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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.
Week 3 of the fantasy basketball season saw some massive effects from COVID-19. The Philadelphia 76ers started a G-League team against the Denver Nuggets, while Kevin Durant missed most of the week, and Jayson Tatum is likely to miss at least Week 4 due to a positive test. This will not be the only week this happens. Superstars are going to miss valuable time throughout the year and leave fantasy managers scrambling all season. Hopefully, all the players affected by this virus return to the court healthy and feeling 100 percent. Still, while NBA games are being played, there will also be fantasy basketball to consider.
So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10 and look for those hidden gems that grabbed the 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
Austin Rivers, PG/SG - New York Knicks
Season: 27.3 Minutes per Game
Week 3: 30.0 Minutes per Game
Rivers had a delayed start to his 2020-21 campaign with a groin injury but is finally on the court for his new team and producing some useful fantasy stats. In Week 3, the 28-year old averaged 12.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.8 made threes. It doesn't seem like a lot, but Rivers also turned in 23 points and five three-pointers against the Utah Jazz last week.
New York is 28th in three-pointers made per game (10.0) this year, and Rivers gives them a good chance at improving that number. He's successful on 48.1 percent of his three-point attempts this season and is getting his most shots per game (5.6) since his 2017-18 campaign with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Knicks put down a fair chunk of change to acquire Rivers this offseason, and they are going to allow him some offensive freedom he has never seen before in his nine-year NBA career.
Gary Harris, SG/SF - Denver Nuggets
Season: 31.7 Minutes per Game
Week 3: 33.2 Minutes per Game
The first two weeks of the 2020-21 campaign were a rough go for Gary Harris. The 26-year old averaged 7.7 points and 1.7 rebounds through six games while shooting 35.8 percent from the floor and was 3-for-24 from three-point land. Harris averaged at least 10 points per game for five seasons, and it was all, suddenly, coming crashing down.
Then, something clicked, and in his four Week 3 games, Harris upped all his statistical averages. He scored more points (15.0), grabbed more boards (3.0), shot well from the floor (60.5 percent) and behind the three-point line (8-for-17). His best game of the week came against the 76ers, where he provided 21 points, three rebounds, and drained five three-pointers. The 2014 first-round pick is rostered in only 20 percent of Yahoo leagues but should be a popular pickup in the coming days with the Nuggets, and Harris, finding their offensive groove.
Hamidou Diallo, SG/SF - Oklahoma City Thunder
Season: 20.7 Minutes per Game
Week 3: 22.7 Minutes per Game
Diallo had some intriguing box scores earlier this season with a couple of double-digit scoring games, but nothing to take notice of in shallower leagues. However, in Week 3, the third-year guard exploded against the New York Knicks for his fourth-career double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Then, Diallo followed it up with 25 points, four assists, and three rebounds versus the Brooklyn Nets.
Oklahoma City needs to find more avenues to alleviate the pressure on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Diallo showed this past week that he could be one of those avenues when given the opportunity. The Thunder are not bursting at the seams with scoring-options, so Diallo should continue to see this workload in the future. He won't convert at the 66.7 percent rate he did in his previous two games, but anywhere close to league average will be a step in the right direction for the 22-year old.
Cameron Johnson, SF/PF - Phoenix Suns
Season: 23.6 Minutes per Game
Week 3: 26.7 Minutes per Game
It's too late now, but Cameron Johnson has become a valuable asset in category leagues. The 2019 draft pick comprises 13.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, and his shooting averages come in at 48.4/40.3/100. He is only seeing 23.6 MPG this season, but those numbers add up quickly in a fantasy basketball season. He's scored at least 15 points in five games this year and is doing a tremendous job as an ancillary player in the Phoenix Suns system. More playing time would be great, but he's already producing top-60 numbers in category leagues. The 24-year old is available in 60 percent of Yahoo leagues, and that number will shrink as more fantasy basketball managers take note of Johnson's numbers.
Moritz Wagner, PF/C - Washington Wizards
This Season: 11.4 Minutes per Game
Week 3: 16.1 Minutes per Game
Many fantasy managers just lost Thomas Bryant for the season and are rushing to the waiver-wire to determine how they can replace his production. They shouldn't need to look too far, though, as Mo Wagner is in line to be the man getting the first crack at those minutes. In Week 3, the third-year center saw back-to-back season-highs in minutes and posted 13 points, seven rebounds, and two made threes in 19 minutes against the Miami Heat.
Wagner is not a season-long recommendation, but it could put a band-aid on an ailing team while they try to figure out a long term move. Wagner was a first-round pick just three seasons ago, and it's possible he only needs to see some playing time to show his real upside. Davis Bertans and Rui Hachimura are still working their way back from injuries, and the former-Michigan Wolverine should have a chance to show what he's got until those two regulars build-up to a full workload.
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