Only five games on the docket on what was a quiet night around the association. We tipped things off with the Heat eventually doing enough to take care of the Rockets whole lost both Victor Oladipo and P.J. Tucker during the course of the game. Jimmy Butler triple-doubled for the Heat, while DeMarcus Cousins continues to play limited minutes despite starting. The Celtics got 24 points out of Semi Ojeleye and a combined 19 assists out of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum as they took care of business against the Raptors. Chris Boucher had another strong performance for Toronto, with foul trouble the only thing slowing him down. The Pacers bounced back against the Pistons thanks to another dominant performance by Domantas Sabonis. The Pistons were without Mason Plumlee, who was a late scratch due to elbow bursitis, allowing Sabonis to have his way down the corridor. Jeremy Lamb moved to the bench and turned things around 17 points and two steals in 28 minutes. Isaiah Stewart started for the Pistons and turned in the best performance of his young career Dennis Smith Jr. made his debut for Detroit, recording just four points in 16 minutes. The Warriors emerged victorious over a dogged Magic team who lost Frank Mason III after only four minutes. James Ennis double-doubled, while Dwayne Bacon had 20 points to go with a decent line. Steph Curry casually dropped another 40 points including 10 triples and Kelly Oubre Jr. continues to get back on track with a 17-and-10 double-double of his own. Finally, the Blazers upset the high-flying Sixers despite still being down on troops. Carmelo Anthony turned back the clock with 24 points, including four triples, while Ben Simmons had his best game of the season.

Add(s) of the Night

T.J. McConnell, G, Indiana Pacers – McConnell has quietly moved out of streaming territory and into must-roster consideration. His playing time is up and if you are looking for assists and steals, he needs to be added.

Jae’sean Tate, F, Houston Rockets – Tate has been flirting with 12-team value all season and if Tucker and Oladipo are forced to miss time, Tate becomes a sneaky add in competitive formats.

James Ennis, F, Orlando Magic – This is by no means a must-roster situation but the Magic simply have no one else available and so Ennis is going to be playing a ton of minutes.

Drop Zone

Wayne Ellington, G, Detroit Pistons – Ellington has officially cooled off and there is no point holding him while we wait for him to get hot again.

Tristan Thompson, F/C, Boston Celtics – Thompson continues to provide decent rebounding numbers but his upside is too limited to consider him a standard league asset. By all means, stream him in as required, just don’t go getting too attached.

Injury Report

Tyler Herro was a late scratch due to health and safety protocols

Goran Dragic remains out but should return soon

Victor Oladipo was unable to go during the second half after injuring his foot/ankle

P.J. Tucker also sat out the final minutes of the game with a thigh concern

OG Anunoby was questionable but was ultimately ruled out

Yuta Watanabe was also missing after earlier being listed as questionable

Robert Williams III did not play on Thursday due to hip soreness

Mason Plumlee did not play due to an elbow bursitis

Frank Jackson sat out due to illness

Evan Fournier and Cole Anthony were unable to play on Thursday

Frank Mason III was ruled out after only four minutes due to a groin strain

Shake Milton was ruled out due to an ankle injury

Nassir Little returned after missing the previous four games

Category Busters

We are really into the grind now and our strengths and weaknesses are clearly defined by this point. However; we cannot project injuries and player absences, making streaming a continued battle. On any given week, a handful of steals or a strong shooting night can be the difference between winning and losing. You could be looking for someone to stream in for a day or two, just to boost you in a particular area. Maybe you need a player for a week, based on matchup and your opponents’ injury list. For that reason, let’s go through a few players who are readily available in standard leagues and yet, can provide short-term value in specific categories.

*Brackets are averages over the past two weeks

Points

Josh Jackson (18.2) – G/F, Detroit Pistons

Kendrick Nunn (17.0) – G, Miami Heat

Hamidou Diallo (16.4) – G/F, Oklahoma City Thunder

Tim Hardaway Jr. (16.4) – G, Dallas Mavericks

3-pointers

Kelly Olynyk (3.3) – F/C, Miami Heat

Eric Gordon (3.3) –  G, Houston Rockets

Bryn Forbes (3.3) – G, Milwaukee Bucks

Kendrick Nunn (2.8) – G, Miami Heat

Rebounds

Ivica Zubac (8.6) – C, Los Angeles Clippers

Josh Hart (7.9) – G/F, New Orleans Pelicans

DeAndre Jordan (7.6) – Brooklyn Nets

Jakob Poeltl (7.6) – San Antonio Spurs

Assists

T.J. McConnell (8.1) – G, Indiana Pacers

Ricky Rubio (6.8) – G, Minnesota Timberwolves

Ish Smith (5.9) – G, Washington Wizards

Joe Ingles (5.7) – G/F, Utah Jazz

Steals

Matisse Thybulle (1.9) – G/F, Philadelphia 76ers

Kendrick Nunn (1.8) – G, Miami Heat

Ricky Rubio (1.6) – G, Minnesota Timberwolves

T.J. McConnell (1.5) – G, Indiana Pacers

Blocks

Nerlens Noel (3.0) – C, New York Knicks

Jakob Poeltl (2.3) – C, San Antonio Spurs

Derrick Favors (1.5) – F/C, Utah Jazz

Daniel Gafford (1.4) – C, Chicago Bulls

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