RADIO
Leonard Francis II highlights three fantasy basketball takeaways from the NBA's March 5th slate. This recap focuses on Joakim Noah, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Houston Rockets.
Paul George's return from a three-game absence wasn't enough to put an end to the Thunder's recent struggles - they've now lost five of six with their lone win coming at the hands of the woeful Grizzlies. The Celtics -- winners of just two games since the All-Star Break -- changed their recent misfortunes with a 128-95 routing of the Warriors, in Oakland. Philly is now 7-3 since acquiring Tobias Harris; despite being without Joel Embiid for the last six...
With the NBA postseason right around the corner, each night brings with it an added level of intrigue. As you can see, last night was no exception as the six-game slate showcased 10 playoff (or potentially) bound squads. Buckle up.
In this RotoBaller NBA recap, we'll take a look at three of my biggest fantasy (and reality) takeaways from the association on Tuesday, March 5th. With the twilight of the season approaching, I'll be making the shift from waiver wire or trade targets, to guys who could provide DFS value and/or are worthy of paying up for, as your fantasy playoff fates are likely all but determined at this point. However, feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@maxingyourodds) with any questions.
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Joakim Noah, Circa 2011
Most people tend to look to the prolific, exciting, Golden State Warrior-types of the world when it comes to finding productive fantasy options... I may not know much, but I know this one thing for certain, the Memphis Grizzlies are not that. However, we don't have to scour the depths of each roster to find evidence of players providing plenty of value on lousy teams. And rather surprisingly, Joakim Noah has turned back the hands of time to become one of the latest players to do just that.
Following last night's nine point, 10 rebound, seven assist performance in the Grizzlies 120-111 win over Portland, the 12th-year vet is now averaging a relatively impressive 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a block with three double-doubles across 10 games since Memphis shipped Marc Gasol to Toronto. Noah's minutes have fluctuated over this 10-game span, and with the Grizzlies boasting the league's sixth-worst record, seeing the younger players get more run down the stretch wouldn't be the least bit surprising; he doesn't come without risk. Nonetheless, his floor appears to be rather high -- as long as he remains a consistent part of the rotation -- and he's been a solid source of DFS value every time he's laced them up in recent weeks.
Rockets Continue Taking Flight
Winners of six-straight, the now almost fully healthy Houston Rockets are beginning to look like the team we saw come minutes away from representing the Western Conference in last season's NBA Finals. Sure, we're all aware of James Harden's torrid run, but in the back of our minds we all knew the odds of him singlehandedly carrying his squad to the promised land were rather slim. Well, his reinforcements -- Chris Paul and Clint Capela -- have returned, and Houston has now knocked off the Warriors, Celtics, and Raptors in just 10 days time.
Austin Rivers and Gerald Green combined for 31 points off the bench in last night's 107-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors, and on a night which saw Chris Paul go just 1-for-10 from the field en route to a measly five points, the Rockets were able to hand the league's second-best team just their seventh home loss of the season. There isn't much fantasy impact here, but at this rate, the Rockets have to be considered the No. 1 contender to take down the Warriors out West.
Karl-Anthony Towns' Under the Radar MVP Case
This time last season, it was Anthony Davis who took his game to an MVP-caliber level, carrying the Pelicans on his back as he stuffed the box score on a nightly basis. Well, quietly, Karl-Anthony Towns is worthy of MVP discussion this time around as he channels his inner Davis.
41 points, 14 rebounds is how the final stat line read from the Wolves 131-120 W over OKC last night, and Towns has now put up a monstrous 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists since the calendar turned to 2019. Not to mention, 19 double-doubles in 25 games, with five-straight double-doubles and averages of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists over this five-game stretch. Minnesota currently finds themselves five games behind the eighth-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the loss column, but KAT is doing everything in his power to bridge the gap. And while his recent play might not be enough to overcome the Wolves injury-riddled season, it's definitely deserving of attention, praise, and the hefty DFS price tag.
