RADIO
“Oldies but goodies” dominate this week’s set of dynasty risers.
The youngster of this week’s group is 22, while the average age of the other three members is a shade under 30. And yes, in NBA terms, 30 certainly falls under the “oldie” category – though don’t tell that to 36-year-old MVP/human anomaly LeBron James.
We’ve covered breakout rookies such as Tyrese Haliburton and Immanuel Quickley in recent weeks – Week 4 and Week 5, respectively – so feel free to look back through the archives if you’re looking for that rookie fix. This week’s column, meanwhile, is headed old school.
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De'Anthony Melton (PG, MEM)
We’ll begin with the youngster of the group. Any San Antonio Spurs fans out there shouldn’t be surprised to see Memphis Grizzlies guard De'Anthony Melton topping off this week’s list. Melton was all over the Spurs in a two-game series that took place on Saturday and Monday, helping the Grizzlies win both games handily.
Melton averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 threes, six rebounds, 3.5 assists, one steal and 1.5 blocks per game over the two-game series. He shot 51.8% from the field and only had two turnovers. He led the Grizzlies in both points (20) and minutes (32) in Saturday’s game.
There’s a lot to like about Melton’s game. He can score down low in a number of ways, whether it be finishing strong at the rim or eluding the defense to find a creative way to lay it in. He’s quick off the dribble and his outside shot seems to be taking a big step forward this year. His strides from three-point territory have been the primary proponent of his recent breakout. Melton shot 30.5% from three as a rookie, then just 28.5% from three as a sophomore last year. This year so far, Melton is connecting on 45.5% of his shots from downtown and averaging 1.7 made threes per game, up from 0.7 threes per game last year.
Melton has a chance to either be the Grizzlies second unit leader for the next few years or to be the team’s starting two-guard alongside Ja Morant. To bring either option into fruition, he’s going to need to keep hitting his outside shots. And maybe keep making electric end-to-end plays like this one earlier this year:
Reggie Jackson (G, LAC)
Patrick Beverley (knee) has been out and Lou Williams has had a rough start to the year (9.4 points per game, 38.3% FG%), leading to extended opportunities for veteran point guard Reggie Jackson, who has taken full advantage.
Jackson’s fantasy production oscillated between valuable, moderately useful and outright frustrating during his four-plus years in Detroit. He then fell off the fantasy map almost completely upon joining the Clippers mid-last year. But just when we thought he was down…
Jackson joined the Clippers starting lineup after Beverley was sidelined. Over a four-game stretch from last Tuesday through Sunday, Jackson averaged 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, 2.5 threes and 1.3 steals per game while committing just 1.5 turnovers per game and shooting 48% from the field.
Jackson signed a one-year deal with the Clippers this offseason, but he could have a strong chance of extending his stay if his solid play continues. He turns 31 in April and is the youngest point guard amongst the Clippers regulars, with Beverley turning 33 in July and Williams turning 35 in October.
Jackson has great size for a point guard, standing 6’3” and weighing a shade over 200 pounds. He has a 7’0” wingspan that makes him a great asset on the defensive end. A lack of focus and general inconsistency has plagued him in the past, but he could be reaching a maturity here that will allow him to be a strong fantasy contributor over the next leg of his fantasy career.
Cody Zeller (C, CHA)
Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller missed about a month after fracturing his hand in the season opener. He was eased back into the lineup over his first week back, but in week two, this past week, he’s really come alive.
Over his last four games, Zeller is averaging 12 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and one block per game while committing just 0.8 turnovers per game and shooting 48.9% from the field. Zeller has averaged right around 10 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in each of the past four seasons, but he stands to benefit a great deal from the team’s offseason additions of LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, two strong playmakers who should make his life a lot easier going forward.
Bismack Biyombo filled in as the team’s primary center while Zeller was out. Biyombo is great on the defensive end, but offers little value offensively. With Zeller on the floor, the Hornets offense is much more dynamic. He’s a strong finisher at the rim, he can knock down short-range jumpers and he has solid vision as a passer as well. In what was probably his best all-around game, Zeller helped the Hornets defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 126-114 on Sunday, delivering seven points, seven assists and 15 rebounds. His game was highlighted by this poster dunk on Giannis Antetokounmpo off a feed from Devonte' Graham:
Zeller is an unrestricted free agent after this year. He turns 29 in October and should have a few years of solid production ahead. Staying in Charlotte is probably best for his fantasy value. If the team holds onto him and doesn’t add another big man, he has a chance to deliver solid, reliable rebounds and points with efficient shooting over the next few years.
Gorgui Dieng (PF/C, MEM)
Sorry again Spurs fans. We’ve got another member of the Memphis Grizzlies here who had a breakout stretch over the two-game series between the teams this past week.
Grizzlies power forward/center Gorgui Dieng had a pair of stat sheet fillers against the Spurs. He averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game of the two-game stretch while hitting 12 of his 17 shots from the field (70.6%), including a near perfect 5-for-6 shooting from three-point territory.
Dieng had fallen out of the team’s rotation earlier this month, primarily due to the strong play of rookie Xavier Tillman Sr. However, he re-entered the rotation when the team lost Jonas Valanciunas (COVID-19) due to health and safety protocols.
It’s going to be hard for the Grizzlies to ignore Dieng’s recent stretch and keep him on the bench once Valanciunas returns, which could be any day now, though his minutes are certainly going to be capped by the presence of Valanciunas and the emergence of Tillman. Dieng’s season-long fantasy value is extremely up in the air, but he’s an unrestricted free agent after this season and if he ends up in the right situation, he could be a great low-end producer of blocks and threes with solid efficiency. Over his career, he’s shot 50.1% from the field and 78.9% from the line. When he’s had the minutes over his career, he’s been a great center to have on fantasy rosters and this recent stretch is strong indication that he’s not done producing yet.
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