RADIO
Welcome to Rotation Watch, RotoBallers! Each week, this article will highlight the players gaining minutes in their team's rotation. Fantasy managers want to roster the players that accumulate stats and rack up the playing time. They want to avoid the players falling out of favor and watching the action from the sidelines.
With the new season here, Rotation Watch is well... back in the rotation. With new rotations and players bouncing around from season to season, it's important to take note of who's "in" and who's "out". I've been consistently updating my data model to account for minutes over the 2022-2023 regular season, as well as each player's last four games, and their stats based on who's on and who's off the floor (accounting for injury, etc.).
So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores and look for those hidden gems that grabbed minutes to help your fantasy basketball team achieve the ultimate prize: a championship. Of course, these suggestions are the cream of the crop, and if you ever need an extra slice of advice, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @LucidMediaDFS.
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NBA Playing Time Changes
Xavier Tillman - PF, Memphis Grizzlies
ESPN: 1.1% rostered
Week 14: 21:30 Minutes per Game
I'll start off this week with Xavier Tillman. The Grizzlies will be looking for some power forward and center help as Steven Adams will likely miss the next two weeks with a knee issue.
Tillman got the start at center on Wednesday night against the Warriors but played just 13 minutes. He did manage three points, five rebounds, and three steals, though. He played 30 minutes in Adams's absence against Sacramento on Monday, and will likely be needed moving forward without Adams as well as the fact that Jaren Jackson Jr. seemingly cannot play a full game without fouling out.
Ayo Dosunmu - PG/SG, Chicago Bulls
ESPN: 12.2% rostered
Week 14: 26:20 Minutes per Game
I'll take a look at Ayo Dosunmu next. Dosunmu was one of my favorite players to bet on last year, but really hasn't done much of anything this season, as he's averaging just 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists across 27.6 minutes of action per game.
Dosunmu has been and likely will be, the starting point guard for the Bulls moving forward though, or at least until Lonzo Ball returns. Dosunmu is a good young player and I do hope that he's able to turn his season around, and I think he's a solid guy to have in dynasty formats. In a redraft, though, I would label him as an ICE (in case of emergency) guy, or a streamer.
Walker Kessler - C, Utah Jazz
ESPN: 28% rostered
Week 14: 22:20 Minutes per Game
Walker Kessler man, I'm a huge fan of this dude. Though he is a bit of an interesting case. The Jazz started off this season on a tear, and have slowly (and expectedly) regressed, but the question is, are they tanking or not?
I ask this because Kessler played just 20 minutes in Utah's loss to the Blazers on Wednesday night. Sure, he had three fouls, but he played extremely efficiently, with six points on 3-4 shooting, five rebounds, and two assists. As a 1+ fantasy point-per-minute player, I would obviously like to see his minutes rise, and I see no reason for Kelly Olynyk to see substantial minutes over Kessler when he returns. I like Kessler as a long-term fantasy option in all redraft and dynasty formats, and fingers crossed that Jazz coach Will Hardy sees that he has a great young big man.
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