RADIO
Euan Leith looks at fantasy basketball starting lineup changes for Week 6. 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. You want the players on your team that are getting their opportunity to shine, not the ones who are sitting on the bench and watching from the sidelines.
RED ALERT! Carmelo Anthony is playing in the National Basketball Association again. That is how bad things have turned in Portland during their poor start to the season. Carmelo has been driven out of a few cities by now but hopes to find a home in the Rose City. Of course, he could be out of the league in two weeks for all we know. But let's enjoy the ride while we can.
So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores from November 18th to November 24th and look for those hidden gems that are grabbing some minutes to help your fantasy basketball team.
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NBA Playing Time Changes
Spencer Dinwiddie (PG, SG - Brooklyn Nets)
Season: 28.3 Minutes per Game
Week 5: 33.3 Minutes per Game
Kyrie Irving last appeared in a Brooklyn Nets uniform on November 14th against the Denver Nuggets. His absence will continue through at least his return to Boston on Wednesday night.
In his place, Spencer Dinwiddie has stepped up and not missed a beat and provided great replacement stats for the Nets and hopefully fantasy managers everywhere. In Week 5 he rewarded the 69.8% of his ESPN owners with 25.3 points, 6.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 made three-pointers, and 1.3 steals per game.
Kyrie will eventually return to the lineup but Caris Levert is also sidelined with a thumb injury through the middle of December according to reports. Dinwiddie was a main cog in the Brooklyn offense last year and it seems as natural to come to him as easy as riding a bike. If he is available in your league, jump on the back and let him help you through the holiday season.
J.J. Redick (SG - New Orleans Pelicans)
Season: 27.8 Minutes per Game
Week 5: 31.3 Minutes per Game
Redick didn't have the start that most fantasy managers were hoping for through the first four weeks of the season, but he turned it on in Week 5. Several Pelicans have clipped wings and are not flying smoothly right now. Luckily for fantasy managers, J.J. is filling in admirably.
In Week 5, the 35-year old averaged 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 made three-pointers, and 2.5 assists per game. Fantasy managers will gladly take that while they can. Redick will see his role shrink when the Pelicans return to full health, but they seem to have injured players constantly and that would lead to Redick continuing this production.
Enjoy this while you can before this team is fully handed over to the Zion Williamson - Brandon Ingram - Lonzo Ball trio. Redick is worth a roster spot in 12-team leagues.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (SF - Phoenix Suns)
Season: 31.2 Minutes per Game
Week 5: 34.4 Minutes per Game
Kelly Oubre Jr. may be one of the more underrated players in the league at this point. He is a solid real-life and fantasy basketball player. He is the ninth-best small forward on ESPN's player rater and is still not universally owned. It's time to change that.
His Week 5 production should have been enough to convince owners in the remaining 18.6% of leagues that now is the time to add him to their team. He averaged 19.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 threes during his five-game week.
If fantasy managers are playing in one of the 18.6% of ESPN leagues where Oubre Jr. is not owned, stop making a mistake by not having him on your team because he is one of those players that build a solid foundation for a championship-winning fantasy basketball team.
Carmelo Anthony (SF, PF - Portland Trail Blazers)
Season: N/A
Week 5: 29.3 Minutes per Game
Carmelooooooooo! He has been one of the most polarizing figures in the league during his career, but now he just wants to chase that ring. Unfortunately, if fantasy managers want a ring of their own this season they should not be chasing Carmelo Anthony.
In Week 5 he was only able to produce 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in his three games. He was also shooting poorly with 34.1% from the field, 31.3% from three-point land, and 66.7% from the charity stripe.
Is it possible that he is shaking off the rust after missing an entire year? Sure. But if you remove the name of Carmelo Anthony and look at 35-year old coming off seven seasons of declines in minutes, points, and field-goal percentage, would he even be on your radar? The answer is no. Be a smart fantasy manager and don't chase Anthony.
Cody Zeller (C - Charlotte Hornets)
Season: 25.1 Minutes per Game
Week 5: 19.5 Minutes per Game
Usually, this article likes to write about the positive changes in minutes, but sometimes there needs to be a villain. Cody Zeller is the primary villain for this week's article. He wasn't contributing to fantasy managers in shallower formats, but heading into Week 5 he was owned in over 40% of ESPN leagues. Tha number has dropped 12.3% over the past seven days and his production in Week 5 is a big reason why.
He saw his minutes drop from a semi-healthy 25.1 per game to 19.5. Almost six-less minutes per game. As most fantasy managers can imagine, this drastically affected his production and he only averaged 7.8 points and 6.8 rebounds.
Charlotte is a mess right now and the franchise is looking for ways to rebuild and find a spark after Kemba Walker's departure over the summer. As the season moves on, Zeller could see his role reduced even further while the Hornets try more and more ways to get this team back on track and into playoff contention for years to come.
