The Los Angeles Lakers entered Wednesday’s game against the Spurs having lost three in a row, including losses to the Nuggets and Suns. Head coach JJ Redick promised to make changes after Tuesday’s loss to the Suns, and the most notable move was the reinstatement of a rookie. Dalton Knecht (30% ranked, Yahoo) to the base lineup. However, he would replace Cam Reddish, who offered little offensive value as a starter. The move paid off, with Knecht scoring a team-high 20 points in the Lakers’ win over the Spurs.
In addition to 20 points, Knecht recorded eight rebounds, one assist, two steals and four three-pointers in 31 minutes. While his scoring has made him a player worth keeping in deep leagues despite coming off the bench, Knecht is even more valuable to fantasy managers as a starter. The Lakers have two more games in Week 6, starting with the Thunder on Friday, so now would be a perfect time to check the waiver wire and make sure Knecht is unavailable. But if you do, pick it up.
Let’s take a look at some of the other top picks from Wednesday’s 14-game package:
Scotty Pippen Jr. (40%)Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies were without Ja Morant again, this time with a knee injury that relegated Pippen to the starting lineup. He finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and one 3-pointer while shooting 9-of-12 from the field for the Pistons’ blowout Wednesday. Not only is Pippen worth sidelining Morant, but in some leagues he’s worth keeping, even after the Grizzlies welcome back their star point guard. Backup guards have been able to provide reliable fantasy value in the past, such as TJ McConnell (and Ty Jerome this year). Why can’t Pippen do the same?
Malik Monk (32%), Sacramento Kings
Monk and De’Aaron Fox took over in the fourth quarter of Sacramento’s win over Minnesota, combining for 20 of the team’s 34 points. Monk, who scored a team-high 11, finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, one steal and three 3-pointers in 35 minutes while shooting 11 of 16 from the field. Despite coming off the bench, his ability to score in bunches is vital for a team without DeMar DeRozan (back).
De’Andre Hunter (31%)Atlanta Hawks
Hunter continues to come off the bench, but that hasn’t stopped him from maintaining top 100 value in 9-cat formats. He finished Wednesday’s win over Cleveland with 26 points, five rebounds, one assist and five 3-pointers in 30 minutes. The playing time was there, even if the defensive stats weren’t. There are also availability concerns due to Hunter’s injury history, but he has scored 20 points or more in four of the eight games he has played. Atlanta closes out Week 6 with games against Cleveland (Friday) and Charlotte (Saturday), so this would be a great time to roll the dice on Hunter and see what he can provide before Week 7.
Malcolm Brogdon (30%)Washington Wizards
Brogdon continues to start and was one of the few Wizards to do something significant in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers. In 22 minutes, he scored 17 points, one rebound, six assists, two steals, one block and one three-pointer. His return from a broken hand suffered in the preseason pushed Bub Carrington down the pecking order (much to the chagrin of many fantasy managers). Still, Brogdon has done enough to merit more significant attention in the deep leagues.
Scott Henderson (22%)Portland Trail Blazers
Henderson was back on the court after a three-game injury layoff and performed well in the Blazers’ loss to the Pacers. He shot 6 of 11 from the field, had 17 points, two rebounds, nine assists, one block, three 3-pointers and just one turnover in 35 minutes. The foul shooting (2 of 6) was not good, but the overall efficiency was encouraging. Even with a healthy Anferee Simons in the lineup, Henderson will play a lot off the bench when healthy. Also, make sure Deni Avdija (62%) floats on the wire in your league, especially if Jerami Grant (knee) remains sidelined.
Goga Bitadze (21%)Orlando Magic
The return of Wendell Carter Jr. (32%) wasn’t the end of Bitadze’s streaming hopes as some (myself included) might have expected. At least for one match. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley started them together in Wednesday’s win over Chicago, with Bitadze posting a streak of 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 25 minutes. To keep Bitadze in the starting line-up, newcomer Tristan da Silva dropped to the substitutes’ bench. It will be interesting to see how long Mosley lasts in this lineup, especially with Carter’s minutes being limited. If you stuck with Bitadze or forgot to take a step before locking down lineups, the decision (or lack of one) paid off on Wednesday.
Marcus Smart (21%)Memphis Grizzlies
Stat lines in shootouts can always be a little wonky, but Smart was outstanding in the Grizzlies’ win over Detroit. In just 20 minutes of action, he recorded 25 points, four rebounds, five assists, three steals and seven triples. While Ja Morant’s absence may not have the same impact on him as Scotty Pippen Jr., Smart is also poised to benefit offensively. And with the Grizzlies playing twice more in Week 6, adding him now wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Ayo Dosunmu (20%)Chicago Bulls
Bulls matchups this season usually guarantee plenty of possessions and plenty of points, as Chicago leads the NBA in scoring but ranks 27th in defensive rating. Dosunmu started the team’s final four games in place of the injured Patrick Williams, scoring 20 or more points twice. He finished with 21 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one 3-pointer while shooting 10 of 12 from the field in Wednesday’s loss to Orlando. Williams has no timetable for a return, so now is a great time to jump on the Dosunmu bandwagon.
Naji Marshall (18%)Dallas Mavericks
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Marshall needs to be drafted while the Mavericks are without Luka Doncic. While he’s only started two of the four games the Mavs have been without their star point guard, Marshall’s offensive production has been consistent. He has scored 20 or more points in four straight, most recently finishing Wednesday’s thrashing of the Knicks with 24 points, three rebounds, one assist and two 3-pointers. Of course, some defensive production would be nice (one steal and no blocks in his last four), but Marshall’s offensive game has been too good to pass up.
Guerschon Yabusele (8%)Philadelphia 76ers
Yabusele has started Philadelphia’s last three games and was excellent in Wednesday’s loss to the Rockets. He played 43 of a possible 53 minutes and scored a season-high 22 points with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and four triples. Along with rookie Jared McCain, Yabusele has been one of the few positives for Philadelphia in a putrid start to the season. The 76ers have just one game left in Week 6, but with Paul George and Joel Embiid looking unlikely to be available for Saturday’s game in Detroit, adding Yabusele would be a good idea.
Spencer Dinwiddie (2%)Dallas Mavericks
While Dinwiddie’s heater lasted two games compared to Naji Marshall’s four, he’s another position player who may get more opportunities to perform with Luka Doncic on the sidelines. He finished Dallas’ victory over the Knicks with 21 points, three rebounds, nine assists, one steal and three 3-pointers in 33 minutes off the bench. Good job to the few who bet on Dinwiddie even after he went 1-of-12 in overtime on Nov. 24 with Miami. Since then, he has scored 43 goals from 14 of 22 in two games.
Isaiah Joe (2%)Oklahoma City Thunder
Joe started Wednesday’s win over the Warriors and played 31 minutes, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals and four 3-pointers. Also notable in this game was the departure of Jalen Williams during the first half with an apparent injury to his left eye. If he misses time, Joe will become even more important to the Thunder, especially on offense. Cason Wallace (4%), who started for Williams in the third quarter and played 33 minutes, will also be worth paying attention to in this scenario.