It’s going to require much luck and fortune to fly the flag at season’s end, especially in this COVID world that we live in. With that said, control what you can control by mining the waiver wire for any stats you can find. Every point, three-pointer, rebound, assist, steal, and/or block makes a difference. Be diligent, and hopefully, the injury gods look favorably upon you.
In this weekly column, I will highlight players rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues who may assist you in ascertaining fantasy glory.
There are no teams who play two or five games this week. 20 teams play four games while 14 play a back-to-back. For a look at the schedule grid with offensive pace ratings, click HERE.
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James Ennis (SG/SF – ORL): 0% rostered
Ennis has started eight games this season, but over the past three games, he’s played 24, 28, and 28 minutes. Before that, he had played 20 minutes just once. Now, Ennis is a low usage player and hasn’t scored in double-figures yet, but he provides some three-pointers and rebounds and can trip into some counting stats by just being out there on the court.
Taurean Prince (SF/PF – CLE): 18% rostered
Since being traded to Cleveland, Prince has played 32 and 22 minutes. He’s stuffed the stat sheet and scored double-figures in each game. Now, he’s shot 55% and 60% from the field, which isn’t going to continue, considering Prince is a career 41% shooter. He has benefitted some from the injuries that the Cavs are experiencing, but he’s providing across-the-board production for now.
Naz Reid (C – MIN): 22% rostered
It ain’t hard to tell that Naz can produce when given a chance. He has started the past four games as Karl-Anthony Towns has dealt with both a wrist injury and COVID. We aren’t sure when Towns will return, so Reid should continue to start and play around 28 minutes per game in the interim. In his seven games as a starter, he has averaged 13.6 points, 1.3 three-pointers, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks while shooting 57% from the field and 93% from the free-throw line.
Wayne Ellington (SG/SF – DET): 18% rostered
It’s Wayne’s World, and we’re all just living in it. Ellington has started the past six games and played 28, 33, 33, 28, and 26 minutes the past five games. Over the past four games, he’s averaged 18.8 points, 5.3 three-pointers, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.8 steals. He’s converted 55% of his 10.8 shot attempts. What in Wayne’s World is going on here? Regression is coming, as Ellington is a career 41% shooter from the field, but as long as he’s playing over 30 minutes a game, he has utility.
Jeff Green (SF/PF/C – BKN): 25% rostered
Green had started nine straight games before relinquishing that role when Kevin Durant returned. He has still been an integral part of the rotation, though, as he’s played 26 minutes the past two games and played some small-ball center. Green has scored in double figures in both games and provided some three-pointers, rebounds, and excellent field goal percentage. The Nets are playing at the fifth-fastest pace, and their defense hasn’t been good, so many shootouts and offensive possessions make for a juicy fantasy environment.
Joe Ingles (SG/SF – UTA): 34% rostered
Ingles can provide points, three-pointers, and assists. Unfortunately, he’s played fewer than 20 minutes in each of the past three games. Now, he did have an Achilles injury that forced him to miss four games this season, so there’s a chance he’s just getting ramped up again. He did play over 32 minutes in two games earlier in the season. With that said, a floor of 18 minutes seems likely with the upside for more.
Carmelo Anthony (SF/PF – POR): 37% rostered
With CJ McCollum down, Anthony has been asked to pick up some of the slack, as he’s played 26 and 29 minutes the past two games. Before that, he was playing around 20-21 minutes. We know what Anthony can do, which is get buckets. He’s also provided some steals and blocks this season. The shooting efficiency is volatile, though, as he will shoot 36% in one game then 45% the following night.
Rudy Gay (SF/PF – SA): 30% rostered
On the season, Gay is averaging 22.6 minutes per game. He has a high of 28 minutes and played 26 last game, but he will often play just 17 minutes. With that said, he’s been mighty productive when he’s been on the court, contributing points, three-pointers, and rebounds. He’s heavily involved and has attempted more than 10 shots in nine games.
Rodney Hood (SG/SF – POR): 16% rostered
Hood received the start for McCollum and played 25 minutes. He scored 21 points and contributed two three-pointers, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. The Trail Blazers had keep Hood under wraps for most of the season as he was recovering from Achilles and quad injuries, so it’s encouraging they felt comfortable giving him the start with an elevated workload. It remains to be seen if this will be the New World Order, but it doesn’t hurt to find out.
Jeremy Lamb (SG/SF – IND): 39% rostered
Since returning from injury, Lamb has played 19, 28, and 20 minutes. He’s also scored in double-figures in every game, with a high of 22 points. Lamb can provide three-pointers, rebounds, and some defensive stats. He’s also shot at least 50% in each game, which likely won’t continue since he’s a career-44% shooter, but it’s a good sign nonetheless. With TJ Warren out, Lamb could soak up most of his minutes when he’s up to speed.
Devin Vassell (SG – SA): 4% rostered
Need steals? Look no further. Vassell has 20 steals on the season and has gotten one in 12 straight games. He has a streak of at least two steals in four consecutive games. Over the past six games, Vassell has averaged 23 minutes per game with two games over 26. The points won’t be voluminous since he’s a low usage player, but Vassell will contribute some three-pointers and rebounds to go along with the steals.
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Stan Son is a featured writer at FantasyPros. To read more from Stan, check out his archive and follow him @Stan_Son.
