Pickups of the Night: Friday, March 3, 2023
We’re nearing the end of the fantasy season, with many leagues wrapping up in two weeks. As such, your decisions are going to change depending on how things go night-to-night. You no longer have the luxury of waiting for a stash, and maybe holding a handcuff like Paul Reed is a wiser use of a bench spot than a hot-and-cold top-150 type who’s currently cold. Maybe dropping a flat-out better player for help in one specific category is what it will take to stay alive. We’re going to break things down like that then, as standard conventions as to who should be added and dropped go out the window in the playoffs. You just have to do whatever it takes.
We’re not going to go out of the way to mention FG%/FT% boosters specifically — the former can be shaken by lots of low-volume guys who shot 2-for-3, while the latter is a total crapshoot.
Points
*Keep in mind that most of the players who show up here will also help you out with 3-pointers
Kelly Oubre, G, Charlotte Hornets
Tonight: 41 minutes, 29 points (10-of-19 FG, 5-of-5 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals
It’s Oubre who has won the raffle to start in place of LaMelo Ball and he shouldn’t be available anywhere. He’s going to have some bad shooting nights but has middle-round upside when things are clicking.
Cam Reddish, F/G, Portland Trail Blazers
Tonight: 33 minutes, 25 points (9-of-17 FG, 3-of-4 FT), three rebounds, two assists, one steal, two blocks, four 3-pointers
Anfernee Simons is hurt again and the Blazers aren’t really going anywhere despite the best efforts of Damian Lillard. Reddish is back with the starters, however, and could find more usage headed his way as the losses stack up. In the past he’s needed big volume or hot shooting to be relevant in 12-team leagues, and for now it looks like he’ll get at least half of that equation.
Immanuel Quickley, G, New York Knicks
Tonight: 22 minutes, 21 points (7-of-11 FG, 2-of-2 FT), two rebounds, three assists, one steal, five 3-pointers
Quickley is a player who might’ve gotten lost in the waiver shuffle but he’s still the team’s sixth man and can drop 20 points any time out. He’s playing well enough to be rostered, even though managers may not be able to put up with a random dud depending on what’s happening with the playoff picture.
Jonathan Kuminga, F, Golden State Warriors
Tonight: 32 minutes, 19 points (9-of-13 FG), seven rebounds, four steals, one block, one 3-pointer
Kuminga is a bit of a wild card; he has all the ingredients of a solid fantasy option but misplaces the recipe every now and then. Tonight he showed off the scoring upside, rebounding and defense, so he holds appeal in a few different ways. Kuminga should be safe while Andrew Wiggins is away for personal reasons.
Cole Anthony, G, Orlando Magic
Tonight: 29 minutes, 16 points (6-of-10 FG, 3-for-3 FT), three rebounds, four assists, one steal, one 3-pointer
Anthony can be boom-or-bust but you know what he’s on the floor to do, and the Magic are going to play him consistently. He’s not a must-roster player in 12-team leagues but probably ends up above the top-150 line when the dust settles from this point forward.
Jalen Suggs, G, Orlando Magic
Tonight: 30 minutes, 15 points (5-of-9 FG, 4-of-6 FT), five rebounds, one assist, one steal, one 3-pointer
Suggs is more of a deep-league target but it’s possible the Magic dial up his minutes a little bit as the season winds down. He’s looking to establish himself in the league after a rough start to his career and perhaps that motivation leads to some more games like this.
Moritz Wagner, F/C, Orlando Magic
Tonight: 16 minutes, 13 points (6-of-11 FG), six rebounds, two steals, one block, one 3-pointer
Wagner is an even deeper-league bet than Suggs but he offers scoring upside out of a frontcourt slot, with the added bonus of rebounds and defensive stats when it’s all shaking out in his favor. He’s very tough to trust but if you’re desperate, you know he’s capable of a line like this.
Aaron Wiggins, F/G, Oklahoma City Thunder
Tonight: 27 minutes, 27 points (12-of-16 FG, 2-for-4 FT), four rebounds, two steals, one 3-pointer
A career-high night from a guy who scored about 20 points over the last couple of weeks combined. More of a, “hey look at that” than a real endorsement, but deep-league managers should at least know it happened.
Rebounds
Kevon Looney, C, Golden State Warriors
Tonight: 24 minutes, 10 points (5-of-6 FG), 11 rebounds, three assists
A reliable player that will bolster any frontcourt. The Warriors never have to worry about Looney, and you won’t either.
Xavier Tillman, C, Memphis Grizzlies
Tonight: 30 minutes, 11 points (4-of-8 FG, 2-for-3 FT), 10 rebounds, four assists, one 3-pointer
Tillman was already a pretty solid streamer in the wake of Steven Adams’ PCL sprain, but Brandon Clarke left this game after just two minutes. The Grizzlies don’t have any traditional centers left besides Tillman so 30 minutes could become the new normal, and he’ll usually chip in some defensive stats as well.
Naz Reid, C, Minnesota Timberwolves
Tonight: 21 minutes, 15 points (6-of-12 FG), eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks, three 3-pointers
Reid is a multi-cat player, so he could’ve gone in a number of spots tonight. He’s someone that should help plenty of fantasy frontcourts until Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) returns, which is still up in the air.
Kevin Love, F, Miami Heat
Tonight: 23 minutes, nine points (3-of-6 FG, 2-for-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one 3-pointer
Love is low-upside at this point in his career but he’s starting and doesn’t need much more than 20 mpg to threaten top-150 numbers thanks to his blend of rebounds, points and triples.
Assists
Dennis Smith Jr., G, Charlotte Hornets
Tonight: 21 minutes, 10 points (3-of-8 FG, 4-of-6 FT), two rebounds, six assists, two steals
Oubre may be starting but Smith will still get a lot of the PG minutes with Ball gone for the year. He’s safe to deploy for assists and steals.
Kris Dunn, G, Utah Jazz
Tonight: 23 minutes, 11 points (5-of-10 FG), six rebounds, six assists, three steals, one block, one 3-pointer
Dunn has been a revelation since signing a 10-day with the Jazz amid their guard injuries. He’s clearly a guy playing for his career and managers chasing steals and dimes can dial him up confidently as long as Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton are out.
Steals
Matisse Thybulle, F, Portland Trail Blazers
Tonight: 32 minutes, eight points (3-of-7 FG), five rebounds, two assists, four steals, one block, two 3-pointers
The premier steals-and-blocks guy out there right now, non-Jaren Jackson Jr. division. He shouldn’t be on waivers.
Herb Jones, F, New Orleans Pelicans
Tonight: 36 minutes, seven points (3-of-5 FG, 1-for-2 FT), three rebounds, five assists, four steals, one block
Jones has a good stat set but it’s one that can be easily overlooked, and he’s also someone that’s likely to end up on waivers if a manager needs to stream like a demon. Let that work to your benefit.
Troy Brown Jr., F, Los Angeles Lakers
Tonight: 25 minutes, eight points (3-of-5 FG), six rebounds, two assists, three steals, two 3-pointers
Brown is locked in with the starters for the next couple of weeks and has intrigued us with his 3-and-D game before. The Lakers need all kinds of help and if Brown is stepping up, he should be a viable fantasy play.
Robert Covington, F, LA Clippers
Tonight: 31 minutes, 15 points (6-of-11 FG), four rebounds, one assist, two steals, three 3-pointers
Please, let Covington stick in the rotation. He’s a 3-and-D dynamo at his best but just hasn’t been a consistent member of the lineup this year. If he can play this much every night he has easy top-100 upside and will chip in triples, rebounds and blocks as well. Cautious optimism here, but that hasn’t paid off yet this year.
Blocks
Nick Richards, C, Charlotte Hornets
Tonight: 20 minutes, seven points (3-of-4 FG, 1-for-1 FT), four rebounds, three blocks
Richards is playing regularly as the team’s backup center and is someone you can always roll the dice on for a block or two. It’s as simple as that.
Jaxson Hayes, C, New Orleans Pelicans
Tonight: 21 minutes, five points (2-for-2 FG, 1-for-2 FT), one rebound, one assist, one steal, two blocks
Hayes played behind Willy Hernangomez with Jonas Valanciunas (calf) out but still played more, and has been getting the minutes behind JV when the team is healthy. Most managers only pay attention when he cracks double digit scoring but Hayes can be a consistent source of blocks as long as he’s in the rotation.
3-pointers
Isaiah Joe, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
Tonight: 27 minutes, 17 points (6-of-16 FG), two rebounds, three assists, one steal, five 3-pointers
Joe has at least one 3-pointer in 20 straight games, with a handful of games with five or more. Don’t overthink it.
Dorian Finney-Smith, F, Brooklyn Nets
Tonight: 38 minutes, 17 points (6-of-15 FG), nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks, five 3-pointers
It’s been a letdown season for Finney-Smith, but he’s still got the 3-and-D juice every now and then. The Nets have a deep cast of wings but his role as a starter makes him one of the better streaming targets, and even if he doesn’t hit a bunch of 3-pointers every night he usually won’t leave you totally empty-handed.
Josh Okogie, F, Phoenix Suns
Tonight: 32 minutes, 25 points (7-of-15 FG, 6-of-6 FT), four rebounds, five 3-pointers
What a turnaround for Okogie, who couldn’t even get on the court in his final days with Minnesota. The return of Kevin Durant wipes out his every-night appeal but Okogie can get hot when the Suns are in control and generating open looks that fall into his lap. This really depends on how lucky you feel.
Eric Gordon, G, LA Clippers
Tonight: 30 minutes, 21 points (8-of-13 FG, 2-for-3 FT), three rebounds, three assists, one steal, three 3-pointers
Gordon will move back to the bench eventually but with Norman Powell (shoulder) out for a week and likely more, he should be the go-to scorer in the second unit. He’s a 3-point specialist, like he was with the Rockets.
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