Pickups of the Night: Friday, January 27, 2023
Friday was a change of pace as the league cut things down to just five games, when the end of the work week usually signals a huge slate and plenty to pore over heading into the weekend. Hopefully you were able to put your feet up and enjoy an NBA night that was more of a light stroll than a full sprint. Even so, there were still some worthwhile adds, so let’s get to it.
Standard Leagues
(Just so we’re clear, TJ McConnell should not be on waivers.)
Brandon Clarke, C, Memphis Grizzlies
Tonight: 28 minutes, 15 points (5-of-9 FG, 5-of-5 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, three steals
Clarke is a must-roster player, full stop, with Steven Adams out for three weeks at minimum.
Precious Achiuwa, F/C, Toronto Raptors
Tonight: 36 minutes, 17 points (8-of-12 FG, 1-for-3 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, one steal
Achiuwa has been brilliant since returning from his ankle sprain, as a bench player or a starter. Tonight saw O.G. Anunoby leave the game with a wrist sprain and Achiuwa has to be the favorite to absorb most of his minutes. He’s a strong add in all leagues.
Chris Boucher, F/C, Toronto Raptors
Tonight: 19 minutes, seven points (2-of-9 FG, 2-for-5 FT), nine rebounds, one steal, one block, one 3-pointer
Boucher didn’t shoot it well tonight but everything else looked good, and he, like Achiuwa, will benefit from Anunoby’s presumed absence moving forward. He can be a frustrating guy but you can’t let a stat set like this sit on the wire when he’s got 20-plus minutes staring him in the face.
Pat Connaughton, G, Milwaukee Bucks
Tonight: 33 minutes, 14 points (5-of-9 FG), eight rebounds, one assist, three steals, four 3-pointers
Connaughton is going to get squeeze when Khris Middleton returns to the starting lineup, which should come soon, but until that happens (and maybe until Middleton is cleared for a typical workload) you can look at Pistol Patty as a well-rounded guy to keep at the end of a 12-team bench.
Deep Leagues
Chris Duarte, G, Indiana Pacers
Tonight: 34 minutes, 17 points (7-of-11 FG, 1-for-1 FT), four rebounds, six assists, one steal, two 3-pointers
Duarte has fallen by the wayside a bit this year as the Pacers have put the spotlight on their latest group of rookies, but he’s coming on over the last couple of games and figures to see more playing time as the season goes on, especially if the Pacers trade some veterans at the deadline. He’s never had a great stat set but can be involved enough to deliver top-200 value, even as more of a complementary guy.
Cole Anthony, G, Orlando Magic
Tonight: 28 minutes, 19 points (5-of-9 FG, 5-of-6 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, four 3-pointers
The question here is what happens when Anthony isn’t shooting well, as the emptiness of the box score remains a red flag. The Magic guard rotation is too messy to trust Anthony in 12-team leagues but deeper-league managers should be able to stomach some of the ups and downs to get to the good performances like this.
Donte DiVincenzo, G, Golden State Warriors
Tonight: 33 minutes, 12 points (5-of-10 FG), three rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, two 3-pointers
DiVincenzo might’ve used his run of games while Steph Curry was out to get himself back on track. He’s got the ability to be a 12-team option but the Warriors guard depth will keep him down here for now. That said, if DiVincenzo can exceed 30 mpg regularly going forward he’ll be worth scooping universally before too long.
Max Strus, G, Miami Heat
Tonight: 30 minutes, 17 points (5-of-8 FG, 2-for-2 FT), one rebound, two assists, one steal, five 3-pointers
Usually Strus doesn’t make much of an impact until a guard gets hurt, but tonight Kyle Lowry was quiet and Victor Oladipo was bad. Credit Strus for stepping up, and his role in this rotation should keep him rostered in 16-team leagues even if he doesn’t become an obvious start until injuries strike.
Caleb Martin, F, Miami Heat
Tonight: 27 minutes, 13 points (6-of-9 FG, 1-for-1 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block
This is the kind of stuff that Martin is capable of, but also the sort that we haven’t seen very often this year for one reason or another. Another game like this and he’s firmly in the 12-team picture. It’s been injuries that have slowed Martin’s season, so managers might be able to get a solid top-125 guy for free if he can stay healthy and get in a rhythm to close the year.
Xavier Tillman, F/C, Memphis Grizzlies
Tonight: 16 minutes, five points (2-of-2 FG, 1-for-1 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, three steals
Tillman has always been a fun per-minute option and he shouldn’t have issues playing reasonable amounts with Steven Adams gone for the next month-ish. He and Santi Aldama figure to ping-pong good games but it was his turn tonight, and Tillman is definitely someone to monitor if you need defensive stats.
Jonathan Kuminga, F, Golden State Warriors
Tonight: 23 minutes, 15 points (5-of-7 FG, 1-for-2 FT), two assists, one block, four 3-pointers
Kuminga continues to give the Warriors good minutes and he’s going to be a long-term player on the wing there. Tonight’s game, however, was a result of a career night from distance and an absence from Andrew Wiggins, who was out sick. That makes this game hard to trust, though taking a flier on someone with Kuminga’s upside in deeper leagues is certainly a defensible position.
Aaron Wiggins, F, Oklahoma City Thunder
Tonight: 31 minutes, 10 points (4-of-6 FG, 2-for-2 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, two steals
Think of Wiggins as a placeholder here — any time the Thunder play you’re going to get a usable game out of someone. Typically it’s a guy you don’t expect though, so most of the Thunder are off limits unless you’re streaming like a fiend or in a league that goes 20 teams deep.
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