This is the first Monday after the All-Star Break and the last Monday in the month of February. The rest of the fantasy basketball season is a sprint, with the fantasy playoffs either starting or right around the corner in most leagues.
NBA teams are also shutting down players for the season on a regular basis. With about only six weeks left in the regular season, many injuries have longer recovery times than the season allows. Plus, teams headed for the lottery have less impetus to push their players to return.
This last stretch of the season is a good time for young players on lottery-bound teams to get extra minutes and try to prove themselves worthy of more playing time in the future. For the remainder of the season, expect this article to have many of these types of players in this space.
Let’s take a look at some of these lightly rostered players that can make such a difference down the stretch of your fantasy seasons.
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., PG/SG, (19.0% rostered in ESPN leagues): Pippen just made his season debut earlier this month after missing most of the season injured, and has scored in double figures in three of his first four games. He is still operating on a minutes restriction, but in his last game he notched season-highs in points, rebounds and assists in 21 minutes before being ejected for fighting. Pippen should get as many minutes as he can physically handle in the short term while (elbow) is sidelined.
, PG/SG, (4.0%): Melton has struggled with injury for the past few seasons, but he has gotten healthy right when the Warriors need him most. Melton has stepped up with sidelined, starting six straight games and averaging 14.5 PPG, 2.2 SPG and 2.0 3PG in those six games.
, SG, (17.4%): Wallace just notched his first career double-double on Sunday, scoring 20 points with a career-high 10 assists against the Cavaliers. Wallace has now started nine straight games with sidelined, and has proven himself a solid all-around player with averages of 12.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 2.4 SPG and 1.4 3PG.
, SG/PG, Golden State Warriors (35.4%): Podziemski moved to the bench in his last five games, and his production has actually gone up. In those five games, all with Curry sidelined, Podziemski has notched 15.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.6 3PG in 33.0 MPG off the bench.
Bilal Coulibaly with the massive stuff at the rim
, SF/SG, (8.1%): Coulibaly is one of the faces of the youth movement for the Wizards after they traded for then declared him out for the season. Coulibaly has scored in double figures with strong 3-and-D stats in four straight games, averaging 13.8 PPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.5 3PG and 1.3 BPG in that stretch.
, SF, Golden State Warriors (14.4%): Santos has started seven straight games and eight of his last 10 overall and has become a dependable producer for the Warriors. In those 10 games, Santos has averaged 14.8 PPG, 2.0 3PG and 1.6 SPG in 28.1 MPG. Santos would likely move back to the bench when is available, but he is showing he can remain productive as long as he gets minutes.
, PF, (21.3%): Filipowski is a reserve, but he starts regularly when is sidelined. And Filipowski has been strong as a starter all season. In 20 starts, he has averaged 12.7 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.2 SPG and 1.1 3PG in 27.1 MPG.
, PF, Memphis Grizzlies (18.8%): Jackson has become a consistent contributor to the Grizzlies’ offense, whether he starts or comes off the bench. In Jackson’s last nine games — six starts and three off the bench — he has averaged 16.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.8 PG and 1.0 BPG in 26.5 MPG.
Maxime Raynaud rocks the rim with jam
, C, (31.4%): Raynaud should be the starting center for the Kings for the rest of the season with sidelined. In his last six starts, Raynaud has averaged 14.5 PPG and 10.2 RPG. He is on pace to potentially make the All Rookie Team this season, a big accomplishment for a player drafted in the second round of the NBA draft.
, C, (15.5%): Huff has been a journeyman in his NBA career, playing for five different teams in his five seasons. But he has found a home with the Pacers and has produced when called upon. Huff has started the last four games for the Pacers (with newly acquired center out with no timetable for return), and in those games has averaged 14.3 PPG, 2.0 BPG and 1.5 3PG.
