One month from today, the NBA's regular season will be over. Some leagues are finishing up the second round of the playoffs, while others may not start until next week. Either way, it's crunch time for every fantasy basketball manager. Which makes it frustrating that Jacque Vaughn not only rested the majority of their rotation on the first night of a back-to-back, but he also benched the rotation players that did play after the first quarter. Mikal Bridges, who has been a fantasy superstar, shot 4-for-13 in 12 minutes. He'll get a chance to bounce back on Saturday, but it doesn't make this game any easier. Among other games, we also got the highly anticipated Dillon Brooks vs. Draymond Green showdown that featured plenty of postgame comments from Brooks, after the Grizzlies came away victorious. It also featured some fun trash talk throughout the game.
The drama of the NBA is always fun, but here's the information you came for: the players that can help you win your league.
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Nick Richards- 8% rostered
Richards has been the backup center to Mark Williams since Mason Plumlee was traded at the deadline. On Thursday, Williams' night ended early due to a thumb sprain, which allowed Richards to play a larger role and start the second half. In 29 minutes, he contributed 13 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. If Williams misses Saturday's matchup with Utah, Richards will be more than worth a stream.
Jae Crowder- 4%
Despite playing just 20 minutes on Thursday, Crowder provided solid value once again with 11 rebounds, two blocks and two 3-pointers. While he has certainly benefited from the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo over their last two games, Crowder should play around 20 minutes per game even when the team is healthy. He has provided third round value over the last two games. He won't maintain that, but he should provide enough value to be worth a roster spot.
Isaiah Livers- 7%
With recent reports that Detroit could shut down Bojan Bogdanović for the rest of the season, Livers could be able to keep his spot in the starting unit. He had 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and a triple, though he should be able to provide more than that across more starts.
Jordan Nwora- 5%, Chris Duarte- 9%
Benedict Mathurin exited early from Thursday's game due to an ankle sprain and isn't expected to play against Detroit on Saturday or on Monday. Nwora played 23 minutes off the bench and posted an 18/5/1/2/1 line with two triples, while Duarte contributed a line of 10/3/3/2/1 with two 3-pointers. With Mathurin sidelined, both players should continue to put up solid numbers.
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Simone Fontecchio- less than 1%
Over the past week, Fontecchio has provided top-200 value due to an increased role off the bench. He scored 17 points and swiped three steals on Thursday. He shouldn't be rostered in standard leagues yet, but he's definitely worth an add in deep leagues. If Utah transitions to a full-blown tank, Fontecchio could be a silly season candidate.