Returns From Injuries and Kelly Olynyk Three's

The season is quickly and sadly coming to a close. There have been so many narratives to follow and players seem to be just now coming into their own. For example, Kelly Olynyk jumped from top-150 value over the past month, to top-25 over the past two weeks. While his role is more than sustainable, teams will start to take notice and already have. This opens up a bigger role for Bam Adebayo and will help ease Goran Dragic back into the rotation. Other than the Heat, Kevin Love's return to the Cavaliers went exactly as everyone thought it would. He is once again the clear-cut best player on a really bad team, so he is naturally posting massive stat lines and should do so on a nightly basis.

Derrick Favors has come on strong lately, and while his production is sustainable as well, his upcoming week might be more modest than anything. He faces susceptible teams, but since he is a veteran who is experienced enough to know the importance of these games, I strongly believe he will sacrifice production for the sake of his team. He plays well when the games matter, and I won't say that these games don't matter, but I don't think it will take much effort (outside of the Oklahoma City game) to come out victorious.

Make sure to stay updated on injuries and return times, but as far as I'm concerned, these next three players will see the biggest benefit. As a reminder, for standard (10-12 team) league adds, we use a general rule of thumb of an ownership rate of under 50% on Yahoo. All position eligibility based on Yahoo leagues.

Standard League Adds for Week 22

Luke Kennard, G  – Detroit Pistons

Ownership: 32%

9.7 PPG / 1.6 APG / .445 FG% / 1.7 3MPG

Luke Kennard's ownership has rightfully risen over the past month or so, but that doesn't mean his hot streak is coming to an end. He continues to play like the lone sharpshooter on the Pistons because he is. That won't change for the near future because when Kennard is hitting, the Pistons actually have a better chance of winning. Huge surprise there. He opens up the floor so Blake Griffin can actually produce with his high usage, and it also frees up Drummond to use more space in the paint.

Over the past two weeks, Kennard has been posting top-70 numbers. That doesn't seem like much since there's still a ton of room for improvement, but most importantly you can't leave his production on the table when every night especially when the Pistons are game planning to get Kennard his shots.

Jonah Bolden, PF – Philadelphia 76ers

Ownership 1%

4.5 PPG / 3.5 RPG / 2.0 APG / .9 BPG / .517 FG%

Since Joel Embiid is missing so much time there aren't many options that the 76ers have. Luckily, they have been able to run small for most of the games that Embiid has missed, but few players have showed the upside Jonah Bolden has. He does a little bit of everything and that includes defensive intensity. Embiid is going to miss time and the 76ers will run with smaller lineups that focus on Mike Scott, Amir Johnson, and Jonah Bolden as the secondary players.

He is barely owned and while the box score is somewhat misleading, he carries a massive impact on the court and he is going to get plenty of minutes against bigger teams, especially the next game versus Indiana. Philadelphia will need an athletic big to stick with Myles Turner so expect a few extra minutes from him as a defensive playmaker.

Bam Adebayo, PF/C – Miami Heat

Ownership 31%

8.0 PPG / 6.7 RPG / .563 FG% / 2.0 APG / .8 BPG

Since Kelly Olynyk has been an absolute monster for the Miami Heat lately, Bam Adebayo is sliding under the radar. His minutes are just as consistent as ever, not to mention he has been all over the boards in every game. His usage could be a bit higher to help sell the point, but looking forward, if Olynyk simmers down just one bit, Adebayo will be there to pick up any extra production. Whenever Olynyk is hitting from the field, Adebayo plays a more passive role and is able to focus on his defensive assignments THAT much more. When Olynyk ISN'T hitting from the field, Adebayo uses his size to get into the paint and give Olynyk more spacing.

The Heat haven't figured it out yet, but when Goran Dragic returns, the team takes on an identity that focuses around their recently productive frontcourt. Dragic can hold down all the guard duties when he is healthy, and the Miami bigs will have more than their fair share of opportunities to produce whenever they can.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis