RADIO
Euan Leith looks at fantasy basketball starting lineup changes for Week 21. These NBA players are seeing increases or decreases in minutes and playing time.
Welcome to Rotation Watch, where each week, this article will break down who is gaining 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. Week 20 was no exception, and there were plenty of players to keep our eyes on moving forward.
It seemed like a week where the contenders separated a bit from the pretenders in the NBA. The Clippers picked up impressive wins over the Nuggets, 76ers, Thunder, and Rockets. The Lakers beat the Bucks and the Clippers in the span of 48 hours. Still, that is for the postseason to worry about. Over here we concentrate on the now. Like PJ Washington continuing his excellent, yet quiet, rookie season, and Bogdan Bogdanovic rewarding his head coach, Luke Walton, with some excellent performances as the Kings climb back into playoff contention. It may be playoff time in your league and every point, rebound, and free throw could be the difference between you advancing to the next round or beginning draft prep for next season. Let's keep the season going and find some players that can take you one step closer to a championship.
So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores from March 2 to March 8 and look for those hidden gems that are grabbing the minutes to help your fantasy basketball team achieve the ultimate prize, a championship.
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Shaquille Harrison (PG, SG - Chicago Bulls)
Season: 10.8 Minutes per Game
Week 20: 28.7 Minutes per Game
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine missed all four of their Week 20 games, and Denzel Valentine started all four games in his absence. That didn't stop Shaquille Harrison from having arguably the best week of his three-year NBA career.
The combo guard was averaging 10.8 minutes heading into Week 20, but was given an enormous opportunity and took full advantage last week. Over the four games, Harrison averaged 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 28.7 minutes. The former-Tulsa player set a season-high with 17 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second game of the week and then topped that with a career-high 25 points against the Indiana Pacers two days later.
Once LaVine returns, Harrison will likely fall back down to earth, but these four games should show the Bulls management that he is more valuable than Valentine going forward. If LaVine were to suffer a setback, or any other Chicago guard were to be injured, Harrison would still hold some value in 14-team leagues if he got enough minutes to produce a week-winning performance. It's almost playoff time in a lot of head-to-head leagues, and he is the exact kind of player that could catch lightning in a bottle for your team when they need it most.
Gary Harris (SG - Denver Nuggets)
Season: 31.9 Minutes per Game
Week 20: 33.4 Minutes per Game
It's been a tough season for Gary Harris. The sixth-year pro is averaging his lowest point per game, field-goal shooting, and three-point shooting rates since his rookie year. His name popped up around the trade deadline, but he survived the rumor mill and has stuck around in Denver. He's started 53 of 54 games this year, and Nuggets Head Coach Michael Malone values his contributions outside the box score.
That's what made Week 20 so great. If you, like Michael Malone, showed patience with the former-Michigan State Spartan, Harris rewarded you with a big week. Throughout three games, the shooting guard averaged 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.3 assists, and 0.7 blocks. He hit 61.5 percent of his field-goal attempts and made 1.3 threes per game at a 57.1 percent clip. The four blocks and steals combined were a massive boost for his value, and it made him the No. 6 shooting guard for the week and a top-25 player in all formats.
His playing time is not an issue, but if he can keep this run of steals going, he will retain a lot of value in the final month of the regular season. If you are in a roto league and need to make up some ground, Harris is available in 52 percent of Yahoo leagues and could just be sitting on the waiver wire in 10 and 12-team leagues.
Bogdan Bogdanovic (SG, SF - Sacramento Kings)
Season: 28.5 Minutes per Game
Week 20: 31.0 Minutes per Game
The Sacramento Kings are surging while making a late-season push to snatch the eighth seed in the Western Conference, and it has aligned with some tremendous performances from Bogdan Bogdanovic. The 27-year old saw an uptick in his minutes during four Week 20 games and finished as a top-eight player for the week.
The Serbian averaged 30 minutes per game and contributed 17.5 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 three-pointers, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks. In a crucial contest versus the Portland Trail Blazers, Bogdanovic had arguably his best game of the season. He scored 27 points, dished eight assists, grabbed five boards, and drained seven three-pointers. The 27 points were his second-highest total of the season, and his seven deep balls tied a season-high.
Bogdanovich is not going to see a decrease in minutes anytime sooner, either. The Kings are 13-7 since the third-year player replaced Buddy Hield in the lineup. He is still available in 33 percent of leagues and will be a useful addition if you need points and three-pointers entering the fantasy playoffs.
PJ Washington (PF - Charlotte Hornets)
Season: 30.5 Minutes per Game
Week 20: 33.2 Minutes per Game
Charlotte Hornets forward PJ Washington has been having a solid rookie season and picked it up a notch in Week 20. His level of play saw him break into the top-15 power forwards for the week, and his 51 percent availability should make him a trendy pick up in all formats.
His minutes climbed to 33.2 per game last week, and he took full advantage of the opportunity. In his three games, he recorded at least 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three made three-pointers in every contest. Those four categories alone would've made him a valuable play in most formats, but he also shot 51.3 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from behind the arc to contribute in the ratio categories as well.
Washington has been a pleasant surprise for Charlotte and fantasy players this season. He is producing well above expectations when he was drafted as the 12th player off the board last year. The 21-year old could become a much-needed building block for the Hornets, and if you are floundering in a dynasty league, he is a smart buy before the offseason comes around, and people begin to notice how good he was in his rookie season.
Marquese Chriss (PF, C - Golden State Warriors)
Season: 20.2 Minutes per Game
Week 20: 29.2 Minutes per Game
Marquese Chriss may be on his fourth NBA team in his four-year career, but he seems to be finding a home with the Golden State Warriors finally. After averaging 7..6 points and 4.5 rebounds through his first three seasons, Chriss has picked it up in a Warriors uniform.
Since February 1, the 2016 lottery pick has averaged 14 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 combined steals and blocks in 14 games. Then Week 20 came along and Chriss topped all of those statistics. Over three games, the former-Washington Husky averaged 15.3 points on 54.3 percent shooting, nine rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 29.2 minutes per game. He has collected three double-doubles in his last four contests and seems to be breaking out in Steve Kerr's offense.
Chriss is available in 42 percent of leagues, and his Week 20 numbers landed him inside the top-five power forwards for the week. Golden State is going to keep running their guys out there to see who should stick around next season when Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green return to full health. Chriss is getting that opportunity now and should be on a lot of fantasy rosters heading into the playoffs.
