With the All-Star break in the rear view (hope you all enjoyed a little time away from the screen and box scores), it’s time for the playoff push in head-to-head leagues. The end of the season is going to come faster than you think, and for a lot of managers the playoffs start next week. That means that you can be particularly ruthless in your moves, because for a bunch of teams there will be no tomorrow. The distinction between “must-add” and “stream” is about to evaporate, and you should be making whatever moves you need to get into the playoffs at this point. If that means dropping a stash play for a guy who hits a couple extra 3-pointers on Sunday, do it if it means you’ll advance.

Managers higher up in the standings will be able to reap the benefits of their season-long supremacy, as some of the guys who get dropped in desperation will end up helping out later. With a few teams shifting to a real tank, the surprise names who end up moving the needle will be plentiful. Let’s see who’s out there.

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Tre Mann, G, Charlotte Hornets

We had Mann as a deep-league add last time, but with the caveat that he could jump up pretty easily. Turns out that’s exactly what happened, as Mann has been plugged into the starting lineup for a Hornets team that’s limping to the finish line (and near the top of the draft lottery). Mann has experience commanding a tank and played 28.6 mpg last week. His shooting percentage will keep him to late-round territory, but if you don’t care about that he’s an easy start. While he hasn’t been lighting up the scoring column last week, Mann has been able to contribute more other stats than anticipated. That’s an exciting development, as eventually the points will come.

De’Andre Hunter, F, Atlanta Hawks

Hunter finished with top-35 value last week, scoring 20.0 points per contest on .542 shooting. Throughout his career he’s only been a standout fantasy player when he’s shooting well, and while you can’t expect this to last forever, Hunter will have every opportunity to stay hot with Trae Young out for at least a month, and possibly the rest of the season. At this point in the calendar you can’t argue with results and Hunter is an add until he cools off. The Hawks are about to get an extended look at life with only one point guard in the starting lineup, which means more time for their many wings — and maybe they’ll like what they see.

Keyonte George, G, Utah Jazz

George has risen to the starting lineup and with the Jazz looking to the long-term future, it would be shocking if he wasn’t a featured player the rest of the way. Like with Mann, George’s shooting percentage will be frustrating at times, but unlike Mann he should offer a steady floor thanks to his assists. You got the full spectrum of outcomes last week, as George went for 33 points, nine triples, six assists and three steals against the Warriors while also scoring seven points on 3-for-13 shooting with six assists against San Antonio; in between those games he had 16 points and five assists against Charlotte. If he can hit the midpoint more often than not, George should be a worthwhile add.

Nick Richards, C, Charlotte Hornets

Richards is available in just over half of all Yahoo leagues, and while we do admit that he’s pretty boring, sometimes boring is good. If you need rebounds and blocks on a strong mark from the field there isn’t much to think about.

Marvin Bagley, C, Washington Wizards

In a similar vein, here’s Marvin Bagley. He’s starting by default these days and has more scoring pop than Richards. If you need help up front to get to next week, it’s an easy choice.

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