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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.
We are just over one week away from the 2021 NBA Trade deadline. A lot will change by the time the Week 13 version of this article comes out. Veterans across the league ride the bench while their organizations try to find a trade partner for their services. We saw it with Blake Griffin in Detroit, and now he is on the Brooklyn Nets. P.J. Tucker and Andre Drummond are in similar situations in Houston and Cleveland. These veterans switching jerseys will result in a lot of minutes to be filled for their soon-to-be-former teams.
So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores from Mar. 1 to Mar. 14 and look for those hidden gems that grabbed minutes to help your fantasy basketball team achieve the ultimate prize: a championship. 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, and I'll happily talk about some fantasy basketball with everyone.
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!
NBA Playing Time Changes
Ricky Rubio - PG, Minnesota Timberwolves
Season: 25.7 Minutes per Game
Week 11: 28.5 Minutes per Game
I was about to say that fantasy basketball managers should be wary of buying into Ricky Rubio with D'Angelo Russell preparing to return to the court. However, it sounds like the All-Star's return may have hit a delay. If we are sitting down in a truth circle, though, the Timberwolves need to tank this season, or they must give the Golden State Warriors their first-round pick. Therefore, the incentive to bring back Russell may not be there for the organization.
Regardless, Rubio has been playing some great basketball recently and has returned to a top-100 player in nine-category leagues. In Week 11, the Spaniard averaged 12.8 points, 8.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 threes over four games. Keep your ear to the ground regarding Russell's return while also being aware of Malik Beasley's return from the suspension over the next couple of weeks. Rubio is an excellent stream for Week 12 and hopefully Week 13 as the fantasy basketball playoffs draw closer every week.
Kevin Porter Jr. - SG/SF, Houston Rockets
Season: N/A Minutes per Game
Week 11: 32.3 Minutes per Game
The Rockets are starting the youth movement to kick off the second half of the campaign, and the early returns have been incredible. Porter Jr. put up great numbers during the G League bubble season, and it earned him a call up to the big leagues. He's played in three games and is already averaging 32.3 minutes per game. Reports suggest that the team wanted to bring him along as a backup point guard and playmaker with the second unit, but those plans are on hold with John Wall (knee) and Eric Gordon (groin) hitting the injured list.
Already, KPJ is on 73 percent of Yahoo leagues, but that needs to be 100% sooner rather than later. The 20-year old is producing 17 points, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals, one block, and 1.3 threes per game. That kind of production already has him as a fringe top-100 player in nine-category leagues. Even if the 2019 first-round pick has been picked up, don't be afraid to trade for him. The Rockets are going nowhere in 2021, and they will happily give KPJ and this next player as many minutes as they deserve.
Kenyon Martin Jr. - SF, Houston Rockets
Season: 16.1 Minutes per Game
Week 11: 30.6 Minutes per Game
Kenyon Martin Jr. (or KJ Martin) is another Rockets' G League recall providing a spark to his organization. He's played at least 28 minutes in all three games since the All-Star break. Although he didn't make as big a splash as KPJ initially, he seems to be improving every night. He tallied a double-double on Friday against the Jazz and followed that up with 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block versus the Celtics on Sunday.
He is rostered in 41 percent of Yahoo leagues but easily has a case to see that dramatically rise if these performances continue. As previously mentioned, the Rockets injury report is littered with talent, and a lot of minutes are ready to be taken. Someone has to take them on, and it seems like Porter Jr., and Martin Jr.'s youth movement will provide reasonable returns when called upon.
Aleksej Pokusevski - PF, Oklahoma City Thunder
Season: 19.7 Minutes per Game
Week 11: 32.9 Minutes per Game
POKUUUUUU! After returning to the Thunder's rotation from his stint in the G-League bubble, Pokusevski has put together his most impressive run of form as a pro. The 19-year old averaged 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds over three games but had a couple of spike performances in Week 11. After dropping 14 points and eight rebounds against the Mavericks, he capped off his three-game run with the first double-double of his NBA career.
In 39 minutes, the Serbian tallied 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, a block, and a steal versus the Grizzlies. Like Moses Brown below, Poku will get a lot of run with the Thunder over the back half of this campaign. He's rostered in 12.4 percent of ESPN leagues and is surely worth a speculative add in deeper leagues.
Moses Brown - C, Oklahoma City Thunder
Season: 10.1 Minutes per Game
Week 11: 23.4 Minutes per Game
Moses Brown has come out of the All-Star break with a point to prove. Over the final three games of Week 11, the sophomore center averaged 10 points, 8.3 rebounds, and one block in 23.4 minutes. The Thunder is one team that could ship off some of their veterans like Trevor Ariza and Al Horford. Trading those elder statesmen will allow younger members of the team like Brown and Isaiah Roby to get some valuable minutes over the final half of the season.
While Brown did foul out of Sunday's contest, he returned on Tuesday and had a career-best evening. Despite fouling out again, the 21-year old tallied 20 points and 16 rebounds in 30 minutes against the Chicago Bulls. Brown is available in 81 percent of Yahoo leagues right now and can be a difference-maker in 12-team leagues or deeper.
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