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Welcome to Rotation Watch! Each week this article will break down who is gaining and who is losing minutes around the NBA. You want the players on your team that is getting their opportunity to shine, not the ones who are sitting on the bench and watching from the sidelines.
What an opening week for the NBA. Not a lot of people expected R.J. Barrett's scorched start to his career. Meanwhile, his teammate Mitchell Robinson hasn't gotten off to the hot start that he was being hyped up for during the draft season. Injuries are already draining production too as Otto Porter Jr.'s hip injury is hampering his minutes and overall production.
So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores from October 22nd to October 27th and look for those hidden gems that are grabbing some minutes to help your fantasy basketball team.
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NBA Playing Time Changes
Justise Winslow (PG/SF - Miami Heat)
The fifth-year player led the NBA in minutes through Week 1, averaging 40 minutes per game. Along with the spike in minutes has come a spike in production for Winslow. He has averaged 9.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists for his career, but has started off the 2019-20 season with 19 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists.
He is not going to play 40 minutes every night, but if he can settle into 32-36 minutes per game he may finally be producing the breakout season that fantasy owners have been waiting for.
RJ Barrett (SG - New York Knicks)
When the Knicks drafted Barrett with the third pick in the 2019 NBA Draft fantasy owners were daydreaming about his potential. The Knicks roster is not exactly full of All-Stars and it seemed that the sensible thing to do would be to hand the keys over to Barrett.
Well, to the shock of many, the Knicks did something sensible! Barrett is playing 36.3 minutes per game so far and is combining those big minutes with a 25.3% usage rate. He's currently taking 16.3 shots per game and shooting 51.0% from the field for 21.0 points per game. This is where fantasy owners can take advantage of a good player getting all the minutes on a bad team and turning into a great player for fantasy teams. Barrett is making the daydreams of Knicks fans, and fantasy owners, come true very early in his career.
Otto Porter Jr. (SF - Chicago Bulls)
It happens every season. Fantasy owners fall in love with the potential of Player A and then that player picks up an annoying injury that takes all the shine off and his ownership percentage begins to drop. Otto Porter Jr. is the leading candidate for this award so far this season.
Porter Jr. is only averaging 23 minutes per game this season after playing a career-high 32.8 minutes per game after he was traded to Chicago last season. He is only taking 7.7 shots per game and is shooting a dismal 26.1% from the field. His season line is 7.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.7 assists. Until he gets healthy, Porter Jr. will not be getting the minutes, and opportunities, he needs to be a positive contributor to your fantasy lineup.
Maximilian Kleber (PF - Dallas Mavericks)
While Dwight Powell recovers from a hamstring injury he picked up in the preseason, German power forward Maxi Kleber has been getting 27 minutes of action per game for the Dallas Mavericks. He's turning those minutes into 7.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Kleber won't be on many rosters in 10-team leagues, but if you are in a 12 or 14-team league or even deeper, he is well worth an add.
It does sound like Powell could return this week, so check the injury news before setting your lineups for the remainder of week two. If Powell does return, Kleber is still someone to keep your eye on in case Powell reaggravates the hamstring injury that has forced him to miss the first three games of the 2019-20 fantasy basketball season.
Mitchell Robinson (C - New York Knicks)
A trendy candidate to break out in New York this season, Center Mitchell Robinson is just not getting the playing time he needs. He is a clear second to Bobby Portis at the center position in terms of minutes, but that shouldn't last long. Robinson is outperforming Portis in almost every statistical category through the first three games.
Portis: 23.3 MPG, 6.0 PTS, 6.7 REB, 2.0 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.3 BLK, 36.4 FG%
Robinson: 18.0 MPG, 11.5 PTS, 6.5 REB, 0.5 AST, 2.0 STL , 2.0 BLK, 90.9 FG%
Robinson will be a regular in this article until New York does the smart thing and give the second-year player more of those Portis minutes. He is younger and more talented. Fantasy owners should keep an eye on him going forward and is already a great buy-low candidate this early in the season.
