Fantasy Basketball Pickups: Bol Bol balls out as a starter

Tuesday’s NBA slate was a small one, featuring just four games. It was the calm before the storm, as all 30 teams in the Association will be in action on Wednesday on the eve of the All-Star break.

New York rolled to victory over Indiana thanks to 70 combined points from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. With OG Anunoby out again, Precious Achiuwa (16% rostered) had another strong performance with nine points, 12 rebounds, two assists and a swat. Achiuwa is available in 84% of fantasy leagues, and he could get one more game in the starting five if Anunoby sits out Wednesday.

On the other side of the court, Thomas Bryant (8%) finished with 18/9/4, a blocked shot and a triple while filling in for Myles Turner. Turner is out again on Wednesday, which means we’ll get another look at Bryant in the starting five. Both Achiuwa and Bryant are worth adding if you need big man help on Wednesday.

Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley powered the Raptors past the 76ers, as Tyrese Maxey delivered one of the worst offensive performances of his career. Kelly Oubre Jr.. and Paul George didn’t offer much, but the Sixers may have found a new member of their starting five.

Justin Edwards was replaced by Quentin Grimes (14%) after the break, and Grimes had a solid showing. He finished with 13 points (5-of-12 FG), seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and a triple across 36 minutes, and he’s worth adding for Wednesday and potentially holding for the home stretch.

It was an ugly sight to behold at United Center as the Bulls put up 29 first-half points and ultimately fell to the Pistons by 40.

Chicago didn’t have any bright spots to offer, but Detroit sure did. Malik Beasley (40%) stroked seven treys in just 16 minutes to lead all scorers. Beasley has hit 21 threes across his last three games while attempting a bonkers 43 shots from beyond the arc in that span.

He’s second in the Association only to Anthony Edwards in threes made and threes attempted, and he’s provided a nice offensive spark for the Pistons in his first season with the team.

His seven three-pointers vaulted him into the history books, as he now owns the Pistons’ single-season record for made three-pointers, besting Saddiq Bey’s mark of 211 set in 2021-22. With 28 games still to play, Beasley is on pace to join Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and James Harden as the only players in league history with 300 made triples in a single season.

Beasley is still available in 60% of fantasy leagues, and he’s well worth the add if you need points and triples. Beasley is ranked just outside the top 120 in per-game fantasy value on the season, but he’s inside the top 65 over the last two weeks.

The nightcap brought back a familiar face as Bol Bol (15%) drew his first start in nearly two years and nearly posted a double-double in the first half alone. He finished behind only Kevin Durant for team lead in the scoring department and, as expected, he provided monster defensive stats to go with a game-high rebound total and some useful three-pointers.

This performance gave us all the feels and brought on a wave of nostalgia as our former fantasy hero delivered one of the best performances of the night. It would be hard for Coach Bud to keep Bol out of the starting lineup Wednesday, and that’s where we expect him to be since Bradley Beal is still out. Make sure to grab him off the waiver wire and confidently stream.