The curse of Nico Harrison continued on Monday, as Kyrie Irving and Jaden Hardy were both forced to exit the Mavs’ loss to the Kings early with their respective injuries. Things have gone from bad to worse for Dallas since trading away Luka Doncic, and fantasy managers should consider several Mavs to help fill the void.
The Sixers just announced that Joel Embiid would miss the rest of the season, and Tyrese Maxey sustained a back injury on Monday that led him to play just 23 minutes. The injury isn’t believed to be serious, but it’s still unknown whether he’ll miss any time. Philadelphia can ill afford another injury, but fantasy managers can fortunately pivot to a pair of role players who have shined as of late.
Here are the guys to target in Dallas and Philly plus a few more to consider while perusing the waiver wire.
Quentin Grimes (36%)
Grimes dropped a career-best 44 points on Saturday and though he followed it up with a dud in the scoring department Monday, he contributed useful peripheral stats, including nine assists. Tyrese Maxey exited this one early, and the tanking Sixers have no incentive to rush him back. Grimes was already trending in the right direction, but he’s a must-add if he’s still hanging out on your waiver wire.
Andre Drummond (38%)
Drummond corralled a season-high 18 boards in Monday’s loss, adding 25 points in the process. The four-time rebound champ could be set for a big role down the stretch with Joel Embiid’s season finished. Drummond is a strong source of rebounds, FG% and steals, and he can get it done as a scorer on occasion.
Caris LeVert (30%)
LeVert has posted solid numbers since arriving in Atlanta, but he’s been balling over the last week. LeVert ranks 25th in per-game fantasy value in that span behind averages of 21.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 3.0 triples across 30.5 minutes. There’s no reason to think his production isn’t sustainable, as LeVert has done all of his damage off the bench. He should be a priority add.
Donovan Clingan (30%)
Clingan drew an eighth straight start with Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams on the sideline. The rookie’s production has been a mixed bag, and Monday’s 13/13 line was his first double-double since February 12 and just his fourth of the season. The points and rebounds might be erratic, but he’s averaged 7.4 points, 9.5 boards and 2.4 swats across 18 starts, making him a worthwhile streaming option while he’s running with the first unit. Silly season stud, anyone?
GG Jackson II (2%)
Jaren Jackson Jr. logged only two minutes before suffering an ankle injury in Monday’s loss to the Hawks. It’s unclear how serious the injury is, but GG could see significant run if Jaren is forced to miss time moving forward. GG finished the game with 11/7/3, a block and a pair of three-pointers across 28 minutes to lead the bench in playing time.
Kai Jones (1%)
This one is for all you deep-leaguers out there or any of you standard-leaguers with a penchant for taking risks. Jones piled up 21 points, eight boards and a swat across 34 minutes in Monday’s loss, filling a glaring need for size in the frontcourt. Moses Brown’s 10-day deal is over, and the big-man trio of Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford are all still sidelined. Someone’s got to play those center minutes in Dallas. Why Kai? Why not?
Naji Marshall (11%), Max Christie (25%)
Both Marshall and Christie have played well over the last three weeks, and the pair should see plenty of opportunities down the stretch, especially if Kyrie Irving and/or Jaden Hardy are forced to miss time. Neither has cracked the top 150 in per-game fantasy hoops value, but that could change moving forward.
