Boban Marjanovic will be a hot pickup Saturday after amassing 19 points and 12 rebounds in his first game as a starter for the 76ers. The 76ers join 23 other teams in action on a busy night in the NBA. Looking ahead, I cover a number of key injuries across all 12 games. I outline a number of potential pickups, including those players who could be streamed in either due to injuries or given their strength in one particular category. I finish off discussing each of the games, briefly talking about the points of interest. With so many teams in action Saturday, chances are a high number of your players are going to be active. Picking up a player off the waivers will need to be done carefully so as not to waste a roster spot.
Key Injuries
Joel Embiid (knee) – Out, T.J. Warren (ankle) – Out, Kevin Huerter (ankle) – Questionable, Spencer Dinwiddie (thumb) – Out, Jaren Jackson Jr. (quad) – Out, Jonas Valanciunas (personal) – Questionable, Kyle Anderson (shoulder) – Out, Tristan Thompson (foot) – Out, Myles Turner (hip) – Questionable, Lonzo Ball (ankle) – Out, Anthony Davis (rest) – Questionable, Darius Miller (ankle) – Questionable, Goran Dragic (knee) – Questionable, James Johnson (shoulder) – Out, Gordon Hayward (ankle) – Probable, Aron Baynes (foot) – Out, Karl-Anthony Towns (concussion) – Questionable, Robert Covington (ankle) – Out, Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) – Probable, Malcolm Brogdon (foot) – Probable, James Harden (neck) – Questionable, Iman Shumpert (knee) – Out, Luka Doncic (ankle) – Questionable
Potential Pickups
Jake Layman, Boban Marjanovic (stream), T.J. McConnell, Ed Davis (stream), Allen Crabbe, Ivan Rabb, Joakim Noah, Ante Zizic, Wesley Matthews, Kyle O’Quinn (stream), Reggie Bullock (stream), Cheick Diallo, Wayne Ellington (stream), Luke Kennard, Robin Lopez, Anthony Tolliver (stream), Austin Rivers (stream), Dwight Powell, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jalen Brunson
Matchups
Portland Trail Blazers @ Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid is going to miss Saturday’s game, meaning Boban Marjanovic will likely remain the starting lineup. Marjanovic went off for 19 points and 12 rebounds against the Heat and is a must-roster player right now.
Enes Kanter made his debut for the Trail Blazers against the Nets, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes. Kanter is likely owned in most leagues but his debut meant Zach Collins fell out of the rotation. It will be interesting to see if this remains the case moving forward and basically renders Collins a non-factor in most formats.
Phoenix Suns @ Atlanta Hawks
Kelly Oubre Jr. shifted into the starting lineup in the previous game, replacing Mikal Bridges. Bridges had been trending up in competitive formats but this move may derail his momentum.
Kevin Huerter missed Friday’s game and remains questionable heading into Saturday. Kent Bazemore shifted into the starting lineup, playing 34 minutes in the loss. Bazemore may have been dropped in a few leagues and could be a sneaky streaming option if Huerter remains sidelined.
Brooklyn Nets @ Charlotte Hornets
Allen Crabbe has taken little time to find his offensive rhythm, scoring at least 14 points in four straight games. He is averaging four triples over that time and appears locked in at around 30 minutes per night.
Miles Bridges moved into the starting lineup Friday, finishing with 14 points, six rebounds, three steals, and one block in 29 minutes. It is unclear whether this is going to stick moving forward or whether it was a matchup-based move. If Bridges can hang with the starters, he could be worth a look in deeper formats.
Memphis Grizzlies @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Jaren Jackson Jr. appears as though he could miss extended time with a quad injury, opening up playing time in the starting lineup. Jonas Valanciunas is hoping to be available Saturday and is obviously a must-roster player. Ivan Rabb and Joakim Noah were both strong on Friday and are worth a look as potential short-term pickups.
Ante Zizic started next to Kevin Love in their previous matchup, ending the game with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Love’s playing time is likely to start increasing and Larry Nance Jr. is also playing well. Zizic could have short-term value as long as he is playing 25 minutes per night, however, that could decrease moving forward.
Indiana Pacers @ Washington Wizards
Myles Turner missed Friday’s game with a hip injury and remains questionable heading into Saturday. Kyle O’Quinn moved into the starting lineup, allowing Domantas Sabonis to remain in the second unit. If Turner misses another game, O’Quinn could be a strong streaming option, especially in a favorable matchup against the Wizards.
Thomas Bryant played just 17 minutes Friday, his fifth straight game under 20 minutes. Despite having what could be considered a breakout season, Bryant is too inconsistent to warrant a regular spot on a standard league roster.
Los Angeles Lakers @ New Orleans Pelicans
Reggie Bullock has played at least 30 minutes in all three games for the Lakers, scoring in double-figures in two. He has hit seven triples over those last two games but typically offers little else.
Cheick Diallo ended Friday’s game with 16 points and 18 rebounds in 26 minutes. He came off the bench but outplayed Jahlil Okafor who finished with six points in just 17 minutes. Anthony Davis could miss Saturday’s game and perhaps Diallo can turn his potential into consistent fantasy production.
Detroit Pistons @ Miami Heat
Wayne Ellington has been far from spectacular over his first three games as a Piston but has hit six triples in his last two games. He has played at least 33 minutes in each of those games and appears as though he has the green light to fire away when he is open.
Goran Dragic is a chance to make his return Saturday after not playing since December 11 against the Lakers. If Dragic does return, it is likely going to result in a change to the starting lineup. At this stage it is not clear who will shift to the bench and owners should keep an eye on the rotations over the next few games.
Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls
After missing Thursday’s game, Gordon Hayward appears on track to return for Saturday’s game against the Bulls. Prior to his injury, Hayward had been playing better, scoring at least 18 points in four of his past five games. Owners will be hoping he can maintain these kinds of numbers, especially given the fantasy playoffs are just around the corner.
Robin Lopez has been excellent over the past three weeks, notching double-digit scoring in six straight games. During that time, he has blocked a combined 10 shots and shot at least 62 percent in all six games. The Bulls are paper thin at center and Lopez is worth considering if you need a reliable big man.
Sacramento Kings @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Bogdan Bogdanovic moved into the starting lineup for the Kings first game out of the All-Star break, sending Nemanja Bjelica to the bench. Not only was Bjelica relegated, but he also fell out of the rotation altogether. It is safe to assume his time as a fringe standard league player is done and he can be let go in basically all formats.
Markieff Morris made his debut for the Thunder on Friday, failing to score in 17 minutes. His role is likely to increase as he familiarizes himself with the team, however, standard league production feels improbable.
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Milwaukee Bucks
Karl-Anthony Towns missed the first game of his career after suffering a concussion in a car accident. He is traveling with the team to Milwaukee and at this stage should be considered questionable. Taj Gibson finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds Friday and would once again see a boost if Towns remains sidelined.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been struggling with an ongoing knee concern for some time but it appears as though he is going to play through. He has missed just one game all season and with the Bucks pushing for the number one seed in the East, he will likely be on the floor.
Houston Rockets @ Golden State Warriors
James Harden popped up on the injury report after Thursday’s loss to the Lakers. Any sort of injury would not be surprising given his workload over the past few months. If he is forced to miss the game, Austin Rivers could move into the starting lineup making him worth keeping an eye on in deeper formats.
Golden State is arguably the most boring team in fantasy with next to no value outside of their starting five. DeMarcus Cousins minutes restriction has been lifted and he should continue to trend up over the coming weeks. Owners should temper their expectations, however, given the talent he has to share the court with.
Dallas Mavericks @ Utah Jazz
Luka Doncic missed Friday’s game with an ankle injury which allowed Jalen Brunson to go off for a career-high 22 points. Doncic will likely be a game-time call heading into Saturday, making Brunson a risky pickup unless we get word surrounding Doncic earlier in the day.
Much like the Warriors, the Jazz are one of the more predictable fantasy outfits. Coming off a double-overtime loss to the Thunder, the Jazz could be excused for underachieving, however, they will certainly be looking to bounce back as they push for a top-four seed.
Got a question about today’s fantasy basketball fringe report? Hit Adam up on twitter @adamking91 or give a shout out to @Fantrax