RADIO
Anthony Davis left two consecutive games for different injury reasons this week. It looks like the only real damage right now is a sprained ankle, so the Brow won't miss much time. That's good, because the NBA world needs and deserves a healthy Davis, who has stormed his way to second place in the MVP race behind Rockets guard James Harden. Davis is the best big man in the game and could very likely end up with an MVP award in the near future. (By the way, I didn't include any Pelicans on this list because of the uncertainty about Davis's return, but I like Nikola Mirotic and Jrue Holiday both as fantasy options during the games he misses. Also, I feel dirty saying that because ANTHONY DAVIS SHOULD NOT EVER BE HURT AGAIN. PROTECT THE BROW.)
Meanwhile, the Rockets just keep winning games. Will they ever lose again? They've lost just once this season when they've had James Harden, Chris Paul, and Clint Capela all in the lineup, which seems almost impossible but is actually a true statement.
Let's take a look at some potential risers and fallers heading into Week 22 of the NBA season.
Risers for Week 22
RISER: Dillon Brooks (F, MEM)
I feel like I've been waiting for Brooks to emerge all season. He keeps flashing his potential and then struggling with his shot for a little while and then flashing his potential again. But it's tanking season and Brooks has two of his three 20-plus point games in his career in...his last two games! The Grizzlies are giving the rookie the green light to shoot the ball and he's responding by getting buckets. He might never be the offensive threat he was at Oregon, but he's a solid scorer at the NBA level. Now, if he could contribute more than just points...
RISER: Brook Lopez (C, LAL)
I guess it's time to admit that I am wrong. Sure, logically it would make sense for the Lakers to play Brook Lopez less and give Julius Randle more minutes at the five, but six straight games with double-digit points--including a 27 point, ZERO rebound performance against the Magic--have made it clear that the Lakers are just going to keep playing Lopez. They can't tank, so a case for reducing his minutes isn't as straightforward as it would be if the Lakers had a first round pick. Expect him to keep this up.
RISER: Nemanja Bjelica (F, MIN)
Yeah, Bjelica was on this list last week but #RECENCYBIAS time, because his 30 point, 12 rebound game tonight plus the fact that he's played 40 or more minutes in Minnesota's past two games because Tom Thibodeau loves to just overplay dudes suggest that his ceiling with Jimmy Butler out is higher than I thought it was last week. If he's still out there on waivers for some reason, grab him. If he's on your bench, play him.
RISER: Larry Nance Jr. (F, CLE)
Another guy who's seen this list before. Cleveland moved Nance into the starting lineup and he's done this in the two games since: 22 points, 15 rebounds, and two steals against the Pistons, and then 13 points, 13 rebounds, and four steals against the Nuggets. Nance is a very efficient scorer inside--he's played 10 games now for the Cavaliers and has shot 50 percent or better in all of them except the first one, when he went just 2-for-5 against the Celtics. The Cavaliers look to have hit on something by moving Nance up in the rotation.
Fallers for Week 22
FALLER: Garrett Temple (G, SAC)
I think, maybe, that the dysfunctional Sacramento Kings have realized they need to give more minutes to their young guards. Temple had just five total points over the past two games and the Kings have started resting him more. Buddy Hield and Frank Mason III benefit from Temple getting the ball less, but I don't think either can be considered a solid fantasy option right now.
FALLER: D'Angelo Russell (G, BKN)
Less "faller" and more "hold your horses," because I'm not sure that Russell's two 20-plus point performances after the All-Star break mean that much. He's had three single-digit scoring games over that same time frame and there's been a ton of fluctuation with his assist numbers. Russell might be trending upwards, but the inconsistency in how he trends upwards suggests to me that he's not worth the headache right now.
FALLER: Jerami Grant (F, OKC)
The Thunder signed Corey Brewer. Grant has just eight points over the last two games, though his rebounding numbers have stayed where they were. Grant has seen a marked decreased in shot attempts, while Brewer has take ten or more shots in both of the aforementioned games. Is this a great idea? As a Rockets fan, I've lived the Corey Brewer Frustration Train plenty of times. Grant could reestablish himself as a scorer for the Thunder once Brewer hits a cold patch, but for now he's not someone that can be trusted in fantasy lineups.
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