Luguentz Dort is averaging 13.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in the last 10 games.
We’re starting to inch toward crunch time in fantasy leagues, and Week 21 brings us an interesting schedule. There are five teams saddled with a light two-game calendar, a larger amount than usual that serves to narrow our player pool a bit. However, there are still more than enough candidates whose recent strong performances aren’t yet matched by climbing roster or start rates.
Each week, we’ll aim to highlight a pair of start candidates for your fantasy rosters – usually from teams with four games — that may shape up as some of the tougher calls of the week to make, with the focus usually being on players with a start rate (when available) or roster rate of 50% or less in Yahoo leagues.
Likewise, we’ll spotlight one sit candidate at each position that would typically not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, with the focus there often on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.
TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz
TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES: Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs
Without further ado, let’s examine some of the tougher start/sit decisions for Week 21:
Guards
Start: Immanuel Quickley, Knicks
45% start rate
Quickley comes into the new scoring period blistering hot, as he just put up a career-high 38 points against the Celtics in Sunday night’s double-overtime victory. While that stellar performance came in a spot start in place of Jalen Brunson (foot), Quickley has been offering excellent production off the bench all season and had put up 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 26.8 minutes per game across the prior 10 contests while shooting 53.7%, including 45.2% from 3-point range. With four opportunities to take the floor this week and Brunson potentially missing more time, Quickley’s appeal is stronger than ever.
Start: Luguentz Dort, Thunder
41% start rate
Dort continues to be underappreciated in fantasy circles, as he offers solid production across multiple categories on a near-nightly basis. The versatile wing heads into the Thunder’s four-game ledger averaging 13.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists across his previous 10 games despite a couple of single-digit scoring duds in that stretch. Dort had at least one steal in five consecutive games in that span and then turned in four thefts versus the Jazz two games ago, a glimpse of how he can supplement his overall production and make up for his typical inefficiency from in front of the arc.
ALSO CONSIDER: Dennis Schroder, Lakers (42% roster rate); Dennis Smith, Hornets (35% roster rate)
Sit: Tre Jones, Spurs
68% roster rate
Jones finally returned from a foot injury three games ago, but he averaged just 7.0 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds and then already received a maintenance day Sunday. He now has just two opportunities to take the floor in the coming week, making him a pretty clear-cut sit candidate as he continues to round back into form.
Forwards
Start: DeAndre Hunter, Hawks
44% start rate
Hunter always seems to have a modest start rate overall in many fantasy leagues, yet he continues to develop into an increasingly reliable option that’s arguably enjoying his best all-around season. The fourth-year pro is averaging 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists across his last 25 games dating back to Jan. 4, a stretch during which he’s also shooting 48.2%, including 38.3% from 3-point range. Hunter has arguably surpassed John Collins as a scoring option in Atlanta’s first unit, and he should have ample opportunity to continue delivering strong returns in the Hawks’ four-game Week 21 slate.
Start: Cam Reddish, Trail Blazers
35% roster rate
Hunter’s old teammate Reddish has been very productive since arriving in Portland via trade, generating 14.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 47.9%, including 38.2% from 3-point range in his first nine games. Reddish is averaging a solid 28.7 minutes per contest as well, and the ongoing absences of Anfernee Simons (ankle) and Jusuf Nurkic (calf) have certainly helped his case. While both of his teammates could conceivably make returns at some point during the coming week, the Trail Blazers’ penchant for getting into high-scoring, wire-to-wire battles and Reddish’s apparently strong and immediate fit within the team’s system makes him a starting consideration on a four-game week.
ALSO CONSIDER: Tari Eason, Rockets (41% roster rate); Hamidou Diallo, Pistons (17% roster rate)
Sit: DeMar DeRozan, Bulls
94% start rate
It’s naturally never easy to give DeRozan a seat on your bench, but Week 21 profiles as a rare exception where you can seriously consider such a move. The Bulls are another team taking the floor just twice in the next seven days, which automatically dampens DeRozan’s overall upside. Additionally, he’s come back down to earth in recent games, scoring under 20 points in seven of the last 12 contests while shooting a pedestrian 30.4% from 3-point range. DeRozan is averaging 20.3 points, 5.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds per contest over that entire span, solid numbers that can nevertheless be surpassed by similarly talented options with more chances to suit up this week.
CENTERS
Start: Daniel Gafford, Wizards
43% roster rate
Gafford will sometimes frustrate with the fluctuation in his production, but he remains one of the few starters at center with a four-game schedule in Week 21 that isn’t already highly rostered/started. Gafford enters the new scoring period with three double-digit scoring efforts in the last five games, and he’s putting up a solid 12.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 blocks in the entirety of that span while shooting 75.7%. While he isn’t likely to deliver on the scoring front each night, the Wizards’ four-game ledger should give him enough opportunities to keep your rebounds and blocks strong, while the possibility of ongoing absences for Monte Morris (back) and Kyle Kuzma (knee) could afford him more opportunity on the offensive end.
Start: Marvin Bagley, Pistons
41% start rate
The inconsistent Bagley is amid one of his better stretches in recent memory, as he’s averaging 17.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.3 blocks across 26.3 minutes over his last four games. Jalen Duren (ankle) and Isaiah Stewart (hip) will both open Detroit’s four-game week sidelined and without a firm return timetable, while James Wiseman (knee) could miss Monday’s contest against the Trail Blazers. It all adds up to an exceedingly bright outlook for Bagley, who could also benefit from the already confirmed absence of Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) against Portland to start the scoring period.
88% roster rate
Carter was a late scratch for Sunday’s game against the Trail Blazers due to hip pain, and such an injury can linger. Even one more absence will already knock Carter down to just two Week 21 games, which makes him a risk that’s likely worth avoiding at a critical juncture of the fantasy season, especially considering he typically offers solid but not irreplaceable numbers by any stretch.
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Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
