G, Detroit Pistons
Malachi Flynn, G, Toronto Raptors
Rajon Rondo, G, Los Angeles Clippers
D.J. Augustin, G, Houston Rockets
Tomas Satoransky, G, Chicago Bulls
Steals
Malachi Flynn, G, Toronto Raptors
Talen Horton-Tucker, F, Los Angeles Lakers
Kent Bazemore, G/F, Golden State Warriors
Josh Okogie, G/F, Minnesota Timberwolves
Justin Holiday, F, Indiana Pacers
Blocks
Isaiah Hartenstein, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
Daniel Gafford, C, Washington Wizards
Tony Bradley, C, Oklahoma City Thunder
Mo Bamba, C, Orlando Magic
Taj Gibson, F/C, New York Knicks
3-Pointers
Duncan Robinson, F, Miami Heat
Davis Bertans, F, Washington Wizards
Gary Trent Jr, G, Toronto Raptors
Joe Ingles, F, Utah Jazz
Reggie Bullock, G, New York Knicks
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On Malach Flynn after Lowry and Fvv return,..cite below
“there are some positive signs, too. In the three games before Hood’s injury, Flynn was playing 78% of his minutes alongside Hood – meaning they aren’t competing for minutes. In the four games before Lowry’s injury, Flynn shared the floor with Lowry for roughly half of his minutes, implying that coach Nick Nurse is willing to have the guards share the court together. Finally, in the first game of Flynn’s current streak, during which VanVleet suffered his injury early in the third quarter, Flynn was already on track to set a season-high in minutes before VanVleet got hurt.”
Alex Rikken Rotowire.com week 16 pick ups