This week is the inflection point for the rest of the season. We are done with the chaos of the trade deadline and all resultant player movement last week, then this week will be the All-Star break before the stretch run toward the end of the season.
With all the action, there are many players with larger roles now than they had before and teams that have clearly transitioned to playing for the future instead of for this season. All of this leads to opportunities for your fantasy squads to benefit from players currently on your free agency wire.
As always, we will do our part to help you identify these lightly rostered players who are ready to help you on your playoff push.
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, PG, (47.7% rostered in ESPN leagues): Collier has been playing at a high level for weeks, and his play peaked last week with three starts when was dealing with an ankle injury. George returned on Saturday, sending Collier back to the bench, but Collier still turned in his third straight double-double as a sixth man. In his past three games, Collier has averaged 20.7 PPG, 14.3 APG and 4.7 RPG.
, PG, (3.6%): Williams returned this weekend after a two-game absence and turned in 18 points and four assists in 24 minutes. This picked up from where he left off; he had averaged 17.8 PPG and 4.3 APG in the four games leading up to his injury.
, SG, (17.3%): Wallace has stepped into the starting point guard slot for the Thunder with and sidelined. In his past four games, all starts, Wallace has averaged 17.0 PPG and 3.5 APG, in addition to 3.3 SPG and 2.3 3PG.
, SG, (4.8%): Clifford has been getting spot starts and playing well for the past of couple weeks, and it came to a head Saturday in a 30-point explosion against Cleveland. Clifford is putting together an impressive rookie season, and with the Kings already out of the playoff hunt he could continue to get a larger role over the latter part of the season.
, SF/SG, (49.4%): Mathurin looks to be one of the big winners of the trade deadline moves, with his trade to the Clippers pushing him into a larger role than he played for Indiana. The Clippers are used to a two-man attack leading the way, and although is still the lead, it seems Mathurin could slot into the second main role. If so, he definitely has 20-plus-point scoring potential for the rest of the season.
, SF, (8.4%): Santos has started the past three games for the Warriors but has scored in double figures in six straight. In those six games, he has averaged 14.8 PPG, 2.0 3PG, 1.3 SPG and 1.2 BPG with one points-rebounds double-double. Santos would likely move back to the bench when is available, but he is showing he can remain productive even as a sixth man.
, PF, (40.4%): Grant has started the past four games with dealing with back injuries, and as he has done all season he has put points on the board. In his past four starts, Grant has averaged 22.5 PPG and 3.3 3PG. This is very similar to his seasonlong stats as a starter: 18 games, 22.1 PPG, 3.1 3PG.
Jerami Grant makes a nice move to the rim and gets it to go.
, PF, (13.0%): Jackson has moved into the starting lineup for the Grizzlies in the aftermath of their trade of . In those three starts, he has averaged 14.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.3 3PG, 1.3 BPG and 1.0 SPG.
, C, Utah Jazz (42.9%): Nurkic came back from his two-game illness absence and returned directly to the starting lineup next to newly acquired Jackson. There had been some thought Jackson might start at center, but with that not the case, Nurkic can continue to produce big numbers whenever he is in the lineup. That isn’t as often as one would hope, but in the 14 games Nurkic has played since Dec. 22, he has averaged 15.5 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 6.4 APG and about a 3-pointer, a block and a steal per game.
Jusuf Nurkic gets the and-1 to fall
, C, LA Clippers (15.3%): Lopez has moved into the starting lineup for the Clippers since they traded . His first game was quiet, but he popped in his second start for 15 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two 3-pointers in 36 minutes. Although he might not be the most consistent, Lopez has this upside in any given game that he starts.
