Fantasy Basketball Pickups: Kel’El Ware, Nikola Jovic flourish without Butler

Monday’s game against Orlando was the first for Miami since the franchise announced earlier in the day that Jimmy Butler was suspended indefinitely. His most recent transgression was leaving the pregame shootaround after being informed that Haywood Highsmith would replace him in the starting lineup. An indefinite suspension runs for at least five games, meaning Butler won’t be available to play again for the Heat until after the February 6 trade deadline. And given how the situation has played out, he’ll likely be done for the season if Miami doesn’t make a deal.

Highsmith only played 19 minutes in Monday’s double-overtime victory, and he wasn’t the player who fantasy managers should target in the aftermath of Butler’s most recent suspension. C Kel’El Ware (46%) was already worth adding due to his move into the starting lineup, and he finished the win with 19 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, one block, and four 3-pointers in 43 minutes. He’s provided quality spacing within the Heat offense, which is why the partnership between the rookie and Bam Adebayo has worked so well.

As for players available in more leagues than Ware, PF/C Nikola Jovic (32%) and SG/SF Duncan Robinson (18%) are the best pickups. Despite coming off the bench, Jovic played 47 of a possible 58 minutes, tallying 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three 3-pointers. Over the past two weeks, he has offered top-75 value in 8-cat formats. Robinson has been a top-100 player during this stretch, and he finished Monday’s win with 15 points, three rebounds, four assists, three steals, and three 3-pointers in 45 minutes. He’s primarily a points and 3-pointers option, with the assists and steals being welcome bonuses.

Here are a few more of Monday’s top pickups:

SF/PF De’Andre Hunter (40%), Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks played Monday’s loss to the Timberwolves without Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, and Jalen Johnson. That freed up opportunities for Hunter despite his coming off the bench. Shooting 12-of-21 from the field, he tallied a career-high 35 points with two rebounds, one assist, and four 3-pointers in 32 minutes. Hunter isn’t going to provide much value outside of points and 3-pointers. Still, he’s been productive enough to merit being rostered in standard leagues, especially with Johnson’s shoulder injury likely costing him multiple games.

SG/SF Malik Beasley (36%), Detroit Pistons

Detroit struggled mightily in Monday’s 19-point loss in Cleveland, with three starters (Tim Hardaway Jr., Ausar Thompson, and Tobias Harris) combining to score 10 points on 4-of-23 shooting. Beasley was one of the few bright spots, shooting 5-of-8 from three and finishing with 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 23 minutes. With Jaden Ivey (leg) out indefinitely, Beasley has value, but the inconsistency makes him challenging to trust in standard leagues.

PG/SG/SF Ayo Dosunmu (25%), Chicago Bulls

Dosunmu returned to the Bulls’ starting lineup on Monday, replacing Patrick Williams. While Williams was solid against the Nuggets, Dosunmu remains the superior deep-league option. Ayo finished the 129-121 victory over Denver with 17 points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals, one blocked shot, and four 3-pointers in 34 minutes. With Coby White (ankle) not expected back until the final game of Chicago’s upcoming road trip and Zach LaVine not traveling due to the pending birth of his third child, Dosunmu will continue to play starters’ minutes.

SG/SF Bruce Brown (11%), Toronto Raptors

For some veterans, this is “showcase time,” when they may see more playing time than usual in hopes of drumming up added interest ahead of the trade deadline. Whether or not Brown is in that spot is unknown, but his name has come up in recent trade rumors. And given his role on the Nuggets squad that won the 2023 NBA title, it’s understandable why. Brown played 29 minutes off the bench in Monday’s win over New Orleans, finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and three steals. What helps for the remainder of Week 14 is that the Raptors play three more games, including matchups with Washington (Wednesday) and Chicago (Friday).

SG/SF Josh Okogie (3%), Charlotte Hornets

Unlike in Phoenix, Okogie may have a path to fantasy relevance in Charlotte. While Nick Smith Jr. was the player moved into the starting lineup after Brandon Miller suffered a season-ending wrist injury, that lineup change also freed up opportunities for Okogie. He played 25 minutes off the bench in Monday’s loss to the Lakers, finishing with 19 points, two rebounds, two assists, four steals, and three 3-pointers. The only Hornets reserve who played more was Vasilije Micic, and his playing time increased due to LaMelo Ball suffering an ankle injury. Okogie’s worth watching moving forward, especially while rookie Tidjane Salaun is in the G League.

C Day’Ron Sharpe (3%), Brooklyn Nets

Due to injuries and Nic Claxton’s poor play, the Nets’ frontcourt has been a mess recently. Noah Clowney exited Monday’s loss to Sacramento with a sprained ankle, and Sharpe received more opportunities as a result. In 23 minutes, he tallied 12 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, three steals, and one blocked shot. While SF/PF Tosan Evbuomwan (1%) also had a productive night off the bench for Brooklyn, Sharpe may be the safer target for managers beginning to prepare for the “silly season.”

C Luke Kornet (2%), Boston Celtics

Kornet wasn’t supposed to start Monday’s game against Houston, but then Al Horford’s injured toe flared up. The veteran center wasn’t officially declared out, but he went from being announced as a starter to being removed from the lineup. Horford did not play, while Kornet started the two-point loss to the Rockets and finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one blocked shot in 33 minutes. Kornet will have streaming value if Horford isn’t available for Wednesday’s game against the Bulls.