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 Starting Lineup Changes - Week 5

Euan Leith looks at fantasy basketball starting lineup changes for Week 5 of the 2021-22 NBA season. These players are seeing increases in minutes and playing time.

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 playing time. They want to avoid the players falling out of favor and watching the action from the sidelines.

Here's how Week 4 played out for the Rotation Watch with their player ranking over the last seven days:

Oh boy! After Week 2's success, I wasn't sure how we could get any better. However, grabbing the No. 1 player in fantasy over the last seven days surely tops it. Add another top-35 player on top of that, and I'm starting to feel the pressure to keep it up. Somehow, we are already one-fifth through the season, and injuries are beginning to pop up all over the court.

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!

So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores and look for those hidden gems that grabbed minutes to help your fantasy basketball team achieve the ultimate prize: a championship. Of course, 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.

 

NBA Playing Time  Changes

Dennis Schroder - PG, Boston Celtics

Yahoo: 78% rostered

Week 4: 36:00 Minutes per Game

Schroder is above the usual roster percentage for this article. Yet, when I saw he wasn't at 100 percent, I had to make an exception. Jaylen Brown (hamstring) is getting closer to an on-court return. However, this year, he's already picked up a hamstring and knee injury, so the Celtics will be cautious with their star's health once he returns. Therefore, Schroder will continue to get more run even after Brown's return.

The German guard has outperformed Marcus Smart and Josh Richardson during Brown's absence and should be third in the pecking order for offensive opportunities when Boston is at full strength. Since Nov. 6, the 28-year old averages 24 points on 18.8 shots, along with 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 threes. Schroder's making 51.1 percent of his field goals and is averaging over 36 minutes per game. He's a valuable fantasy asset on a team looking to kick start their season and get into the East's top-six for an automatic playoff spot. Plus, Marcus Smart is involved in every Celtics trade rumor, and it would remove one less mouth to feed at the basketball table.

Duncan Robinson - SG/SF, Miami Heat

Yahoo: 59% rostered

Week 4: 34:30 Minutes per Game

Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Tyler Herro are grabbing all the headlines on South Beach, while Duncan Robinson remains on the three-point line waiting for his moment. Well, since Jimmy Butler (ankle) went down, the moment has arrived, and Robinson's delivering. Since Nov. 9, he's averaging four three-pointers per game, but he's reached NBA Jam "He's on fire" status in the last two contests.

Against the Jazz and Thunder, respectively, the 27-year old sharpshooter averaged 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 5.5 three-pointers. So while Butler will return, fantasy managers will hope this recent uptick in threes will return Robinson to the type of value they drafted him for before the season started. Meanwhile, if you're in one of the 41 percent of leagues where he's on the waiver wire, and you need points and threes, he's going to be your best option moving forward.

Franz Wagner - SG/SF, Orlando Magic

Yahoo: 59% rostered

Week 4: 34:00 Minutes per Game

Rotation Watch welcomes Franz Wagner as its first repeat customer for the 2021-22 campaign, as the rookie makes his second appearance in the article in just four weeks. The reason he's back is because the minutes are not going away for the eighth overall pick in this year's draft, and he's providing top-100 value in nine-category leagues. In addition, he does a little bit of everything most nights and at a reasonably efficient rate to boot. Plus, he's already shown managers that he can break out and pop off some spectacular performances, despite his NBA career being less than 20 games old.

On Nov. 1, he scored 28 points and drained five three-pointers versus the Timberwolves. On Nov. 11, he swiped six steals against the Nets. And finally, in his last game, he added another 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, two threes, and a block in Atlanta. There's just too much potential and workload here to be left on the waiver wire. Jonathan Isaac (knee) is still without a timetable, and until he gets back on the court, I'm not sure Wagner will be limited in any manner by this Magic coaching staff.

Eric Bledsoe - PG/SG, Los Angeles Clippers

Yahoo: 55% rostered

Week 4: 33:15 Minutes per Game

Bledsoe is in his second stint with the Clippers and is rising from the ashes like a phoenix. Fine, that's a little dramatic on my part, but it is excellent to see Bledsoe turn back the clock in Los Angeles and put together some fantasy-useful performances. In Week 4, he scored 21 points in two of his three outings, and they sandwiched a 14-point, nine-assist evening against Minnesota.

Bledsoe's rise coincides with Nicolas Batum's fall (a Week 3 Rotation Watch write-up), and it goes to show how up and down this Clippers team can be outside of Paul George's superhero efforts. Reggie Jackson, Bledsoe, and Batum will all have valuable stretches in fantasy this season, and we managers need to be on the ball as to who to play and when. Right now, it's Bledsoe, but stay tuned because I could have Batum back in here as early as next week.

Talen Horton-Tucker - SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers

Yahoo: 46% rostered

Week 4: 32:00 Minutes per Game

The man known as THT around Lakers circles made his season debut this week and thrived in a LeBron-less Lakers team. First, he provided 17 points, four rebounds, an assist, a steal, a block, and a three-pointer in 27 minutes against the Spurs. Then, as an encore, Horton-Tucker played 37 minutes and erupted for 28 points, six rebounds, four threes, two assists, and a steal versus the Bulls. It's made him a top-15 play over the last seven days, and his roster percentage is sky-rocketing.

However, what goes up, must come down. Therefore, with LeBron James' imminent return, THT's days as a top-15 option will likely be coming to an end. Still, he's come out strong on a Lakers team looking for answers on how they fix a dysfunctional roster. Horton-Tucker may not be the whole answer, but he can be a part of the solution. I'll be watching the Los Angeles rotation closely over the next 10 days to see how THT fits into this team with a healthy James on the court.

 



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

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

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
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
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
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
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
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
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
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
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
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF