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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.
The truncated NBA schedule is starting to take its toll on the league-wide injury list. It seems like a superstar in the league has consistently been on the injury report all season. We've seen LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Stephen Curry, and Ja Morant all miss time at some point this year. Plus, right now, we have Jamal Murray, Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant, and Donovan Mitchell on the shelf due to ailments, knocks, and bruises. Fortunately, three of those four will return soon, and I hope Murray makes a speedy and safe recovery from the brutal knee injury. Still, the show must go on, and it's time for the final stretch. Some of you have already started your playoffs, while others are in the ultimate grind in roto leagues or fighting for another playoff spot.
So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores from Apr. 12 to Apr. 18 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.
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NBA Playing Time Changes
Facundo Campazzo - PG, Denver Nuggets
Season: 19.3 Minutes per Game
Week 16: 27.1 Minutes per Game
Campazzo saw an immediate uptick in minutes when Murray went down for the season. Weirdly though, the Argentinian's production was pedestrian at best, and it seemed like Monte Morris would've been the better pick up for the Nugget's backcourt. That all changed on Monday night, however, as Morris picked up a hamstring injury and Head Coach Michael Malone admitted he's not sure when he will return, but added, "I don't think he'll be back for a little while."
Morris' injury may result in Nikola Jokic's numbers bumping up even more. Still, Campazzo will be one of the last men standing in Denver's backcourt and is worth the speculative add. The 30-year old rookie is on nine percent of Yahoo rosters. The Nuggets play 11 games over the next two and a half weeks, and Campazzo stands to benefit from the extra playing time.
Dillon Brooks - SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies
Season: 29.6 Minutes per Game
Week 16: 32.7 Minutes per Game
Brooks has kicked it into high gear over the last few weeks, and Week 16 saw some peak performances from the 25-year old. The Canadian averaged 21.3 points on 47.1 percent shooting in four games, along with 4.5 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and 1.3 triples. He's already on 58 percent of Yahoo rosters, but it's worth taking a gander at your waiver wire in case your league has been slacking in their pickups.
Thanks to Adam Koffler's excellent playoff article, I can also let you know that the Grizzlies play 11 more games during this vital stretch of the fantasy basketball season. Memphis is in the thick of a playoff/play-in game chase right now and will be playing their best players as much as possible.
Update: Brooks missed Monday's game against the Denver Nuggets with a thigh injury. Keep an eye on the injury report to make sure it won't be an extended absence.
Joe Ingles - SF, Utah Jazz
Season: 27.1 Minutes per Game
Week 16: 32.0 Minutes per Game
Donovan Mitchell (ankle) will miss some time over the next couple of weeks. Utah will look to rely on its secondary and tertiary scorers to pick up the slack. Ingles is one of that tertiary scorers and should see a bump in his counting stats during the fantasy playoffs. The 33-year old averaged 16.3 points, 7.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, a steal, and four three-pointers in Week 16 while playing 28.1 minutes per game.
The Australian has surpassed 18 points in four of his last five games and made 22 threes in that span. Utah is still playing some great basketball despite their rising star on the sideline. Ingles is set to benefit during that absence and rack up significant counting numbers for your fantasy basketball team.
Bobby Portis - PF/C, Milwaukee Bucks
Starter: 29.7 Minutes per Game
Bench: 20.1 Minutes per Game
Portis is another recommendation courtesy of Adam Koffler's playoff article. The Bucks are almost locked into a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and they have a superstar with some nagging injuries. Milwaukee will likely exercise the utmost caution with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and this will lead to some chances for Bobby Portis to aid in your team's quest for a fantasy championship.
When Portis gets the starting nod, he has shown how effective he can be as a regular. In six starts and 29.7 minutes per game, the 26-year old averages a double-double with 14.2 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.1 three-pointers per contest. If those numbers aren't valuable for your roster, then congrats on your championship. For the rest of us, Portis can become a helpful piece to the trophy-winning puzzle we've been trying to solve all season.
Isaiah Stewart - PF/C, Detroit Pistons
Season: 20.3 Minutes per Game
Week 15: 25.9 Minutes per Game
As the season enters its final 15 games, the only thing Detroit is battling for is a top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Still, the organization needs to know if it has any future pieces on its current 15-man squad and is giving anyone and everyone a chance to prove what they've got. Isaiah Stewart is proving that he's got what it takes to play at the NBA level. The rookie is only 53 percent rostered in Yahoo leagues despite being a top-16 player in nine-category leagues over the last seven days. There is no reason that number shouldn't be 100 percent unless your entire league has quit on the season.
Stewart has compiled three consecutive double-doubles while averaging 17.3 points, 16.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and one steal in those three contests. The magic number for the 19-year old is 30 because he shines when he gets at least 30 minutes on the court. It's happened four times this season, and Stewart is tallying 16.5 points, 14.3 rebounds, two assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.75 blocks.
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