Outside of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, figuring out the Phoenix Suns has been an unenviable task for fantasy managers this season. Bradley Beal has played well since returning to the starting lineup, but finding consistent value among the low-rostered Suns has been incredibly challenging. One played who emerged before the All-Star break was Bol Bol (12 percent rostered, Yahoo!), reaching double figures in four straight. And then, he played no more than 13 minutes in any of Phoenix’s first three post-break games, coming off the bench in each.
There was no reason to hold onto Bol, and then Mike Budenholzer re-inserted him into the starting lineup for Tuesday’s game in Memphis. In a wild overtime thriller won by the Grizzlies, Bol tallied 23 points, eight rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two three-pointers in 32 minutes. The plus/minus (minus-12) was poor, but that number doesn’t impact fantasy basketball. It’s pretty simple: as long as Bol is allowed to start, he should be rostered.
However, being on a team searching for answers does Bol no favors. We hope he did enough individually to merit another opportunity to start when the Suns host the Pelicans for games on Thursday and Friday. Let’s look at a few of Tuesday’s top pickups:
PG/SG Payton Pritchard (50%), Boston Celtics
The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday and Al Horford for Tuesday’s game in Toronto, then Kristaps Porzingis was pulled from the lineup just before tip-off. Porzingis didn’t play, with Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla saying after the win over the Raptors that they decided to save KP for Wednesday’s game in Detroit after he’d fallen ill. Also, Jaylen Brown suffered a bone bruise in his left leg and is unsure if he’ll be available on Wednesday.
Those injuries are why Pritchard should be picked up, and he played well in Toronto. In 35 minutes off the bench, the Celtics guard produced a line of 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and four three-pointers. Sam Hauser (2%) produced a modest stat line on Tuesday (10/5/0/1/1 with two three-pointers), but the injuries could put him in line for additional minutes on Wednesday, even if he drops from the starting lineup to the bench.
PF/C Santi Aldama (48%), Memphis Grizzlies
Aldama has been solid throughout the season, providing top-100 value in nine-cat formats. He played 32 minutes off the bench in Tuesday’s 151-148 win over the Suns, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and five three-pointers. Aldama shot 6-of-9 from the field and has been a top-60 player in nine-cat over the past three weeks. Despite the bench role, Santi’s production has been consistent enough to merit being rostered in close to 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
SG/SF Max Christie (37%), Dallas Mavericks
Christie returned to the Mavericks starting lineup on Tuesday, replacing Dante Exum for the team’s matchup with the Lakers. Sure, he shot 4-of-13 from the field and finished with a final line of 10 points, one rebound, six assists, one block and two three-pointers. However, Christie played 37 minutes, and he was productive in his first seven games after the trade. In those outings, he averaged 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.4 three-pointers, shooting nearly 52 percent from the field and 84 percent from the foul line. While the two-game mini-slump hasn’t been great, staying patient with Christie wouldn’t be a terrible idea due to the Mavericks’ many injuries.
PG/SG Ty Jerome (21%), Cleveland Cavaliers
Jerome’s name may not be mentioned among the leading candidates for Sixth Man of the Year, but he has given the Cavaliers solid production off the bench. Tuesday was another of those nights, as Jerome recorded his ninth 20-point game of the season. He finished the 40-point beating of the Magic with 20 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and four three-pointers, shooting 7-of-12 from the field. Over the past three weeks, Jerome has provided top-100 value in nine-cat formats while averaging 21.1 minutes per game, according to Basketball Monster.
C Bismack Biyombo (15%), San Antonio Spurs
Look, the options on the Spurs roster with Victor Wembanyama out for the season aren’t good. However, managers needing rebounds may want to consider Biyombo before his second 10-day contract expires. He recorded a second straight double-double on Tuesday, finishing the Spurs’ loss to New Orleans with 10 points, 12 rebounds and one assist in 23 minutes. Biyombo certainly isn’t a “must-add,” but he provided the production those who have added him expected going into Tuesday’s game.
