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On behalf of the RotoBaller staff, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Due to the holidays, I am away on a trip and this post will be more brief.
If you haven't checked out our injury updates, make sure to give that a look. I also write a feature during the week on recent notable injuries and which players can benefit. We are expanding our NBA fantasy coverage throughout the site, so be sure to check them out!
Now let's look back on Week 10 and get prepared for Week 11.
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!
Week 11 Schedule
4 Games – Wizards, Kings, Sixers, Thunder, Knicks, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Lakers, Pacers, Rockets, Warriors, Mavericks, Bulls, Nets, Celtics
3 Games – Hawks, Hornets, Cavaliers, Nuggets, Pistons, Clippers, Heat, Bucks, Pelicans, Magic, Suns, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz
2 Games – Trail Blazers
Week 10 Breakout Performers
Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder
Week 10 averages: 29.8 PPG 9.0 RPG 9.5 APG 2.5Â SPG 0.8 BPG 1.0 3PM 60% FG 85% FT 2.3 TO
No need to say much, but when Russell Westbrook is efficient without turning the ball over, he's a fantasy popcorn machine. He was the #1 overall player this week, and there's not much stopping the Brodie from getting his team out of the recent slump.
Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, Los Angeles Lakers
Week 10 averages: 27.0 PPG 8.5 RPG 2.8 APG 0.8 SPG 0.8 BPG 4.0 3PM 55% FG 75% FT 2.0 TO
Kyle Kuzma has been a beast lately, flashing his first-round upside this week. He joined Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as the only Lakers rookies to score 25 or more points in three straight games, and the injury to Brook Lopez (ankle) has pushed him to averaging nearly 38 minutes per night over the last five. There's absolutely no reason to sell high. While he doesn't get much defensive stats, his massive upside on offense can't be ignored.
Victor Oladipo, PG/SG, Indiana Pacers
Week 10 averages: 31.3 PPG 5.3 RPG 3.0 APG 1.5 SPG 0.5 BPG 2.8 3PM 57% FG 84% FT 1.0 TO
Oladipo's magical season continues, and he's looking more and more like a first-round player for years to come. We knew the defensive numbers were gonna be there from Oladipo, but this hot shooting with him averaging a block as a GUARD is surely impressive. He's a lock for Most Improved Player and should certainly earn a nod into the All-Star game in Los Angeles.
Kyrie Irving, PG/SG, Boston Celtics
Week 10 averages: 30.0 PPG 2.8 RPG 5.0 APG 1.0 SPG 0.3 BPG 4.8 3PM 50% FG 92% FT 2.0 TO
Kyrie's hot, hitting nearly five triples per game this week. The Celtics has slipped a bit over their last ten, going just 5-for-5. But as long as Kyrie is healthy, he's going to continue to flirt with top-20 numbers.
Kevin Love, PF/C, Cleveland Cavaliers
Week 10 averages: 24.3 PPG 8.7 RPG 2.0 APG 0.7 SPG 0.0 BPG 4.7 3PM 52% FG 100% FT 1.3 TO
The return of Tristan Thompson has made little to no impact on Love, who continues his fine season. He's ultra-efficient right now, connecting on over 53 percent shooting over his last five games. The eventual return of Isaiah Thomas could take some touches away, but he's still going to be a top-25 player going forward.
DeMar DeRozan, SG/SF, Toronto Raptors
Week 10 averages: 30.8 PPG 3.3 RPG 4.5 APG 0.8 SPG 0.8 BPG 3.3 3PM 52% FG 82% FT 3.0 TO
The sudden outburst of 3-pointers and assists has vaulted DeRozan into second-round value this week. The knock on his fantasy game was always the lack of 3-pointers and assists, which he showed he can provide. It's a bit of an outlier since he makes his living off the mid-range jumper, but this sudden outburst of treys could make him take more shots behind the arc the rest of the way.
Josh Richardson, SG/SF, Miami Heat
Week 10 averages: 20.3 PPG 4.0 RPG 4.0 APG 1.5 SPG 1.0 BPG 1.8 3PM 51% FG 83% FT 1.8 TO
There was some leagues which he was dropped earlier in the season, and he's showing everyone why patience pays off. He's been a second-round play this week, and you can see the similarity to Victor Oladipo, another guard who is able to rack up the defensive stats in steals and blocks. These players are rare and should be treated like a vital piece to your squad.
Week 11 Standard Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups
Jarrett Jack, PG/SG, New York Knicks (11% Ownership)
The Knicks play four games this week, with a Christmas day match-up. Jack has been a reliable source of assists with 5.8 assists per game, which isn't bad for a waiver wire pick up considering he's not hurting you elsewhere in percentages or turnovers.
Michael Beasley, SF/PF, New York Knicks (30% Ownership)
Beasley was a huge reason why the Knicks were able to erase a deficit to beat the Celtics on Thursday night, hitting 13-of-20 for 32 points. He did fizzle out against the Pistons on following night, but he's still worth a look to see if he's able to get off to a good start. Just know this is a short-term pick up with Tim Hardaway J.R. (leg) due back soon.
Jordan Bell, PF/C, Golden State Warriors (33%Â Ownership)Â
The Warriors has given Bell more minutes lately and he has answered to the occasion. Bell is averaging 9.0 points, 5.8 boards to go along with 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals over his last five games. The promising news is coach Steve Kerr elected to play Bell next to Draymond Green, which is a huge boost to his value going forward. Bell is a very nice upside player for those seeking big man stats.
Bismack Biyombo, PF/C, Orlando Magic (20% Ownership)
Nikola Vucevic (fractured hand) is going to miss the next 6-8 weeks, and Biyombo makes for a popular add for owners who needs help in rebounding and blocks. He's not going to be very consistent, nor is he someone whose capable of handling 30 + minutes per night. But the opportunity is there and it's worth an add to see what happens. It's worth monitoring to see if Orlando makes a trade for a big man before the trading deadline.
Yogi Ferrell, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks (16% Ownership)
Ferrell has been flirting with mid-round numbers for the past two weeks with 13.8 points and 2.1 3-pointers per game. Granted that Dennis Smith JR (hip) has returned from his hip injury, Ferrell continues to get minutes and shots up. He's worth rolling until he cools off.
Delon Wright, PG/SG, Toronto Raptors (3% Ownership)
The Raptors loves Wright's versatility, where he can play next to DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. He's a combo guard who can score and dish, all while having the size to guard opposing guards. He's averaging 1.1 steals in just 20 minutes per game, and he's been rolling in his last two with 13.0 points, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.5 treys. He's also seeing an increase in minutes with 26.5. There's no telling if this is due to C.J. Miles being out, but he's worth deploying while he's this good.
Week 11 Deep Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups
Josh Hart, SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers (3% Ownership)
Hart has been playing well lately, and coach Luke Walton loves his size and energy while he's out there. Brandon Ingram (knee, quad) missed Saturday's contest and is questionable Monday against the T-Wolves, so Hart could also be looking at more minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is dealing with personal issues and cannot leave the state of California until mid-January, where he's only allowed to play games in the state. So Hart is in line for huge minutes whenever KCP can't suit up. It also helps that Lonzo Ball (shoulder) is also expected to miss a week. He's not going to score 20 points a night, but the rebounding with a trickle of 3-pointers are nice for deeper formats.
Denzel Valentine, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls (18% Ownership)
Valentine's ability to stay on the court is tied to how well he's shooting on most nights. He has to play well enough to hold off David Nwaba and Justin Holiday to sustain value, which is why he's more suited for deeper leagues. Zach LaVine (knee) also could be back soon so Valentine's outlook isn't too promising.
Bam Adebayo, PF/C, Miami Heat (9% Ownership)
Hassan Whiteside (knee) is not expected to return to the Heat this week, giving Adebayo another week to start. He's averaging just 0.8 blocks on the season, which is why his upside is capped. However, the minutes has been nice lately at 28 per game over the last two weeks. He's still putting up decent numbers of 10.0 points and 6.3 boards on 63 percent shooting.
P.J. Tucker, SG/SF, Houston Rockets (17% Ownership)
The Rockets are banged up and coach Mike D'Antoni loves to play tight rotations. Tucker is in line for 30+ minutes and should be given a look considering how fast the Rockets like to play and shoot 3-pointers.
Anthony Tolliver, SF/PF, Detroit Pistons (2% Ownership)
Tolliver is coming off three straight double-digit outings, where he connected on 12 triples in his last three games. He's worth a look if given the minutes, just know he won't do much else other than points and 3-pointers.
Buy Low
Isaiah Thomas, PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers
The major news this weekend was that Isaiah Thomas finally has a target in mind, and that's early January. To make it clear again, he shouldn't be on any waiver wires in any fantasy format, and he should be viewed as an early-round guy with top-25 upside if everything clicks. You shouldn't expect Isaiah Thomas to put up the numbers he did with the Celtics last season, but you can bet he's going to thrive playing next to LeBron James if he's able to stay healthy. He's also motivated more than ever the Celtics traded him away after a MVP-caliber season last year. The scoring might not be as high as last year, but his efficiency and his 3-point makes could increase. Thomas is worth the gamble if you're willing to trade away pieces you won't miss.
Lonzo Ball, PG, Los Angeles Lakers
Say what you want about the rookie's ugly shooting form, but he has been sneaky good over the past few weeks. He's been a steady top-50 play over the last two weeks and a top-75 play over the past month. Not many are noticing his out-of-positions blocks from a point guard position, but he's getting it done with 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game over the last two weeks. Many owners are just reading into the shooting struggles, without noticing other things like rebounds, dimes, and 3-pointers are all up from the previous month as well. He hasn't blow up yet, but the Big Baller Brand star is going to be given a long leash in LA. Get him while his value is still low.
Hassan Whiteside, C, Miami Heat
The big man is close to a return, although the team hasn't announced a set return date. He's been ruled out Monday and Wednesday, so his earliest target date would be Friday against the Mavericks. If anyone follows him on Snapchat, he has said to his fans he's progressing very well in his recovery. He's already lifting weights and working on conditioning. He has said to the media he will not return unless he feels 100 percent right, so he could be held just a bit longer. Expect big things from him when he does return, as he will return first-round value. Get him while you still can.
Sell High
Dwyane Wade, PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers
Wade has already started to trend down a bit after a hot two-week stretch. That may be the best Wade has looked all season and it's a great idea to sell him for a player with a better outlook. Isaiah Thomas is also close to a return and he will almost definitely have a negative impact on Wade's fantasy production. There's no telling if Wade can fully stay healthy either. I advise owners to starting exploring trade offers including Wade as his value has never been higher all season.
Spencer Dinwiddie, PG/SG, Brooklyn Nets
Dinwiddie has really struggled lately, shooting just 39 percent the past week. He hasn't exactly been the dynamite player we saw earlier in the season, and it's a huge reminder that players will often regress back to their mean. He was simply playing out of his mind and it'd be wise to see if you're able to send him off for a player with a better outlook, especially given that D'Angelo Russell (knee) could come back in the near future. Dinwiddie will have a hard time sustaining value with Russell back in the picture.
Carmelo Anthony, SF/PF, Oklahoma City Thunder
The OK3 experiment just isn't working, and I'm not sure if it will ever work at all this season. With that said, I do believe Anthony's recent struggles will improve, and so will the team. However, I'm not banking on the fact that Melo's rank of #101 is suddenly going to sky rocket. He's been ranked outside the top-150 over the last two weeks and ranked #204 over the past month, so it's safe to say Melo's best fantasy days are well behind him. He's struggling mightily with efficiency, and his once strongest contribution (points) has fallen to just 17.5 this season. He should be sold once he strings together a couple of strong games, mainly because he still holds decent name value. I'd unload him as soon as he puts up a decent line, or use him as a sweetener in a package deal.
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