X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
Fantasy Updates
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Basketball Rotation Watch: Playing Time Updates For Week 2

Welcome to Rotation Watch, Rotoballers! Each week, this article will highlight the players that are gaining minutes in their team's rotation. Fantasy managers want to roster the players that are accumulating stats and racking up the minutes. They want to avoid the players falling out of favor and watching the action from the sidelines.

It's exhilarating to see the NBA off and running for the 2020-21 season. Unfortunately, real-life injuries are already affecting fantasy rosters across the board, and Kawhi Leonard and Ja Morant's injuries have some managers scrambling to fill those absences. Luckily, you'll find some of the best candidates in the association to fill those minutes in the article below.

So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores from Dec. 22 to Dec. 27 and look for those hidden gems that are grabbing the minutes to help your fantasy basketball team achieve the ultimate prize: a championship. 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 @EuanOrYouOut, and I'll happily talk about some fantasy basketball with you all.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received five total writing awards and 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, tops in the industry! Congrats to all the award winners and nominees including NBA Writer of the Year, Best NFL Series, MLB Series, PGA Writer and Player Notes writer of the year. Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!

 

NBA Playing Time Changes

George Hill, PG - Oklahoma City Thunder

Last Season: 21.5 Minutes per Game (w/ Milwaukee Bucks)

Week 1: 24.0 Minutes per Game

It may be a short-lived stay in Oklahoma City for George Hill, but there's no reason why he can't put up some good fantasy performances while he's playing in the Sooner State. Through two games with his new team, the veteran is averaging 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and shooting 59.1 percent from the floor. His first game in the blue and orange saw the guard go 8-for-9 with 21 points against the Charlotte Hornets while making all four of his three-point shots.

Chris Paul moved to warmer pastures in Phoenix and left a Hall of Fame-sized hole in the Thunder's offense. Hill can't replicate what CP3 brought to this team, but he can do his best to fill the gap as much as possible. His 24 minutes per game would be the highest since the 2017-18 season, and the 11 shots per game would be the most since the 2016-17 campaign with the Utah Jazz. The 2008 draft pick is on 30 percent of Yahoo rosters, but his dual eligibility at point and shooting guard makes him a worthy pickup in 14-team leagues to begin the season.

 

Jae'sean Tate, SG - Houston Rockets

Last Season: N/A 

Week 1: 37.0 Minutes per Game

The rookie came off the bench in his NBA debut and had an admirable performance in his first professional game. Against the Portland Trail Blazers, Tate played 37 minutes and flashed the ability that got him his contract with the Rockets in the first place. The lefty went 5-for-9 with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Also, he made both of his attempts from the charity stripe and went 1-for-4 from downtown.

The performance comes with the caveat that John Wall and Eric Gordon both missed the contest due to COVID-19 protocols, but there is still enough here to be encouraged for the future. His teammate's absences may be the break that Tate needs to continue earning minutes for this team. While one lefty in Houston is trying to find a new home, this team may have found another one to gladly inherit some of his shots and minutes if the opportunity comes along.

 

Keldon Johnson, SF - San Antonio Spurs

Last Season: 17.7 Minutes per Game

Week 1: 30.3 Minutes per Game

Everyone in the fantasy basketball world is talking about the early-season breakout Johnson is showing. The sophomore has received the starting nod in all three games so far this season and played 28 minutes in each contest. The second-year forward is averaging 14 points on 42.9 percent shooting to go along with 8.3 rebounds,  2.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and one block per game. The 2019 first-round pick isn't showing any fear in his shooting ability either because he's taken at least 10 shots in every game this year.

The former-Kentucky man contributes all over the box score and seems to be the clubhouse leader for early-season difference-maker. Johnson is available in 50 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Monday night, but that number will plummet if this form and workload continue in Week 2 of the new season.

 

Kyle Anderson, SF/PF - Memphis Grizzlies

Last Season: 19.9 Minutes per Game

Week 1: 32.5 Minutes per Game

It's not common for NBA players to break out in their seventh year and on their second team, but it seems to be happening to Kyle Anderson. The forward was added in 37 percent of those leagues over the last seven days but is still available in half of all Yahoo leagues. It's with good cause because the former-San Antonio Spur is thriving in the Memphis Grizzlies offense, and his role seems set to grow. The 27-year old was already playing 32.5 minutes per game in the Grizzlies' first three contests, but now, with Ja Morant facing a potentially lengthy recovery, Anderson could be in line for 35 minutes per night.

Over the first week of the new season, Anderson is averaging 18.3 points on 50 percent shooting, with 10.3 rebounds, two assists, and 2.3 makes from downtown. He's recorded back-to-back performances with at least 20 points and is settling in as a go-to option for Memphis. Add him while you still can because he deserves to be on a roster in a league of any shape, size, and format.

 

Bobby Portis, PF/C - Milwaukee Bucks

Last Season: 21.1 Minutes per Game (w/ New York Knicks)

Week 1: 22.7 Minutes per Game

The final recommendation is a potential one-week wonder at it's finest. However, while the Milwaukee Bucks remain in an early-season funk, it should lead to Bobby Portis accumulating a bunch of fantasy production. The sixth-year forward has played 26 minutes in each of the last two games for the Bucks and is prospering as the garbage time man. One performance came in a massive 39-point blowout over the Golden State Warriors, and the other came in a 20-point loss to the New York Knicks.

The fact is that Portis has produced back-to-back noteworthy performances. In the last two games, he has tallied 27 points, 19 rebounds, four assists, two blocks, two steals, and one three-pointer. The Bucks have two games against the Miami Heat this week and one against the Chicago Bulls. All three of those games have the potential to be blowouts if the early-season stink stays on Milwaukee. At least take a chance on Portis in Saturday's contest against the Chicago Bulls. Fantasy managers can even lean on the "revenge game" narrative for that matchup to ease the hesitation when clicking the add button net to Portis' name.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
Fantasy Updates
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brandon Crawford1 hour ago

Expects To Play In Season Finale Sunday
Ja'Marr Chase1 hour ago

Wrecks Rams, Closes Buy-Low Window
Patrick Sandoval1 hour ago

Exits Early Monday With Right Oblique Tightness
Jon Gray2 hours ago

Exits Early Monday With Right-Wrist Tightness
Joe Burrow2 hours ago

Guts Out Calf Issue In Close Victory
A.J. Brown3 hours ago

Explodes For 131 Yards Against Tampa Bay
D'Andre Swift3 hours ago

Gashes Buccaneers For 138 Total Yards
Mike Evans3 hours ago

Snags Touchdown In Loss
Minnesota Timberwolves4 hours ago

Trevor Keels Signs With Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors4 hours ago

Rodney McGruder Joins Warriors
Atlanta Hawks4 hours ago

Chris Silva Joins Hawks On Exhibit-10 Deal
Julius Randle4 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Training Camp
Joe Burrow6 hours ago

Officially Active On Monday Night
Puka Nacua7 hours ago

Active Against Bengals
Alvin Kamara7 hours ago

Reinstated From Suspension
Brandon Aiyuk7 hours ago

Seen At Monday's Practice
Deebo Samuel7 hours ago

Held Out Of Monday's Practice
David Montgomery7 hours ago

Listed As Limited
Christian Watson7 hours ago

Listed As DNP Monday
Jaylen Waddle7 hours ago

Still In Concussion Protocol
Joe Burrow8 hours ago

Optimism Surrounding Joe Burrow's Monday Night Status
Garrett Mitchell11 hours ago

Could Return Tuesday
Aaron Jones11 hours ago

Could Play On Thursday Night In Week 4
Derek Carr11 hours ago

Deemed Week-To-Week With Shoulder Injury
Andy Dalton11 hours ago

Throws For 361 Yards In Loss
Pat Freiermuth11 hours ago

Scores In Week 3 Victory
Jimmy Garoppolo11 hours ago

Enters Concussion Protocol
Bryce Young11 hours ago

Uncertain For Week 4
Jonathan Mingo12 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Rafael Fiziev12 hours ago

Suffers Knee Injury To Cut Main Event Short
Rafael Fiziev12 hours ago

Mateusz Gamrot Victorious After Rafael Fiziev Suffers Knee Injury
Michelle Waterson-Gomez12 hours ago

Dominated In TKO Loss
AJ Fletcher12 hours ago

Drops To 1-3 In The UFC
AJ Fletcher12 hours ago

Bryan Battle Submits AJ Fletcher For Second Straight Finishing Win
Ryan Blaney13 hours ago

Speeding Penalty Costs Him Big At Texas
Francisco Alvarez13 hours ago

Dealing With Finger Contusion
Ketel Marte14 hours ago

Absent From Lineup On Monday
Mike Trout14 hours ago

Season Is Over
William Byron15 hours ago

Earns Sixth Win Of Season At Texas
Denny Hamlin15 hours ago

Secures Third Straight Top-Five Finish At Texas
Tyler Reddick15 hours ago

Late Wreck Ruins Tyler Reddick's Race At Texas
Chase Briscoe15 hours ago

Delivers Big Value At Texas
Kyle Busch15 hours ago

Championship Hopes Take Big Hit After Texas Wreck
Ross Chastain15 hours ago

Overcomes Throttle Issue To Finish Second At Texas
NASCAR15 hours ago

Bubba Wallace "Gave it Away" At Texas, Finishes Third
Chris Buescher15 hours ago

Has Another Strong Points Day At Texas
Kyle Larson15 hours ago

On Playoff Hot Seat After Wrecking At Texas
Adam Fantilli16 hours ago

Registers Two Assists In Preseason Debut
Trevor Van Riemsdyk17 hours ago

Trevor van Riemsdyk Sustains Apparent Hand Injury
Travis Konecny17 hours ago

"Banged Up"
Andrei Vasilevskiy17 hours ago

Battling Minor Injuries
Mika Zibanejad17 hours ago

Suffers An Upper-Body Injury
Kyle Palmieri17 hours ago

Set For Re-Evaluation This Week
Deandre Ayton1 day ago

To Portland A Possibility?
Damian Lillard1 day ago

Bulls, Raptors Expressing Interest In Damian Lillard
Tim Hardaway1 day ago

Pacers Reportedly Not Interested In Tim Hardaway Jr.
Buddy Hield1 day ago

To Dallas?
Francisco Alvarez1 day ago

Removed Early On Sunday
Luis Robert Jr.1 day ago

Replaced During Sunday's Game
Yandy Díaz1 day ago

Yandy Diaz Leaves Early Sunday
Ricardo Ramos2 days ago

Submitted Early At UFC Vegas 79
Charles Jourdain2 days ago

Extends Win Streak To Two
Marina Rodriguez2 days ago

Scores One-Sided TKO Win At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige2 days ago

Falls Short Against Another Top-10 Opponent
Bryce Mitchell2 days ago

Returns To Win Column At UFC Vegas 79
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

Feels Good About His Car at Texas
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

a Very Strong Option at Texas
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Pegged as Favorite to Win at Texas
Carson Hocevar2 days ago

Looks Impressive Again at Texas
Zane Smith2 days ago

Slow In Practice and Qualifying at Texas
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

in Downgraded Equipment for Texas
Luis Arraez2 days ago

Suffers Injury On Saturday
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Will Start 25th At Texas
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

The Top Value Play On Sunday At Texas
Ricky Stenhouse Jr2 days ago

.'s Struggles At Texas To Continue This Weekend
Joey Logano2 days ago

Makes For A Nice Bounce Back Play At Texas
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace Wins Pole At Texas Motor Speedway
Kenley Jansen3 days ago

Returns From COVID List
Mike Trout3 days ago

Hits Off Tee
Yordan Alvarez3 days ago

Doubles In A Run, Managing Elbow Issue
MLB3 days ago

Diamondbacks-Yankees Postponed Saturday Due To Rain
MLB3 days ago

Braves-Nationals Postponed On Saturday
Nolan Arenado3 days ago

Cardinals Place Nolan Arenado On Injured List
Sandy Alcantara3 days ago

Suffers Setback After Rehab Start
Clayton Keller3 days ago

Ready To Become 100-Point Player
Nicklas Backstrom3 days ago

Feeling At 100 Percent
Oliver Ekman-Larsson3 days ago

Set To Get Look On Top Power-Play Unit
Carter Verhaeghe3 days ago

Battling Muscle Tightness
Nikolaj Ehlers3 days ago

Struggling With Neck Spasms
Logan Cooley3 days ago

Scores Wonder Goal In Preseason Opener
3 days ago

Chauncey Billups Backs Scoot Henderson To Become A "Star"
Josh Green3 days ago

Aims To Become A Bigger Defensive Presence
Josh Hart3 days ago

Set To See Minutes As Power Forward
Cade Cunningham3 days ago

Jaden Ivey Believes Cade Cunningham Will "Shock" People
DeMar DeRozan3 days ago

Ready To Shoot More Threes
Marcus Morris3 days ago

Sr. Set To Remain A Starter In New Season
Brandon Lowe3 days ago

Finished For 2023 With Knee Fracture
Salvador Perez3 days ago

On Track For Return On Sunday
Triston McKenzie3 days ago

Set To Return For Sunday's Start
Jaden McDaniels3 days ago

Timberwolves Desire To Extend Jaden McDaniels
Boston Celtics3 days ago

Celtics Signing Lamar Stevens As Bench Piece
Frank Ntilikina3 days ago

Could Be Limited At Training Camp
Jayson Tatum3 days ago

To Play More Point Guard In 2023-24?
Rasmus Dahlin3 days ago

Sabres Aiming To Lock Up Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power Long-Term
Connor Hellebuyck3 days ago

Focused On The Jets In 2023-24
Trevor Zegras3 days ago

Jamie Drysdale Absent On First Day Of Camp
Andrew Cogliano3 days ago

Hoping To Be Cleared For Season Opener
Alexander Barabanov3 days ago

Prefers To Remain In San Jose
Mattias Ekholm3 days ago

Roughly A Week Away From Skating
Damian Lillard3 days ago

Suns Considered Dark Horse To Facilitate Damian Lillard Deal
Donovan Mitchell3 days ago

Not Expected To Sign An Extension Next Summer
3 days ago

Amen Thompson Is Ready To Go For Training Camp
Mateusz Gamrot4 days ago

Seeking Victory In Seventh UFC Appearance
Rafael Fiziev4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Michelle Waterson-Gomez4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Fletcher4 days ago

Set To Showcase On Main Card
Bryan Battle4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 79
Evgeny Kuznetsov4 days ago

Sees New Head Coach As "Perfect Match"
Mark Scheifele4 days ago

Open To Staying With Jets
BUF4 days ago

Buffalo Sabres Reportedly Eyeing Patrick Kane
Ricardo Ramos4 days ago

Set For First Fight In Over A Year
Charles Jourdain4 days ago

Hoping To Bring UFC Record Above .500
Marina Rodriguez4 days ago

Gets A Rematch At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige4 days ago

Enters UFC Vegas 79 On Two-Fight Win Streak
Bryce Mitchell4 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back After First Career Loss

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP