Fantasy Basketball Pickups: The return of the Time Lord

Few players have been more frustrating to have rostered in fantasy leagues than Robert Williams (12% rostered, Yahoo), as he’s been unable to stay on the court. He returned from a strained hamstring last week, and there were questions regarding how (or if) Blazers coach Chauncey Billups would play all three of his big men. But things sorted themselves out on Tuesday, as starter Deandre Ayton was sidelined with a finger injury.

Rookie Donovan Clingan started at center, but Williams was most impactful. The Time Lord finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and three blocks in 25 minutes. That’s an excellent line for a player who has struggled to remain healthy and a reminder of what he can do when playing quality minutes. So, should you rush to add Williams now if he’s still on the waiver wire? No, and the schedule is why. Portland and Minnesota play again on Wednesday; after that, the next game is on Sunday against the Hawks.

Not the best spot to be in regarding fantasy value, but it was good to see Williams contribute as much as he did on Tuesday. Let’s look at some of Tuesday’s top pickups.

De’Anthony Melton (27%), Golden State Warriors

Melton’s injury history is why his rostered percentage is so low, but he has played well recently. One game removed from recording a double-double in a win over the Thunder, he finished Tuesday’s win over the Warriors with 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 26 minutes. Given the number of perimeter options at Steve Kerr’s disposal, Melton’s minutes are unlikely to increase much in the near future. But he has the skill set that has proven to be fantasy-friendly; the key for Melton is to stay on the floor.

Jared McCain (21%), Philadelphia 76ers

McCain’s starting to heat up, scoring 18 points or more in three straight games. He scored 23 in Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks, shooting 7-of-16 from the field while also tallying three steals, two assists, and four 3-pointers. He also put up those numbers as part of a rotation that included Joel Embiid and Paul George. Between Tyrese Maxey’s hamstring injury and the possibility of Embiid and George sitting out Wednesday’s game against Cleveland, McCain should have some staying power in the short term.

Grant Williams (20%) and Moussa Diabate (3%), Charlotte Hornets

While Charlotte kept Taj Gibson in its starting lineup for Tuesday’s game in Orlando, the decision was made to plug in Williams, with rookie Tidjane Salaun returning to the bench. Williams had a solid night in the 25-point defeat, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals, and three 3-pointers in 31 minutes. However, the breakout player was Diabate, who played 30 minutes off the bench and finished with 12 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and three blocked shots. With Nick Richards and Mark Williams still sidelined, Willians and Diabate are worth considering in deep leagues. If Diabate can consistently get into the mid-20s in minutes, the rebounding and defensive stats will increase his value in deep leagues.

Grayson Allen (15%) and Mason Plumlee (5%), Phoenix Suns

The Suns played Tuesday’s game on Utah without Jusuf Nurkic, who has been dealing with a sore ankle. Plumlee was solid in the starting lineup, finishing with 15 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, and one block in 26 minutes. If Nurkic cannot play in Wednesday’s game against the Kings, Plumlee would be worth a look in incredibly deep leagues, but that’s about it. Allen is mentioned in this space because Bradley Beal exited Tuesday’s win due to calf tightness. If he cannot play on Wednesday, that likely opens things up for Allen to slide into the starting perimeter role.

Davion Mitchell (14%), Toronto Raptors

With Immanuel Quickley (elbow) sidelined for at least one week, Mitchell is back on the streaming radar, especially for managers needing assists and steals. And that was pretty much all he supplied in Tuesday’s loss to the Bucks. He missed both shots from the field and scored one point with four rebounds, eight assists, and one steal in 33 minutes. Toronto doesn’t play again until Friday against the Pistons, which is not the best schedule for Mitchell.

Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics (5%)

Queta didn’t do much in Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks, logging 21 minutes and going scoreless with five rebounds and two blocked shots. Boston’s schedule, as they visit the Nets on Wednesday, makes him on the list. That means Al Horford is likely off the board, as he did not play both ends of any back-to-backs last season. Queta is a better streaming option than Luke Kornet, who only played four minutes against the Hawks.

Larry Nance Jr. (2%) and Keaton Wallace (2%), Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta was outstanding on Tuesday, assisting on 35 of their 50 made shots. Starting for Trae Young (Achilles), Wallace played 32 minutes and dished out eight assists while committing two turnovers. As for Nance, he played 27 minutes off the bench and got hot deep, shooting 5-of-6 and finishing with 19 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one blocked shot. The Hawks closed with Nance and Onyeka Okongwu on the court, while starter Clint Capela only played 17 minutes. The Hawks don’t play again until Friday, so managers missed the prime opportunity to roll the dice on Nance or Wallace.