X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Basketball Rotation Watch: Playing Time Updates For Week 15

Euan Leith looks at fantasy basketball starting lineup changes for Week 15. These NBA players are seeing increases or decreases in minutes and playing time.

Welcome to Rotation Watch! Each week this article will break down who is gaining and who is losing minutes around the NBA. Fantasy managers want the players that are getting the opportunity to shine, not the ones who are sitting on the bench and watching from the sidelines.

Kobe Bryant was, is, and will be one of the most iconic and legendary players the sport of basketball will ever see. One of the greatest things about Bryant was his work ethic. He would not let anyone outwork him in practice or on the court when it counted most. The stories coming out this week are a testament to how much he loved playing and learning the game of basketball. From the time he entered the league as a rookie in 1995, to the moment he retired as a five-time champion in 2016, no one played more basketball than Kobe Bryant. Over his 20-year career, Black Mamba played 48,637 minutes in the regular season and 8,641 minutes in the playoffs. He finished in the top-six minutes played five times and finished second twice. He played all those seasons, and all those minutes, under the brightest lights for one of the sport's most celebrated franchises. They don't build basketball players like Kobe Bryant anymore, and they never did. The Mamba was one-of-a-kind and is already greatly missed.

Let's start searching those box scores from January 20th to January 26th and look for those hidden gems that are grabbing some minutes to help your fantasy basketball team.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

NBA Playing Time Changes

Reggie Jackson (PG - Detroit Pistons)

Season: 20.4 Minutes per Game

Week 14: 21.0 Minutes per Game

Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson finally made his return to the hardwood last week after missing 43 games with a back injury. The Pistons played him in two-straight games before deciding to sit him on the second night of a back to back. Jackson had not played a competitive game since Oct. 24, and three games in four nights would've been a tough sell for a team looking to protect their assets in a lost season.

The timing of Jackson's return couldn't be better for his fantasy value as fellow Detroit guard Derrick Rose is currently dealing with a knee injury and is one of the hottest names on the trade block. In Week 14, Jackson put up 18 points, five assists, two steals, and drained two three-pointers per game while playing 21 minutes per game. The ninth-year guard had an efficient return in the shooting department too. He shot 44.4 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from three, and made 4.0 of his 5.0 free-throw attempts each game.

The smart fantasy manager would take a flier on Jackson right now, one week before the trade deadline. If Rose gets dealt, then Jackson will see enough minutes to rack up the counting stats over the final two months of the regular season. If Rose stays in Detroit, the Colorado-native would still be a solid contributor in 12-team leagues. Low-risk, high-reward transactions this late in the season are hard to come by, so take advantage of the one in Detroit and give your team a boost by the All-Star break.

 

Eric Gordon (SG - Houston Rockets)

Season: 30.0 Minutes per Game

Week 14: 32.4 Minutes per Game

Eric Gordon had a great Week 14, but before we get to that, I want to acknowledge that the 12-year veteran set a new career-high with 50 points against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. The Rockets were without James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Clint Capela, but Gordon went against the fifth-best defensive team at home in the NBA and hung 50 points on them. Good for you, EG.

Let's get back to Gordon's impressive Week 14, where he averaged 19.0 points and 3.8 threes while shooting 38.5 percent from deep. In the four games, he averaged 32.4 minutes, and that is significant because it's the highest four-game average he had played since returning from injury in late December. It seems as though Rockets Head Coach Mike D'Antoni feels comfortable letting the former-Hoosier fire on all cylinders again.

The Rockets have also been inclined the rest Harden a lot more than previous years with their eyes set on postseason success. The Beard's absence allows Gordon to get more shots in an offense that ranks second in pace this season at 104.18 possessions per game. If he is available, EG is a stable source of points and threes for your fantasy team as we enter the final third of the regular season.

 

Doug McDermott (SF - Indiana Pacers)

Season: 21.1 Minutes per Game

Week 14: 25.5 Minutes per Game

Would you believe me if I told you that the player tied for second in three-point percentage among qualifiers is on less than 10 percent of ESPN league rosters? Well, start believing! Indiana Pacers forward Doug McDermott is draining 46.8 percent of his three-point attempts this season and only trails George Hill in the category. His percentages are high, but he hasn't been getting the opportunity to shoot the ball consistently. Fortunately, that changed in Week 14, and he is a desirable add in standard formats.

For the week, McBuckets averaged 15.9 points, 4 made threes, 57.5 percent from the field, and 61.5 percent from behind the arc in 25.5 minutes. He's scored in double figures in seven of his previous nine games and seems to be growing into a more substantial role during his second season with the Pacers.

As it has been for a while now, any Pacer worth adding comes with the footnote that Victor Oladipo is expected back soon and will more than likely take a large chunk of the offense back in Indiana. However, it's getting to the time of year when fantasy managers are looking for difference makers. Whether you are in a roto league looking to make up some ground in three-pointers, or a head to head league just trying to win a week and survive, Doug McDermott is the smart add in the three-pointers made category.

 

Thaddeus Young (PF - Chicago Bulls)

Season: 22.9 Minutes per Game

Week 14: 27.9 Minutes per Game

Chicago Bulls forward Thaddeus Young has had his name thrown around in trade rumors recently, but for now, he is helping fantasy managers win a couple of weekly matchups. Young is the last big man standing in the Windy City after Lauri Markkanen was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his pelvis and will be out for the next four to six weeks.

Markannen began his absence on Jan. 24, and this allowed Young to average 32 minutes per game while contributing 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, two assists, and two steals. He shot 51.5 percent from the field across four games in Week 14 and seems to be peaking at the right time for fantasy owners and the Bull's prospects of getting something for him at the trade deadline.

This is one of the rare cases where fantasy owners will want their players to avoid being traded away. Young is a piece to be added and complement a team, not become a game-changer and a focal point of an offense. If he remains in Chicago, he will have four to six weeks without Markkanen and the ability to rack up the counting stats for fantasy managers across all formats.

 

Jerami Grant (PF - Denver Nuggets)

Season: 24.9 Minutes per Game

Week 14: 33.2 Minutes per Game

With Paul Millsap in the lineup, the Nuggets had a winning percentage of .656, and without Millsap, they are winning at a .786 clip. Although the Nuggets boast one of the deepest rosters in the league, a primary reason for their lack of stumbles with Millsap sidelined is Jerami Grant. The former-Oklahoma City Thunder player is enjoying his first season in the Mile High City and has really picked it up over the last two weeks, and especially during Week 14 of the fantasy basketball season.

Across his four games last week, Grant dropped 18.8 points, collected 6.8 rebounds, swiped 1.3 steals, swatted 1.0 shots, and drained two made threes per game in 33.2 minutes. From the amount of adjectives I just used, it's evident that the second-round pick in the 2014 draft had quite an impressive week.

When Millsap returns, Grant will likely see a dip on his minutes and, consequently, his production, but the four-time All-Star has already been ruled out for one game this week and remains without a timetable for his return. We may not see Millsap until after the All-Star break at this point. If that does occur, expect Grant to continue his hot streak and contribute across a majority of categories in standard formats. At this point, he is a must-own in 12-team leagues and is creeping towards that status in 10-team leagues as well.

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jaylen Johnson

Chargers Place Jaylen Johnson on PUP List
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne

Kayshon Boutte Fighting for Final Spots
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
DeMario Douglas

Kyle Williams "Locks" for Receiving Corps
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Finalizing Massive Extension
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Expected to Ease Anthony Richardson Sr. Back in
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Terry McLaurin

Undecided on Whether he Will Report to Training Camp
Colston Loveland

Says his Shoulder is 100 Percent
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
Sam Williams

has Potential to be Elite Edge Rusher
Shemar Stewart

Considering Going Back to College?
Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Want Jahmyr Gibbs "More Involved" in Passing Game
Jordan Addison

Could be Facing Three-Game Suspension
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Colston Loveland

Shoulder "Good" After Surgery
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF