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Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we will highlight a few key fantasy basketball takeaways from the games played during last night's slate. These viewpoints can be both positive and negative and will hopefully help to provide insight into different roster moves you should consider making based on trends and statistical nuggets from around the Association.
Fantasy basketball has a lot of moving pieces with all the different scoring settings that are possible to play under, so I will always do my best to spotlight where players gain or lose value in certain game types. For the sake of simplicity and consistency, every time I mention Fantasy Points in these articles I will be using DraftKings' scoring system, which goes as follows: 1*PTS, 0.5*3PM, 1.25*RBD, 1.5*AST, 2*STL, 2*BLK, -0.5*TO. On top of that, bonus points are awarded for Double-Doubles (+1.5) and Triple-Doubles (+3), only one per player at a time.
Without further ado, let's get right into the latest slate of games from the 2021 season and try to figure out how to take advantage of what we saw transpire.
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Wednesday, March 3
T.J. McConnell, of all people, makes history with just the 11th triple-double on steals through the history of the Association
You read that headline right. McConnell came off the bench for the Pacers yesterday, ended playing 37 minutes, and couldn't have put on a better performance: TJ closed the night with 66 FP (third-highest tally of the slate) to the tune of an impossibly great 16-4-13-10-1 line. There is a lot of stuff packed in that set of numbers, so let me go through a bunch of facts next.
McConnell's boxscore is just the 11th representing a trip-dub that included 10+ steals, and the first since Draymond Green did so back in 2017 (there were no more such games since 1999). TJ fell 6 boards short of quad-dubbing, which is bonkers. Dray fell short of the 4D with just 4 points on his game. Alvin Robertson, who achieved the feat in 1986, actually reached the quad-dub. No player has ever done this thing twice. Only Fat Lever (31) and Robertson (36) did it in fewer minutes played. T.J. McConnell and Larry Kenon (in 1976) are the only players to do it off the bench. Crazy, historic night for T.J.
- No surprise at the top of the leaderboard with Joel Embiid (40-19-3-1-2) handing Utah a resounding L that irked both Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and with James Harden putting on another masterclass with a 29-10-14-3-1 trip-dub against Houston in his comeback to Texas.
- Just outside the top-10 performers of the night were Danilo Gallinari and Dennis Smith Jr. The former is rostered in barely 50% of Yahoo leagues, and the latter in just 25%, so go check your WW. Gallo put up a 23-9-6-2-1 stuffed line while DSJ logged a freaking trip-dub (10-12-11-3) even though he shot just 33% from the floor and played only 27 minutes.
- With LeBron James out of commission for the Lakers, the Kings took advantage and scored themselves a W. Buddy Hield was key, hitting 7 more triples and finishing with a sweet 29-6-6-1 line. The totals were good, and so was the per-minute production, but he needed all of 42 minutes (no OT) to get there.
- Getting back to Detroit: Mason Plumlee accomplished the trip-dub feat for the Pistons with a 14-11-10-1-1 game against Toronto. Plumlee started at C, will keep doing so, played 29 minutes, and he's still available in 25% of Yahoo leagues. Must-add in leagues where he's still available.
- I have recommended rostering Cavs rookie Isaac Okoro in my WW posts. While Okoro is not a world-beater and his per-minute production doesn't look any good, that's because he's playing a ton of minutes and he keeps starting every game for Cleveland. Just yesterday he logged 33 minutes and had a 7-2-2-1 game against Indy. Again, only a WW-target for those in deeper leagues, but one that will at least give you the assuredness of knowing he'll be racking up playing time nightly.
- Thaddeus Young might be moved ahead of the March trade deadline. That could boost his value even more, or kill his upside, so his situation is worth keeping an eye on. Thadd is available in 25% of Yahoo leagues, and as part of the Bulls he keeps having great performances such as yesterday's 18-5-3-1-3 one. He shot 80% on 10 FGA, added 2-of-3 freebies, and did all of that off the pine.
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