RADIO
NBA is back in full swing, as we enter the most crucial time of the year for fantasy hoops. It was a nice refresher to get a two-week break, but it's officially crunch time.
As a reminder for most leagues, fantasy playoffs will begin on Week 21 which begins March 12th. Drop the dead weight, make an effort to improve your team via trades / waiver wire. Don't be attached to short-term pick ups when there is a hot player with a better outlook. Be wary of weekly streaming options and stay ahead of your opponents. Owners should try to do anything in their power to squeeze their way into the playoffs, as it's a completely different ball game. This is not the time to hang on to struggling players, even if it means you have to drop them to just make it into the playoffs.
Our staff at RotoBaller has great insight and daily columns how to improve your squad and tips to make your team successful, so be sure to check them out! Now let's get prepared for Week 20.
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Week 20 Schedule
5 Games - Kings
4 Games – Hawks, Nets, Hornets, Mavericks, Pistons, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Bucks, Thunder, Magic, 76ers, Suns, Raptors, Wizards
3 Games – Celtics, Jazz, Bulls, Cavaliers, Nuggets, Warriors, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Jazz
2 Games – Spurs
Week 20 Standard Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups
The Sacramento Kings - Skal Labissiere, Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Zach Randolph, De'Aaron Fox
With five games on the schedule this week, almost all Kings are worth a consideration for at least streaming purposes. Bogdan, Hield and Fox are likely on most rosters already, but there's a good chance Randolph and Labieresse is on some waiver wires. They are definitely worth picking up for this week as they can provide low end value.
Alex Len, PF/C, Phoenix Suns (31% Ownership)
It's very likely Len's recent outburst will promote him into the starting lineup, as the Suns has absolutely zero incentive to continue playing Tyson Chandler heavy minutes in the final months of the season. Len has been great, averaging 13.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks over the past three. He's a great big man with tremendous upside to own the rest of the way.
David Nwaba, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls (19% Ownership)
Nwaba is likely going to start for the Bulls the rest of the way as they continue to tank for lottery balls and focus on youth movement. He is a coaches favorite and his ability to play multiple positions bodes well for his value and minutes. He won't do much outside of scoring and rebounding, but his minutes upside makes him a nice player to have at the end of your bench.
Josh Hart, SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers (17% Ownership)
Much like Nwaba, Hart is also a coaches favorite where he's likely going to continue to log minutes because of his ability to defend and play multiple positions. Hart has been a steady top-100 player over the past month and the return of Lonzo Ball (knee) didn't really hurt him at all. Hart can hit 3-pointers and rebounds very well from a guard position, so he's a fine player to hold onto until all wheels falls off.
J.J. Barea, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks (23% Ownership)
Barea has been on and off all season, but his consistent contribution in 3-pointers and dimes remains valuable in competitive leagues. He's been on fire lately, coming off a 17-point,12-dime game on Saturday against the Lakers.
Nemanja Bjelica, SF/PF, Minnesota Timberwolves (13% Ownership)
Jimmy Butler (knee) is going to be out for the next 4-6 weeks, and he's probably a drop in most leagues since fantasy playoffs start soon. Bjelica entered the starting lineup on Friday and logged 33 minutes, giving him enough appeal in all 12-team leagues. He's a stretch four who can rebound and give you some blocks, so I'd add him now especially given that the T-Wolves has a great fantasy playoff schedule.
Trey Burke, PG, New York Knicks (14% Ownership)
Burke is coming off three strong outings, and he's worth picking up to see what happens. The Knicks has not taken the shackles off Frank Ntilikina yet, so Burke might be able to sustain some low end value.
Tyler Johnson, PG/SG, Miami Heat (33% Ownership)
The return of Dwyane Wade didn't really hurt Tyler Johnson so much, as he's still averaging 29.4 minutes over the last five games. Johnson is coming off a 23-point game on Saturday, including double-digit scoring the past three.
Andrew Harrison, PG/SG, Memphis Grizzlies (18% Ownership)
With Mike Conley (Achilles) done for the year, and Tyreke Evans (hip) is not likely to make much noise the rest of the way. Harrison is getting a chance to play significant minutes and has averaged 15.8 points on 51 percent shooting over the past five games. He's played well enough to be useful in standard leagues.
Week 20 Deep Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups
Jakob Poeltl, C, Toronto Raptors (5% Ownership)
The Raptors success this season was most noteworthy because of their bench play. Poeltl has been outstanding this season in limited minutes, and it also helps that his game is very fantasy friendly. If the Raptors ever decide to move Jonas Valančiūnas, Poeltl would become a must own player. Give him a look if you need some extra help in rebounding and blocks.
Joe Johnson, SG/SF/PF, Houston Rockets (2% Ownership)
The Rockets are a team who run a very tight rotation, and while Johnson will have a hard time to produce standard league value, he'll do enough in deeper leagues because of his ability to shoot 3-pointers. It also helps he's playing on a team where they average 40+ attempts from deep and the fact the Rockets has two willing passers in James Harden and Chris Paul.
Cristiano Da Silva Felicio, PF/C, Chicago Bulls (3% Ownership)
Felicio will be the Bulls starting center for the rest of the year, but his game isn't fantasy friendly whatsoever. With that said, he's still able to put up a low end efficiency with a hint of upside in blocks. Give him a look if you're in dire need of a big man.
Cory Joseph, PG/SG, Indiana Pacers (5% Ownership)
Joseph has emerged from the radar as he has played strung together two strong outings in the past week. CoryJo is coming off a 15-point, 11-rebound, three-assist, two-steal, two-block gem on Wednesday and put up another 15-point, four-assist, four-steal game on Friday. While he won't be this good going forward, Darren Collison (knee) is still expected to remain sidelined for another week or two.
Isaiah Taylor, PG, Atlanta Hawks (1% Ownership)
Taylor has appeared into the the radar for the tanking Hawks, putting up 17 points with six dimes on Friday. He'll be a sneaky pick up for those looking for dimes, which has been one of the hardest categories to find in fantasy this season. There's a lot of incentive for the Hawks to lose more games, as they'll be looking for more lottery balls in June.
Brook Lopez, C, Los Angeles Lakers (80% Ownership)
Lopez's been one of the biggest busts in fantasy this season, but he still has some appeal in deeper leagues with his blocks and 3-pointers. He's still going to be very frustrating to own because of his low minutes, but he can have a nice game every now and then. BroLo swatted away four shots in a 113-108 win against the Kings on Saturday.
Stanley Johnson, SG/SF, Detroit Pistons (9% Ownership)
There's not a lot to like about Johnson, as he's one of those players who may never live up to his potential. Despite the departure of Tobias Harris, Johnson has not made much noise. He's still averaging 31.2 minutes in the month of February, but is averaging only 12.0 points on 42 percent shooting. He's not going to do much outside of points with the occasional steals, which is why he's more suited for deeper formats.
Denzel Valentine, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls (15% Ownership)
He may not be starting, but Valentine's still part of a nice young sore for the Chicago Bulls. He'll likely flirt with 25 minutes per game for the rest of the way, and that's enough for him to sustain deep league value because he can contribute in multiple categories.
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