Week 11 is right on the doorstep, with a sense of normalcy after a few chaotic weeks. For many, we are now basically halfway through the regular season. This gives managers a sample size that is decent enough to base the direction of their fantasy squad. Streaming continues to be a viable strategy for anyone who has the luxury of doing so.
Whether it’s targeting an offensive threat capable of delivering points and 3s or a defensive-minded player who can help boost your blocks and steals numbers, narrowing your focus can prove vital as you battle for seedings. Let’s dive into six players who are currently rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards (45% rostered)
Despite dealing with a minor back issue, Sarr continues to start and play meaningful minutes for the Wizards. Outside of his more recent performance in which he split minutes with Jonas Valančiūnas, Sarr had been typically seeing upwards of 27 minutes per game. His overall fantasy appeal is somewhat limited due to his poor percentages and low rebound numbers when compared to most starting centers. However, anyone who either drafted Sarr or acquired him via trade or waivers should be fully aware of his flaws. Over the past month, he has averaged 13.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 2.2 3-pointers in 28.8 minutes per night. Washington has no reason to scale back his playing time at this stage, making him a must-roster player across all fantasy formats.
Malik Beasley, Detroit Pistons (36%)
Beasley has been a top 60 player over the past month and yet, remains largely unrostered. During that time, he has been nothing short of an elite bench scorer, averaging 18.4 points and 4.4 3-pointers per game, adding 1.1 steals for good measure. He has scored at least 20 points in six of the past eight games, numbers that a lot of starters would love to be producing. At this point, there is no hiding the fact that Beasley’s game is built on two categories only, those being points and 3s. While this skill set is certainly not for everyone, he is absolutely doing enough to be on at least one roster in just about every fantasy league.
Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets (32%)
When Dennis Schroder was traded to Golden State, a starting spot in Brooklyn was up for grabs. While there was initially some speculation as to who would seize the opportunity. It quickly became clear that Simmons was the man for the job, at least for the foreseeable future. Since the trade, Simmons has played at least 29 minutes in five straight games, averaging 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 0.8 steals. He is certainly not the player we saw during his time in Philadelphia, however, he does look about as healthy as we have seen him in the past few years. It is unclear what the future holds for Simmons when considering his long-term destination. With that said, Brooklyn appears as though it is willing to run with him as the starting point guard, putting him in a position to demonstrate he can still run an offense while serving as an elite wing defender on the other end of the floor.
Larry Nance Jr., Atlanta Hawks (18%)
An injury to Onyeka Okongwu has presented Nance with an opportunity to prove himself once again. After being out of the rotation for almost a month, Nance has now played meaningful minutes in four straight games. During that span, he is averaging 11.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.0 blocks and 2.5 3-pointers in 24.9 minutes per game. While he has always possessed a relatively fantasy-friendly game, Nance has often struggled to play a consistent role, no matter the team he is suiting up for. Although he is typically a low-volume scorer, he more than makes up for it by contributing elite defensive numbers and serviceable contributions in rebounds and, apparently, 3-pointers. He won’t be a good fit for everyone, but as long as he is playing as the primary backup behind Clint Capela, Nance is someone who should be rostered in a lot more leagues than he currently is.
Quentin Grimes (12%) / Spencer Dinwiddie (12%), Dallas Mavericks
I’m grouping the last two names on this list together given the current situation in Dallas. Luka Dončić suffered a calf injury during Wednesday’s loss to the Timberwolves, forcing him from the game. While there has been no official diagnosis, we have heard that the team is preparing for an extended absence of at least a month.
This is where both Grimes and Dinwiddie step in. Getting a read on what head coach Jason Kidd will do is tough, given what we have seen thus far when Dončić has been sidelined. Grimes and Dinwiddie have had periods of relevance, meaning this could be somewhat of a dice roll. History would tell us that Grimes is the front-runner to be named as the starter, given he has already started nine games this season, compared to Dinwiddie who has started just twice. That does not mean Grimes will have a more sizeable role, but it could mean that he at least has the first crack at it.
Although both are guards, they come with different skill sets. Grimes prefers to play off the ball, which would allow Kyrie Irving to serve as the primary ball-handler. Whereas Dinwiddie can, and probably should, play as the primary facilitator, which would then see Kyrie continuing to play off-ball, much like he does when Dončić is healthy. Either way, both are worth taking a flier on, with the decision as to who to prioritize ultimately coming down to whether you need points or assists, as well as a little bit of luck.
Drop Candidates
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Tobias Harris, Detroit Pistons
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Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic
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Dillon Brooks, Houston Rockets
