Unmissable start to the Fantasy Basketball weekend: Ajay Mitchell is ready to step up with the starters
In head-to-head championships, it all comes down to the weekend. You can have a comfortable lead in multiple categories or with a series of points, but if you don’t make the most of the weekend, you can come away with a loss.
Eight teams play just once this weekend, including the Hornets, Bulls, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Pistons, Pacers, Lakers and Jazz. Avoid those teams if you’re just trying to maximize your games played.
Announcement
This is often what happens in standard points and category championships, but this is not always the case. Leagues with some sort of game limit or better ball formats like Yahoo!’s High Score leagues they’re not just looking for volume, although having two chances on a big night is a good strategy in the best ball leagues.
Absolute starter: Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder
OKC will play Friday’s game without multiple starters, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That should allow Mitchell to slide into the starting lineup, where he averaged 15.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.4 3-pointers with efficient shot splits. For Friday’s game against the Grizzlies, Mitchell should have a big night, and if he returns to the bench for Sunday’s game against the Heat, he should still be productive. Miami is second in pace over the last 10 games and first over the entire season.
Mitchell has been excellent coming off the bench all year, yet he’s still only featured in 29% of Yahoo! leagues. Much of his value is tied to his shooting and steal efficiency, but he has been able to improve his scoring and assists when given the opportunity. He should be on the roster for the rest of the season, but this weekend should be particularly productive for him.
Announcement
Guards:
Miles McBride, New York Knicks
McBride is expected to remain in the starting lineup for Friday’s game against the Suns, and if Josh Hart (ankle) remains out against the Trail Blazers on Sunday, McBride could start again. Even as a backup, he’s been on fire lately. The encounters are not necessarily “favorable,” but the opportunity is too good to pass up.
Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards
Carrington entered the starting lineup with CJ McCollum (quad) out Wednesday, and with McCollum now in Atlanta and Trae Young (quad) out, Carrington is expected to remain the starter. There’s a real possibility that Trae won’t suit up often this season, so Carrington could end up as the starter for the rest of the season. They will face the Pelicans on Friday, which is a more favorable matchup than the Suns on Sunday, but this could be more of a short-term addition.
Announcement
Cam Spencer, Memphis Grizzlies
With Ja Morant (calf) out for a fourth straight game on Friday and potentially out again on Sunday against the Nets, Spencer is expected to remain the starter. It won’t hurt that Friday’s game will be against OKC Reinforcements. Spencer’s scoring has been choppy, but the assists have been coming in consistently, and that’s most of his streaming appeal.
Attackers:
Dillon Brooks, Phoenix Suns
Brooks has taken a huge step forward as a scorer and will face two teams this weekend that have struggled recently on defense. Over their last 10 games, the Knicks are 28th in defensive rating and the Wizards are 21st. Lack of production in other categories limits his fantasy impact, but he should be ready for some scoring nights.
Announcement
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
Eason has been excellent since joining Houston’s starting unit, and this weekend offers two favorable matchups. The Trail Blazers have the worst turnover percentage in the NBA, and Eason’s bread and butter is forcing turnovers. Then they face the Kings, who have been one of the worst defensive teams in the league. It will happen in different ways, but Eason should be ready for two productive games.
Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors
CMB has had some strong performances recently as a starter, and with how many injuries the Raptors are dealing with, he should be able to move forward this weekend. Scottie Barnes (knee) is doubtful and Brandon Ingram (thumb) is questionable, which only means more minutes and opportunities for CMB. They play the 76ers on Sunday and have recently been one of the worst rebounding teams in the league.
Announcement
Centers:
Steven Adams, Houston Rockets
Adams starts with Alperen Sengun (ankle) sidelined and, when given the opportunity, is able to dominate the glass. Portland isn’t a great matchup on Friday, but facing the Kings on Sunday is favorable as they are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. Adams can provide other stats, but his dominance on the boards is enough to make it worth streaming.
Zeke Nnaji, Denver Nuggets
With Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas out, Nnaji didn’t start, but he was more productive off the bench than DaRon Holmes was as Denver’s starting center. This weekend they play the Hawks and Bucks and Atlanta has been terrible on the glass for most of the season. However, it’s not so much about matchups as it is about how good Nnaji was.
Announcement
Jock Landale, Memphis Grizzlies
Landale started as a center for Memphis, which has led to some strong performances recently, especially as a rebounder. They’ll play OKC’s backups on Friday, which means a matchup with Branden Carlson. Landale should be productive, and then there’s a matchup with the Nets on Sunday. They have been a bottom 10 rebounding team in their last 10 games, which gives Landale a great opportunity.