Wednesday in the NBA and there were nine games on the slate, headlined by a number of blowout victories. The Brooklyn Nets held on the defeat a fast-finishing New Orleans Pelicans squad, helped along by the continued impressive play of DeMarre Carroll. He has stepped up in the absence of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and is a player to add while he is hot. I’ll look over all nine games, discussing those players who stepped up for their teams in an effort to earn a spot on your fantasy roster.
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Fantasy Basketball Fringe Report
Players to add
- Willy Hernangomez
- Tyler Johnson
- Jeff Green
- Kevin Huerter
- DeMarre Carroll
- Reggie Bullock
Players to stream
- Alec Burks
- Alex Len
- DeAndre Bembry
- Ed Davis
- Tyus Jones
- Garrett Temple
- T.J. McConnell
- De’Anthony Melton
- Nerlens Noel
- Tyson Chandler
Dallas Mavericks def. Charlotte Hornets 122-84
Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki (34%) – Drop
Dwight Powell (21%) – Drop: Powell made the most of garbage time to finish with 15 points and eight rebounds. Despite decent upside, Powell remains a non-factor in standard formats.
Dorian Finney-Smith (18%) – Drop
Maxi Kleber (15%) – Drop
Jalen Brunson (12%) – Drop
Devin Harris (6%) – Drop
Salah Mejri (2%) – Drop
Hornets
Willy Hernangomez (48%) – Add: Hernengomez started but played just 18 minutes in Wednesday’s thumping. This is likely not a true indication of the numbers he could put up as a starter and owners need to write this one off and move onto the next game.
Miles Bridges (35%) – Drop
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (23%) – Drop
Frank Kaminsky (17%) – Drop: Kaminsky is going to be in the rotation with Cody Zeller sidelined but even in a blowout loss he only played 16 minutes.
Tony Parker (16%) – Drop
Devonte Graham (10%) – Watch: Graham moved into the starting lineup Wednesday, filling in for the injured Jeremy Lamb. The game was a blowout so getting an accurate read is tough but he notched double-digits for the third straight game and is worth keeping an eye on as long as Lamb is sidelined.
Bismack Biyombo (6%) – Watch: Biyombo ended with 10 points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes during Wednesday’s loss to Dallas. With Cody Zeller out Biyombo could work his way into the rotation and depending on the play of Willy Hernangomez, could have limited streaming value.
J.P. Macura (0%) – Drop
Miami Heat def. Cleveland Cavaliers 117-92
Heat
James Johnson (47%) – Watch: Johnson returned after missing the last game, finishing with 11 points in 17 minutes. He had been trending up prior to his injury but is a tough player to add given Miami’s depth.
Rodney McGruder (42%) – Drop
Tyler Johnson (42%) – Add: Johnson scored an efficient 16 points Wednesday, continuing to play well is his backup role. Johnson has the ability to contribute in a number of areas and should be able to hold value in standard leagues moving forward.
Dion Waiters (22%) – Drop: Waiters played his first game of the season Wednesday, producing seven points in 11 minutes. He is going to be brought along slowly and at this stage, can be left alone.
Derrick Jones Jr. (20%) – Watch: Jones had another strong game Wednesday, putting up numbers across the board. Garbage time was a factor in this game but he has shown the ability to put up standard league numbers and so is someone to watch.
Cavaliers
Alec Burks (29%) – Stream: Burks notched just nine points Wednesday but has been scoring the ball well of late. He remains a low-end source of points if you can catch him on the right night.
Patrick McCaw (10%) – Watch: McCaw made his season debut for the Cavaliers, scoring two points in 18 minutes. The Cavaliers are going to want to see what they have in McCaw and so he is worth keeping an eye on.
Matthew Dellavedova (8%) – Drop
Jaron Blossomgame (7%) – Drop
Jalen Jones (2%) – Drop
Washington Wizards def. Atlanta Hawks 114-98
Wizards
Jeff Green (42%) – Add: Green scored 22 points Wednesday, playing 36 minutes despite the return of Otto Porter. As Porter works his way back, he is likely going to regain his starting spot but as of right now, Green is worth owning in standard formats.
Troy Brown (17%) – Drop
Sam Dekker (10%) – Drop
Chasson Randle (5%) – Drop
Hawks
Jeremy Lin (47%) – Drop: Lin is a borderline add but is tough to trust given his limited playing time.
Alex Len (41%) – Stream: Len moved back to the bench but still managed a 24-and-11 double-double in 27 minutes. Adding Len or Dewayne Dedmon is going to be tough given they almost cancel each other out. Dedmon is likely the center to own but Len should be given a look based on his recent production.
Kevin Huerter (36%) – Add: Huerter played a whopping 44 minutes Wednesday, the most of any Hawks player in a non-overtime game this season. He clearly has the trust of the coaching staff and should be rostered everywhere.
DeAndre Bembry (34%) – Stream: Bembry has seen his scoring fluctuate wildly over the past few weeks but he remains a solid source of steals and rebounds.
Vince Carter (9%) – Drop
Justin Anderson (6%) – Drop
Tyler Dorsey (5%) – Drop
Daniel Hamilton (3%) – Drop
Brooklyn Nets def. New Orleans Pelicans 126-121
Nets
DeMarre Carroll (39%) – Add: Carroll is rolling right now, putting up numbers reminiscent of last season. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is without a timetable to return and Carroll appears to be the major beneficiary.
Rodions Kurucs (31%) – Drop
Ed Davis (24%) – Stream: Another 12 rebounds in just 17 minutes is about as good as you will find anywhere in terms of a rebounding streamer.
Shabazz Napier (11%) – Watch: Napier has played well in three straight games but the playing time has ranged from 11 minutes to 33 minutes. Until we get a read on his role, he is going to be tough to roster.
Jared Dudley (7%) – Drop
Pelicans
Tim Frazier (14%) – Drop
Frank Jackson (11%) – Drop
Darius Miller (11%) – Drop
Solomon Hill (5%) – Drop
Boston Celtics def. Minnesota Timberwolves 115-105
Celtics
Daniel Theis (12%) – Drop
Semi Ojeleye (5%) – Drop
Guerschon Yabusele (5%) – Drop
Brad Wanamaker (3%) – Drop
PJ Dozier (1%) – Drop
Timberwolves
Tyus Jones (29%) – Stream: Jones had another impressive performance Wednesday, falling just one assist shy of back-to-back double-doubles. As long as Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose are out, Jones needs to be on a roster everywhere.
Josh Okogie (19%) – Drop
Gorgui Dieng (15%) – Drop
Anthony Tolliver (7%) – Drop
Jerryd Bayless (1%) – Drop
Jared Terrell (1%) – Drop
James Nunnally (1%) – Drop
Orlando Magic def. Chicago Bulls 112-84
Magic
Jerian Grant (19%) – Drop
Wes Iwundu (5%) – Drop
Isaiah Briscoe (4%) – Drop
Jarell Martin (4%) – Drop
Troy Caupain (2%) – Drop
Bulls
Ryan Arcidiacono (17%) – Drop
Chandler Hutchison (15%) – Drop
Shaquille Harrison (13%) – Drop: Harrison had his best game in quite some time but garbage time was certainly a factor. He is a steals specialist but will need to find more consistency to be considered for streaming purposes.
Cameron Payne (13%) – Drop
Robin Lopez (12%) – Drop
Antonio Blakeney (9%) – Drop
Cristiano Felicio (4%) – Drop
Detroit Pistons def. Memphis Grizzlies 101-94
Pistons
Reggie Bullock (40%) – Add: Bullock dropped 13 points including three triples and despite his limited skill set, could be rostered in standard leagues in the right team build.
Stanley Johnson (25%) – Drop
Luke Kennard (24%) – Watch: Kennard offers a very similar skillset to Reggie Bullock and if Bullock is not available, Kennard is a player to consider.
Langston Galloway (12%) – Drop
Bruce Brown (10%) – Drop
Jose Calderon (3%) – Drop
Jon Leuer (3%) – Drop
Grizzlies
JaMychal Green (41%) – Drop: Green certainly has the ability to be a fantasy relevant player but his production ultimately comes down to how Jaren Jackson is playing on any given night, thus making him a tough add in standard formats.
Garrett Temple (35%) – Stream: Temple had another two steals Wednesday on what was a poor shooting night. He offers very little upside but could be used if you need steals and threes.
Dillon Brooks (26%) – Drop: Brooks production has been up and down of late and even on his noteworthy nights, he offers little outside of scoring.
Shelvin Mack (16%) – Drop
Wayne Selden (9%) – Drop
Omri Casspi (6%) – Drop
Joakim Noah (6%) – Drop
Philadelphia 76ers def. Phoenix Suns 132-127
76ers
T.J. McConnell (20%) – Stream: McConnell continues to be a nice source of assists and steals while also typically scoring on low volume but with high efficiency. He is a player to stream in if those talents suit your team.
Mike Muscala (18%) – Drop
Landry Shamet (16%) – Drop
Furkan Korkmaz (12%) – Drop
Jonah Bolden (8%) – Drop: Bolden moved into the starting lineup, replacing Wilson Chandler who was out with an illness. Bolden recorded three early fouls and never really got going, finishing with four points in 16 minutes.
Suns
Richaun Holmes (27%) – Watch: Holmes put up decent numbers Wednesday but had been trending down over the past two weeks. There is a chance he gets things going again but as long as DeAndre Ayton is playing well, Holmes’ playing time will likely remain in the teens.
De’Anthony Melton (26%) – Stream: Melton remains the starter for the Suns despite his recent troubles on the offensive end. He scored 10 points Wednesday, notching double-digits for the first time in almost two weeks. He racked up two steals which brings his combined total to 14 over his past seven games.
Elie Okobo (24%) – Drop
Jamal Crawford (8%) – Drop
Troy Daniels (4%) – Drop
Oklahoma City Thunder def. Los Angeles Lakers 107-100
Thunder
Nerlens Noel (34%) – Stream
Hamidou Diallo (12%) – Drop
Patrick Patterson (9%) – Drop
Terrance Ferguson (8%) – Drop
Abdel Nader (3%) – Drop: Nader had 10 points Wednesday, his third double-digit game from his last four. The scoring has been nice but he does literally nothing else and is not worth considering in standard formats.
Lakers
Ivica Zubac (26%) – Drop
Lance Stephenson (19%) – Drop
Tyson Chandler (15%) – Stream: Chandler had a quiet night Wednesday but had been rebounding the ball well prior to this one and is a player to stream in if you need cheap boards.
Svi Mykhailiuk (12%) – Drop
Got a question about today’s fantasy basketball fringe report? Hit Adam up on twitter @adamking91 or give a shout out to @Fantrax
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