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

RotoBaller NBA Recap: Gordon Hayward Shoots The Lights Out

Daniel Benjamin highlights three fantasy basketball takeaways from the NBA's January 2nd slate. This recap focuses on D'Angelo Russell, Alex Len, and the Celtics duo of Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward.

This was just the second time in 12 Wednesday night games that two-thirds of the league was not in action. Last night also had to be one of the least dramatic midweek set of games of the season as five of the nine contests were decided by double-digits. Two of the four games that ended up being single-digit games were the result of huge fourth-quarter comebacks by teams that eventually lost. The Suns put up  40 points in the final quarter and outscored the 76ers by 12 to make the final score 132-127 and the Pelicans basically did the same as they scored 13 more points than the Nets in the final stanza, but still fell 126-121.

The best game of the night was the Thunder's 107-100 comeback win over the Lakers. Trailing 85-80 early in the fourth with the Thunder's second unit on the court, OKC went on a 10-0 run over a three-minute period behind five points from Abdul Nader. Nerlens Noel added three points and Dennis Schroder had two during the run. Once the starters returned, Paul George took over as he scored nine of the team's next 12 points to push the lead to 103-92 with a little less than two minutes left. George finished with a game-high 37 points on 15 of 27 shooting to go along with four rebounds, two assists, and four steals. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook picked up his 11th triple-double of the campaign despite missing 17 of 20 shots. Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart racked up a double-double in the loss.

Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid had monster fantasy games. Embiid earns the honor of "Rotoballer's Fantasy Player of the Night" despite compiling fewer fantasy points than Davis, per NBA.com.  Embiid, who was playing with a sore knee, scored 30 of his season high tying 42 points in the first half. The 24-year-old Cameroon native also grabbed 18 rebounds, dished out two assists, recorded three steals and blocked two shots. Davis finished the evening with 34 points along with a career-high 26 caroms. The rest of the article will look at my top three fantasy basketball takeaways from Wednesday, January 2nd. Honorable mention goes to Tomas Satoransky.

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!

 

D'Angelo Russell produces double-double as he dishes out night-high 13 helpers

Russell compiled the fifth-most fantasy points on the night with 55.5 thanks in large part to the 13 assists that he dished, which was the most on the night and tied the 6-foot-5 point guard's season high. He did most of his work in the first half, although his most important contribution probably came late in the opening quarter. After returning to the game with 3:23 left in the first, the fourth-year pro was responsible for seven straight points helping the Nets increase their lead from two points to 10 at end of the period. Russell scored five points, had one assist, grabbed two rebounds and registered a steal during this period. He recorded nine points, eight assists, four rebounds, two steals and one block in the first half.

The 22-year-old pumped in nine points in the third quarter to finish the game with 22 points, five boards, two steals, one block along with his assists as well as just one turnover. He was 9-for-21 from the field, 2-for-8 from beyond the arc and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. It was his second straight 20-point game, after missing Saturday's game against the Bucks, and marked the fourth time this season that he posted double-figure assists.

While the former Ohio State Buckeye's offense has been up-and-down this year, he is a top-80 player. Russell has a tough matchup against the Grizzlies. He had 26 points on 10 of 27 shooting from the floor, including five of 14 from beyond the arc, along with eight assists and eight turnovers over 45 minutes in the first matchup against Memphis.

 

Alex Len extends season-best double-figure streak to six straight games with a season-high 24 points

The 7-foot-1 center was the lone bright spot for the Hawks in their 114-98 loss to the Wizards. He scored a season-high 24 points to go along with 11 rebounds (five offensive) and three blocks for his fifth double-double of the season. Len, who posted the 11th most fantasy points on the night (45.9), made a season-best 11 field goals (19 attempts). It was the sixth straight time that he scored in double figures.

Len has been pretty good over his last six outings. The 25-year-old big man is averaging 16.2 points, 8.5 rebounds (4.5 offensive), 1.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 32.5 fantasy points during this stretch. He also posted two double-doubles in these six contests.  Len and Dewayne Dedmon have essentially split time at center and starts. Len has started 20 of 33 games while Dedmon has started 18 of 29 appearances.

While the sixth year's pro playing time and production will likely continue to fluctuate, he is worth an add in most fantasy formats. Len is also playable in DFS when Dedmon is not available.

 

Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward lead Celtics over Timberwolves

The Celtics ran over the Timberwolves (115-102) despite being without star point guard Kyrie Irving (eyes) as they got a combined 51 points and 10 assists from Rozier and Hayward. Rozier got things rolling for the C's as he scored 11 of the team's 25 first-quarter points. He made all five of his field goal attempts, including one three-pointer, as well as two rebounds, two steals and one assist while playing 10 and-a-half minutes in the period.

Hayward took Rozier's queue in the second quarter, making all four of his shots to finish with 13 points in the period. He hit two three-pointers and followed those with back-to-back buckets. The 28-year-old banked in an eight-foot floater and then recorded a dunk 30 seconds later. Hayward also scored 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting in the third quarter.

Rozier finished the game with 16 points, three rebounds, five assists, one block and five steals along with two turnovers. The 24-year-old was 6-for-10 from the field, including 2-for-5 from beyond the arc, and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. It was his second straight game of at least 10 points and five assists where he is 10-for-19 from the field and 6-for-11 from long distance over this stretch.

Hayward missed eight consecutive shots, including his first two shots in the opening quarter of the game, before he went on his run over the second and third stanzas. The ninth-year combo forward finished with a season-high 35 points on 14-for-18 shooting, including 4-for-7 on three-point attempts. He added five assists, one rebound, and two turnovers in 32 minutes off the bench. It was his second 30-point game of the season.

Both Rozier and Hayward finished in the top-16 in fantasy points last night with 43.1 and 41.7, respectively. Rozier is basically just a DFS option when Irving is out, otherwise, he is not really a viable option. In Hayward's case, he was aided by both the absence of Irving and Marcus Morris 'early departure with a neck issue, so fantasy owners should hold off on nabbing him off the waiver wire until he strings together a couple of solid performances.

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