We’re nearing the finish line and rotations continue to open up. There are players on this list who have not been considered a good investment until now. It’s not all about the teams who are tanking. The Blazers have had a lot of recent success and even their role players are getting more involved in the offense. Watch out for injuries. Watch out for teams shutting down players for the season. There’s always a new opportunity. Dig through the wire and look at stat trends from the last two weeks. It’s all about who is hot right now!
Denzel Valentine SG/SF CHI-36% Ownership: His minutes continue to stay consistent and he’ll only grab more as the season winds down. Valentine will have games in which he sticks to the arc and that will limit the amount of shots he takes. Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen are hurt and Valentine’s mid-range game will also be required. He fights for long rebounds and he’s grabbed 5.3 per game this season. Valentine is coming off of a five-steal game and he’s blocked shots in two of his last three games. Valentine’s been helpful dishing and he’s compiled at least three dimes in three of his last four games. Valentine doesn’t use his drive as much, but finds success getting space near the elbow. He’s very good at positioning himself in the paint to keep plays alive. The Bulls favor him over Justin Holiday and owners should expect Valentine to play around 27-30 minutes per game for the rest of the way.
Kosta Koufos PF/C SAC-6% Ownership: Koufos is a sneaky defensive specialist who you may want to ditch after two games, but he’s been more reliable on the glass lately. Double-digit scoring should be viewed as a bonus. Koufos is a low-block specific player who’s very familiar with the Kings offense being one of the team’s veterans. Koufos has grabbed double-digit rebounds in two of his last four games. Koufos is even coming off of a four-steal and four-block game. He has stolen the ball in three of his last five games. When he has the ball in the paint, he uses his pivot foot effectively to fake out his defender to get an open shot under the basket. Koufos has quietly been helpful in assists this week. He’s compiled three per game over his last two contests. Even with Skal Labissiere back, he was still able to produce. Ride the wave and then ditch him if the minutes suddenly disappear.
Quinn Cook PG GSW-12% Ownership: Cook should be viewed as another short-term solution as Stephen Curry is back in the mix. At least for another two games, Cook should be able to see a secure amount of minutes. It works in Cook’s favor a bit that Klay Thompson is still out. The Warriors realize that this Ankle injury has been a thorn in Curry’s season for a while now and they’ll want to ease him back for a couple of games. They’d be stupid not to despite the fact that their other starters are hurt. A big reason I’m convinced that Cook can still stay in the rotation is his commitment to defense. He’s grabbed at least four boards in four of his last five games. He’s had two multi-steal games in his last three games. He’s been very helpful on the offensive end as he’s scored 20-plus in his last three games. He’s dished at least three dimes over his last three games. He’s a balanced scorer being able to succeed both in the paint and at the arc. He has tremendous quickness and is able to serve as a change of pace player and the main catalyst off the bench until other Warriors return.
Nick Young, SG/SF GSW-18% Ownership: It’s not too late to get on the Nick Young boat. It’s hard to get excited for a player like Young, but he continues to log heavy minutes. Young has scored in double figures in his last four games. He’ll hit three’s and drive if the lane is open. He’ll help out a bit with long boards and he’s grabbed a steal in three of his last five games. Young is a streaky shooter, but he’ll have a very long leash because both Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant are hurt. It’s an all hands on deck situation with the Warriors as they limp to the playoffs. With Curry just coming back, he’ll need a couple of games to get back in rhythm. Young should still see double-digit shots over his next few games. Once his scoring returns to single digits and his minutes drop a bit, he can be released. We’re preparing on a day-by-day basis and if there’s one thing we do know, the heavy minutes will continue for at least the next week.
Noah Vonleh PF CHI-6% Ownership: With Markkanen still sidelined and the Bulls season over, they’re letting Vonleh have a sufficient amount of minutes. He’s played over 20 minutes in his last four games. He grabbed double-digit rebounds in two of his last three games. He’ll also grab steals in the paint and he’s secured one in three of his last five games. Vonleh has done a better job getting to the basket and he’s coming off of a 14-point game. He gets close to scoring in double figures but he just misses out. Vonleh is more of a three-point shooter and he’s hit three’s in three of his last four games. He’s often left open as bigger defenders wait for him to attack the paint. Pick him up as more of a defensive specialist for boards and steals. With the Bulls fighting many other injuries, other players will have to fill in and it spreads the depth a bit.
Maurice Harkless SF POR-20% Ownership: Harkless was a big waiver wire darling last season and he’s once again in play and has played over 25 minutes in his last 4 games. Harkless scored in double figures in all four games. Harkless has hit multiple three-pointers in his last four games. He’s been a lot more helpful defensively over the last few weeks as well. He’s grabbed five boards in two of his last four games. He stole the ball in five of his last six games and even blocked shots in three of his last five games. Harkless defense has clearly lengthened the leash on his playing time and while the Blazers are still hot, they’re going to continue giving him a full minutes commitment. Luckily for Harkless, the Blazers don’t have a lot of mid-court depth and Harkless could be playing close to 30 minutes per game down the stretch if he continues to be a three-category producer consistently.
Yogi Ferrell G DAL-17% Ownership: Ferrell is another guard who has taken advantage of an injury situation. Dallas is another team that is heading to the lottery and with Wes Matthews and Dennis Smith Jr. hurt, Ferrell has been playing more and even taking more shots. J.J. Barea is active, but he’s also been banged up over the last few weeks. Ferrell is quick and can drive effectively and hit long-range jumpers. He’s hit three’s in four of his last five games. He’s scored in double figures in his last five games. He’s also grabbed at least three boards in four of his last six games. He’s grabbed steals in his last two and he hasn’t been turning the ball over. The Mavs are starting to run low on options and the good thing about Ferrell is that he can play both on and off the ball. He’s better off the ball as a spot-up and pull-up shooter than running the point. He doesn’t help too much with assists, but he’ll occasionally have a high-assist game. View assists as an added bonus. He’s played over 30 minutes in 2 of his last 4 games.
Mike Muscala PF/C ATL-8% Ownership: With John Collins still injured, Muscala is in an interesting time-share situation. His main competition for minutes has been Dewayne Dedmon. Like Dedmon, Muscala can also hit three-pointers. Muscala dealt with an Ankle injury that kept him ineffective for most of the season, but with the Hawks going nowhere, they will give him more run over the final few weeks of the season. He’s played over 20 minutes in 6 of his last 7 games. Muscala has hit multiple three-pointers in his last three games. He has also grabbed four or more boards in his last seven games. Muscala is aggressive when he bodies up a defender in the post. He’s worked on timing his jumps and that’s helped him compile more blocks. He’s blocked shots in five of his last six games. He’s also stolen the ball in three of his last four games. Collins should miss a few more games and once he returns, see how the Hawks will use Muscala and if his minutes immediately get reduced to fewer than 20, release him.
Tyler Johnson G MIA-39% Ownership: Johnson is in a constant battle for minutes, but he’s available in enough leagues and has been getting steady playing time over the last few weeks. He’s scored in double figures in six of his last eight games and he’s coming off of a 22-point performance. He’s hit multiple three-pointers in four of his last five games. Johnson can rotate to both guard spots and play effectively on and off the ball. He’s better off the ball and has a god drive, but settles for long-range shots the majority of the time. He’ll provide a small amount of assist help and owners can expect his to dish a couple a game. Johnson’s grabbed steals in two of his last four games and he’s blocked shots in two of his last three games. Johnson is good at running the floor and vibes well with Goran Dragic when he’s playing off the ball. His playing time will be secure, even if his shot is off.
WILD CARD PICK UP: Luke Kennard SG DET-2% Ownership: The Pistons are running out of time as they sit multiple games outside of the playoff picture and they won three games over their last 10. Kennard has played over 20 minutes in his last 4 games. He’s scored in double figures in six of his last seven games. While Kennard is known as more of a spot-up three-point shooter, he’s been getting open inside more and that’s helped his point total grow over the last few weeks. He’s grabbed at least three boards in six of his last eight games. He’ll help out with assists to a lesser extent. He’s also grabbed steals in three of his last four games. Even with Reggie Jackson back, Kennard continues to play consistent minutes and as the Pistons start falling further out of contention, Kennard should see more games playing in the 30’s. His shot selection alone makes him a good add for cheap scoring. The rebounding and steals he’s compiled makes him an even more attractive add.