Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan has yet to miss a game this season, averaging 26.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 36.0 minutes, shooting 50.6% from the field and 88.7% from the foul line. But that games played streak could be coming to an end, as he exited Monday's 107-99 loss to the Celtics with a strained right quadriceps. He played 23 minutes before the injury, accounting for 13 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one steal. The big question that fantasy managers have in the aftermath of DeRozan's injury: is there anyone in the Bulls rotation worth adding?
There may not be any "great" answers to that question, but Patrick Williams and Coby White are two options. Rostered in 32% of Yahoo leagues, Williams has played better basketball of late, providing 10th-round value in 9-cat formats over the last two weeks. He shot 3-of-5 from three Monday night, finishing with 10 points, two rebounds, one assist, and three steals in 29 minutes. On the other hand, White had a rough night offensively, shooting 1-of-7 from the field. He finished with four points, three rebounds, and one assist, and therein lies the concern with White from a fantasy standpoint: he doesn't offer much when those shots aren't falling.
That said, should DeRozan be sidelined, the Bulls will need scoring beyond Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević. And with White rostered in just three percent of Yahoo leagues, he isn't too hard to find. Ayo Dosunmu, a starter who's rostered in 26% of Yahoo leagues, should also experience a boost in usage and be worthy of consideration.
Here are a few more pickups who performed well on Monday:
Grant Williams (22%)
With Marcus Smart (left knee contusion) sidelined, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon appeared poised to benefit the most from his absence. White got into early foul trouble, resulting in an early appearance for Payton Pritchard, and Brogdon shot 3-of-9 from the field. The player who cashed in on his opportunity was Williams, who shot 8-of-15 from the field and finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and three 3-pointers in 37 minutes. He's worth a look ahead of Wednesday's game against the Pelicans, even if Smart is cleared to play due to the schedule. That's the first game of a back-to-back for the Celtics, who visit Brooklyn Thursday night.
Because in addition to Smart, fantasy managers will have to consider the possibility of Al Horford (who has yet to play both ends of a B2B) and/or Robert Williams missing one of those games. This will be the first time this season that Boston has faced this with the Time Lord, who made his season debut on December 16.
Rui Hachimura (32%)
While he's had his moments this season, most notably going off for 30 points in a December 28 win over the Suns, Hachimura hasn't been a great fantasy option this season. However, he may be back on the radar after Monday's games, even though he shot 4-of-12 from the field and finished with nine points, three rebounds, one assist, one block, and one 3-pointer in 27 minutes off the bench. Starting center Daniel Gafford sprained his ankle during the fourth quarter of Monday's loss to the Pelicans, exiting shortly after the injury and not returning. Hachimura isn't a lock to start should Gafford miss time, but he has the most to offer offensively.
An extended absence for Gafford could also give Deni Avdija (18% rostered) some life in fantasy, but Hachimura has been the better scorer of the two. Gafford's situation would not impact Corey Kispert (4%), but he did score 17 points and knock down five 3-pointers. He'll start as long as Bradley Beal (hamstring) remains sidelined, and the Wizards play two more games this week (Wednesday vs. Chicago, Friday vs. New York).
Josh Richardson (22%)
Sifting through the Spurs' available options on the wings has not been easy, but Richardson may be the best of the bunch with Devin Vassell (knee) and Keldon Johnson (hamstring) sidelined. In 25 minutes off the bench, J-Rich accounted for 16 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers. Starters Keita Bates-Diop (10 points, two 3-pointers) and Romeo Langford (13/5/4/0/1) hit double figures, as did fellow reserve Malaki Branham (12/2/1 with two 2-pointers), but Richardson has been the most productive fantasy-wise, providing top-100 value in 9-cat formats over the last two weeks. And with San Antonio playing three more games this week, now would be a good time to roll the dice on Richardson if you didn't before Monday.
Kendrick Nunn (4%)
Even with Lonnie Walker IV (knee) and Austin Reaves (hamstring) sidelined, Nunn wasn't a player who absolutely had to be targeted in fantasy leagues. However, the extended minutes have put him on the radar, especially with Patrick Beverley suffering a hip injury during Monday's loss to the Nuggets. Nunn started the second half and played 24 minutes, finishing with 15 points, one rebound, one assist, three steals, and two 3-pointers. Also impacting Nunn's scoring opportunities was the absence of LeBron James (ankle), so that's something else to consider ahead of Thursday's game against the Mavericks. The schedule is what works against Nunn, as the Lakers will only play two more games in Week 13. But if Beverley joins Walker and Reaves on the sideline, he will be worth considering in deep leagues.
Jose Alvarado (15%) and Dyson Daniels (1%)
Another injury-related addition, as Herb Jones' premature exit with a lower back contusion forced a change within the Pelicans rotation. Daniels started the second half of Monday's win over the Wizards, finishing with four points, six rebounds, and two assists in 19 minutes. Should Jones be sidelined for additional action, Daniels would be in line to pick up a few more minutes. However, Alvarado would be the better pickup, as he started the last game that the Pelicans were without Jones, Brandon Ingram (toe), and Zion Williamson (hamstring), a December 26 win over the Pacers. Alvarado played 22 minutes off the bench Monday night, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers.