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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.
No superstar megatrades happened last week, so we will have to rely on player performance and the injury bug to find who saw their minutes increase and decrease this week. COVID-19 is still playing havoc on rotations across the Association, but teams (and the league) seem to be powering through the situation. It will lead to a heavy amount of games in the second half of the season, however, and there will be plenty of minutes available during that time as team's look to keep players fresh for the postseason.
So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores from Jan. 18 to Jan. 24 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
T.J. McConnell - PG/SG, Indiana Pacers
Season: 20.5 Minutes per Game
Week 5: 25.2 Minutes per Game
Last week, Doug McDermott received a mention with his boost in minutes thanks to the James Harden trade's trickle-down effect. Now, his teammate, T.J. McConnell, is also benefitting from the four-team blockbuster deal. The 28-year old hasn't scored more than nine points all season, but he shows where he can contribute in other categories. In Week 5, the sixth-year guard averaged 5.7 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.3 steals in the Pacer's three games. It's not the sexiest stat line, but McConnell is eligible for both guard positions and available in 88 percent of Yahoo leagues. If you need some assistance in the dimes category, there are many worse options to grab off the waiver wire than T.J. McConnell.
David Nwaba - SG/SF, Houston Rockets
Season: 24.1 Minutes per Game
Week 5: 22.9 Minutes per Game
James Harden: traded. John Wall: oft-injured. Victor Oladipo: consistent maintenance. With the night-to-night turnover in the Houston Rocket's rotation, there will be room for someone to step up and claim minutes. Although he actually saw his playing time decrease last week, David Nwaba is becoming a useful fantasy basketball producer in the Lone Star state. In back to back games last week, the 28-year old averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals, a block, and hit 63.2 percent of his shots. If you don't need that on your bench in fantasy basketball, then congratulations on a phenomenal draft and early-season success on the waiver wire. For the rest of us, add Nwaba to your roster and accumulate those valuable counting stats from the fifth-year player.
Week 6 Update: Nwaba scored 11 points and collected nine rebounds versus the Wizards on Tuesday. It was his third game in a row with at least 10 points.
Delon Wright - SG/SF, Detroit Pistons
Season: 27.1 Minutes per Game
Week 5: 27.8 Minutes per Game
Wright offered all-around production for the Detroit Pistons and fantasy basketball managers alike in Week 5. After scoring double-digit points in three of his first 14 games, the 2015 first-round pick accomplished the feat in back-to-back games over the weekend with 18 points against the Rockets and 10 points versus the Philadelphia 76ers. Last week, the 28-year old averaged 9.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and two steals in his four games. He's eligible at the shooting guard and small forward spots on Yahoo and can give a small bump to your counting categories if you are being walloped with injuries or the league's health protocols regarding COVID-19.
Week 6 Update: Wright had a near triple-double on Monday night against the 76ers with a career-high 28 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and three made triples.
Taurean Prince - SF/PF, Cleveland Cavaliers
Season: 19.9 Minutes per Game
Week 5: 25.1 Minutes per Game
Compared to the number of teams that roster him, Prince performed like a King in Week 5. Over three games, the 26-year old averaged 13.3 points, 3.3 assists, 2.3 triples, and shot 47.8/53.8/91.7 percent in the shooting categories. Alright, maybe performing like a King was hyperbolic, but the connection was there for the taking. Still, I'm here to warn you that picking up Prince will make you feel like the town fool. Larry Nance Jr. (wrist) and Darius Garland (shoulder) will return to the starting lineup soon and bring a halt to any momentum of Prince's fantasy basketball value. Look elsewhere amongst the NBA kingdom if you need a forward to tally your stats moving forward.
JaMychal Green - PF/C, Denver Nuggets
Season: 21.1 Minutes per Game
Week 5: 19.9 Minutes per Game
JaMychal Green is playing some terrific basketball as the next man up for the Nuggets. Their rotation will be interesting to watch as Michael Porter Jr. returns to his full allotment of minutes. Will Barton should move to the bench, but Green will likely challenge him as the second unit's go-to man. The 30-year old is beating his teammate in many categories as we enter the second quarter of the 2020-21 campaign.
With Barton in the final year of his deal before a player option in 2021-22, Green is a sneaky pickup in deeper leagues if the Nuggets decided to move Will the Thrill before the trade deadline. At least keep an eye on this minutes battle moving forward as Barton has the name, but JAM is putting up the numbers.
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