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Welcome to Rotation Watch, Rotoballers! Each week, this article will highlight the players that are gaining minutes in their team's rotation. Fantasy managers want to roster the players that are accumulating stats and racking up the playing time. They want to avoid the players falling out of favor and watching the action from the sidelines.
Here's how Week 3 played out for the Rotation Watch with their player ranking over the last seven days:
- Nicolas Batum - 27th player on Yahoo
- Jae Crowder - 46th
- Gary Trent Jr. - 56th
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - 120th
- Damion Lee - 130th
I'm taking a victory lap for last week. Three guys in the top-60 players probably won't happen for the rest of the season, but it's something to shoot for moving forward. Trent Jr., Crowder, and Batum all continued to get a ton of playing time and made it count in Week 3. Now, in Week 4, positive COVID tests are popping up around the league, and it's creating opportunities, especially in Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
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!So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores and look for those hidden gems that grabbed minutes to help your fantasy basketball team achieve the ultimate prize: a championship. Of course, these suggestions are the cream of the crop, and if you ever need an extra slice of advice, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @EuanOrYouOut.
NBA Playing Time Changes
Tyrese Maxey - PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers
Yahoo: 69% rostered
Week 3: 41:15 Minutes per Game
The shortage of healthy, star talent on Philadelphia's roster leaves the door wide open, and Tyrese Maxey is bursting through it. Since Nov. 3 (five games), the point guard has played at least 37 minutes in every contest, and he's seeing all of his numbers rise as a result of the increased playing time. Maxey is averaging 18.2 points, 5.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 threes per game in this stretch. However, it's gone up a notch in the last two nights since Joel Embiid (protocols) left the team. In Week 4, the 21-year old is averaging 23.5 points on 21.5 shots along with 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 stocks (steals+blocks), and 3.5 three-pointers. Until Philadelphia gets this outbreak under control (and if Maxey can avoid it), the former-Kentucky guard is a set and forget fantasy option. The only surprise is his roster percentage remains under 70 percent, so check your waiver wire and see if this gem is still there to be uncovered.
Luguentz Dort - SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
Yahoo: 33% rostered
Week 3: 35:00 Minutes per Game
Through three weeks, Dort is a disappointment in fantasy circles. His shot is not falling, and despite his excellent defense, the numbers are not adding enough to rosters regularly enough to be on 10-team league rosters. However, this shooting slump must turn around soon. He's scored at least 13 points in four straight games, so he is still giving us something in that category, but he has to become more efficient. A career 38.4 field-goal percentage player, this year's 34.4 percent is terrible even for Dort. The minutes are still there, so this is more about believing in the talent than the on-court results. The Thunder are, once again, going nowhere this year, and it allows the franchise to evaluate these types of players with a long-term lense. Dort is a hold in 14-team leagues and an "if you have the bench spot" guy in 12-teamers.
Jalen Brunson - PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks
Yahoo: 64% rostered
Week 3: 33:15 Minutes per Game
With Dallas suffering from a bit of an injury bug, Jalen Brunson is stepping up to help this team navigate the early-season waters. In Week 3, he played at least 30 minutes in every game while providing 23 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 triples, and a steal per contest. With Maxi Kleber (oblique) on the mend, Brunson's days may be numbered, but it's never wise to count out the recently-returned Kristaps Porzingis from picking up another knock any day now. Once Kleber comes back, Brunson managers should keep a close eye on his minutes. However, for at least Week 4, Brunson needs to be on your roster and contributing to your fantasy team.
Furkan Korkmaz - SG/SF, Philadelphia 76ers
Yahoo: 36% rostered
Week 3: 32:40 Minutes per Game
Another beneficiary of the recent COVID outbreak in Philadelphia is Furkan Korkmaz. He's been a more consistent player than Tyrese Maxey or Georges Niang and needs to get more love than his current 36 percent roster rate. He's eligible at shooting guard and small forward to open up his roster flexibility. Plus, he's provided a steady stream of points, rebounds, three-pointers, and field goal percentage in November. There is a lot of competition for those newly-open shots in Philly, but this is a high tide raise all ships situation rather than a there can only be one kind of deal. Korkmaz, Maxey, Niang, Seth Curry, and Danny Green will all perform better until the 76ers get their stars back, and grabbing any of them as bench depth will pay off for the next week or two.
Josh Hart - SG/SF, New Orleans Pelicans
Yahoo: 37% rostered
Week 3: 32:15 Minutes per Game
Zion Williamson (foot) hasn't seen the court this season, and Brandon Ingram (hip) has been in and out of the lineup. When both Pelicans stars miss time, there is a massive hole in the New Orleans offense. Enter Josh Hart. After missing a few games of his own to begin the year, he's turning in some cracking fantasy performances and continuously getting a large share of playing time. Over his last five games, he's scored at least 16 points three times, grabbed at least eight rebounds three times, and shot better than 54 percent four times. Of course, there are some threes, assists, and steals thrown in there, but Hart is an excellent addition to your bench if the injuries are beginning to add up on your roster. New Orleans has three games remaining in Week 4, and Hart is a great mid-week streamer if you are trailing in points, rebounds, or field-goal percentage.
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