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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.
If you are reading this, then congratulations are in order. You are either in the semifinals/championship round of your head-to-head league or are still in with a chance of victory in rotisserie formats. Regardless of the outcome, this season of fantasy basketball will be one to remember for a while. First off, we will get to complete the regular season. Woohoo! And second, I like the 72-game format, but hopefully, we can spread it out over an appropriate amount of time for the 2021-22 campaign. Injuries to star players have become an unfortunate storyline for the NBA this year, and I'm sure they would like to put that behind them in the future.
So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores from Apr. 26 to May 2 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.
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
Frank Jackson - PG, Detroit Pistons
Season: 16.5 Minutes per Game
Week 18: 28.8 Minutes per Game
I'm bemused that Jackson is still less than 25 percent rostered on Yahoo. I get the season is winding down, but even with most leagues becoming less active, I figured some rosters in dynasty or keeper leagues would stash him for next season. While the roster percentage is questionable, Jackson's play is not. The 23-year old is averaging 19.2 points over his last five games, along with 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers, and 2.2 assists in 30 minutes. Jackson is a top-100 player in nine categories leagues over the last seven days and is finishing strongly to help fantasy managers finish off their championship-winning goals.
R.J. Hampton - PG, Orlando Magic
With Denver (25 games): 9.3 Minutes per Game
With Orlando (20 games): 24.0 Minutes per Game
Hampton was an intriguing talent coming out of the 2020 NBA Draft, but it made sense when Denver shipped him off for Aaron Gordon at the deadline. However, the rookie has received the chance to show what he's capable of in Orlando, and he's taking full advantage of the situation. The Magic have every incentive to tank, as they are just one game "behind" Minnesota for a 14 percent chance at the No. 1 overall pick. In conclusion, Orlando is going to let the kids play for the remainder of the season. That's good news for Hampton. In his last two games, the 20-year old set a career-high in points (18) against the Grizzlies and then another career-high in assists (10) on the road in Detroit. If you need a sparkplug to round out your roster for the final 15 days, you could do a lot worse than Hampton.
Facundo Campazzo - PG, Denver Nuggets
Season: 21.0 Minutes per Game
Week 18: 32.0 Minutes per Game
Okay, it's not exactly a miracle that Denver is staying afloat with all their injuries. However, it's KIND OF miraculous this team keeps churning along. It's primarily thanks to soon-to-be MVP Nikola Jokic (please @ me on Twitter if you disagree), but the rest of the team has elevated their play. Unfortunately, the hits keep coming for the Nuggets and, in addition to Jamal Murray, have seen Will Barton, Monte Morris, and P.J. Dozier go down with longer-term ailments.
It's left Campazzo, Austin Rivers, and Shaq Harrison as the backcourt options. The Argentine "rookie" is the only one of those three to be with the team all year and is the guy Head Coach Michael Malone will rely on as we head down the home stretch. The Nuggets have three games between now and Sunday, so Campazzo will provide some counting stats towards the end of the season. Fantasy managers shouldn't rely on the scoring production, but the 30-year old has dished at least seven assists in four of his last six games and is averaging 2.2 steals per game over that same stretch.
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