RADIO
Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games. Friday provided some strange results, no matter how you want to look at it. The Cleveland Cavaliers handed the Philadelphia 76ers their first home loss of the season by a score of 121-112. The win moves Cleveland to 3-14 on the year and gives them their first road win of the season. Jimmy Butler (ankle) was forced out of the game late in the fourth quarter with a left ankle sprain and was unable to return. His X-rays came back negative, but he will be re-evaluated on Saturday.
Sticking with the trend of random road upsets, the Phoenix Suns picked up their first road win of the season, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 116-114. Jamal Crawford was able to deliver the game-winner with eight-tenths of a second left on a 17-foot jump shot. Devin Booker scored 29 points on 13-for-26 from the field and has now taken 24.6 shots per game in his previous three contests, shooting a stout 47.2 percent during that time frame. The 22-year-old is a volume-based shooter with a high turnover rate and lousy shooting percentage, making him a better option in points leagues than category leagues, but a continued increase in efficiency would drastically help him raise his nine-category value.
And to add some sanity back to the NBA, the Golden State Warriors ended their four-game losing streak, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 125-97. Kevin Durant led the way with 32 points with Klay Thompson following just behind with a 31 point effort of his own. Injuries have snake-bitten the Warriors early in the season, but regardless of what seed they get out West, they should still be considered the favorites to win the championship if they enter the playoffs in full-health. A lot has been made over the Kevin Durant and Draymond Green feud, but I believe they will be fine once their starting lineup is healthy. Our top three fantasy takeaways of the night are still to come, so without further ado, let's take a more in-depth look into Friday's action.
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Noah Vonleh: Must-Add Waiver Wire Option
The New York Knicks have been rolling out a different lineup every game and production has been inconsistent, but one player that is beginning to look like a must-add in all leagues is Noah Vonleh.
On Friday, Vonleh scored 14 points with 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals, two blocks and four three-pointers on 5-for-10 shooting. The 23-year-old has found himself on a spectacular three-game run that has seen him average 14.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 blocks, 1.6 steals and 2.6 threes on 55.5 percent shooting.
Most impressively, Vonleh has been bringing the ball up the court on offense and guarding the opposing centers on defense. New York is a mess defensively, so it seems likely that coach David Fizdale will continue operating with Vonleh as his starting power forward. The ninth pick in the 2014 draft has been a rebounding machine when given minutes and should be locked into double-double potential nightly if his minutes continue to hover around 30. Vonleh is floating around the waiver wire in 65 percent of Yahoo leagues and a shocking 92 percent of ESPN leagues. He has a real possibility to provide top-75 value for the rest of the season in nine-category leagues if Fizdale doesn't make any irrational changes that involve the Indiana Hoosiers product.
Cedi Osman: Cedi Cedi Bang Bang
After a quick start to 2018, Cedi Osman became the most popular add on the waiver wire in the first week of the season. Unfortunately, his production was short-lived, and the 23-year-old grew into one of the most widespread drops during the early part of November.
However, many may have been too premature in releasing him. On Friday, Osman registered his second straight 20-point or more effort, recording 20 points to go along with eight rebounds, two assists and two three-pointers on 7-for-14 shooting. The most significant deterrent for the Macedonian has been his field goal percentage this season, shooting only 38.4 percent from the field, but he has now played 42 minutes and shot 50 percent or better from the field in two straight games.
The breakout campaign for Osman is still possible, and he is once again worth an add in standard leagues -- especially if you are punting field goal percentage. The Cavs are in tank mode and will be giving the small forward all the minutes he can handle. If he can stay healthy, the upside is there for top-100 value.
Montrezl Harrell: Sixth Man Of The Year? Most Improved?
Montrezl Harrell might be the biggest steal of this year's fantasy draft. Coming in with an average draft position of 151st on ESPN, the 24-year-old has far exceeded expectations, currently ranking inside the top-35 in nine-category leagues. And while some may consider him a sell-high option, his breakout season shows no signs of slowing down.
Harrell scored 22 points with 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks in 35 minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. He was able to make a significant impact in overtime with five points as the Clippers held on for a 112-107 victory. On the season, Harrell is providing averages of 15.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks on 65.4 percent shooting from the field, but his production is beginning to go into hyperspeed with extra minutes and usage being bestowed upon him.
In Harrell's past five games, he has averaged 19.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks on 58.2 percent shooting. The second round pick in the 2015 draft is currently one of the favorites to win the Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player awards and is a hold in all formats. Harrell has been receiving some extra minutes at power forward, but he is still the teams most reliable center, and that is where he will be doing the majority of his damage.
