Pickups of the Night: Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Tuesday only featured three games, and one of them was an insane blowout, but fantasy GMs still have some moves to make. Bradley Beal aggravating his hamstring injury was the big news of the day and will surely open up opportunities for other players to get on the radar. Let’s get to it.
Standard Leagues
Daniel Gafford, C, Washington Wizards
Tonight: 29 minutes, 11 points (4-of-7 FG, 3-of-4 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists
Gafford looks like he’s getting a real chance to start alongside Kristaps Porzingis, and he can cruise to value in this kind of playing time. The only concern here is that he appeared to suffer a shoulder injury late in the game. If he can avoid any absences, he’s a must-add in all formats.
Deni Avdija, F, Washington Wizards
Tonight: 28 minutes, 12 points (4-of-7 FG, 4-of-4 FT), four rebounds, three assists, one steal
We’ve already seen Avdija post must-start value this season, and he may have been dropped since the Wizards moved him to a bench role. It’s unclear if he’ll return to the starting five given Beal’s (and Gafford’s) injuries, but Avdija’s well-rounded game makes him an automatic for more playing time either way. He’s a steady multi-cat option that will help a variety of roster builds.
Jalen Williams, F, Oklahoma City Thunder
Tonight: 33 minutes, 21 points (10-of-18 FG, 1-for-3 FT), three rebounds, six assists, four steals
Williams has been around the top-100 over the last couple of weeks and looks to have locked up a spot in the starting five. There’s not much reason to wait any longer.
Malik Beasley, G, Utah Jazz
Tonight: 31 minutes, 16 points (5-of-12 FG, 3-for-3 FT), six rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block, three 3-pointers
Beasley is going to have ample opportunity to rise and fire with Collin Sexton (hamstring) out for at least a week, and there’s bonus upside in matchups where the Jazz end up going a little smaller.
*All three of Kelly Olynyk, Jarred Vanderbilt and Walker Kessler should be rostered in 12-team leagues. Just in case you had doubts or one of them has hit the wire.
Deeper Leagues
Corey Kispert, F/G, Washington Wizards
Tonight: 23 minutes, 12 points (5-of-9 FG), one rebound, two 3-pointers
In the past we’ve seen Kispert move into the starting lineup whenever Beal is out, though his fantasy game is a bit one-note and we’re not certain that he’ll lead the group in playing time. He’s going to see an elevated role, however, and is one of those 3-point specialists who can actually help your FG% rather than bleed it dry. He’s viable in 12-team leagues but should be added in 14-teamers for sure.
Delon Wright, G, Washington Wizards
Tonight: 17 minutes, four points (1-of-6 FG, 2-for-2 FT), three rebounds, two assists, three steals
The Wizards could also choose to go with two PGs while Beal is out, and Wright was in a clean timeshare with Monte Morris to open the season. He’s able to produce rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and triples on any given night and if Wes Unseld Jr. decides that Wright is going to play more than someone like Kispert, we’ll have a potential top-100 guy. For now, he’s a watch list (unless you need steals) in 12-team leagues and an add in anything deeper.
Rui Hachimura, F, Washington Wizards
Tonight: 25 minutes, 12 points (4-of-10 FG, 1-for-2 FT), three rebounds, two assists, one steal, three 3-pointers
Hachimura gets a little lost in the shuffle with Washington’s forwards, but he is the most scoring-focused of all the secondary guys and should benefit from the usage vacated by Beal’s impending absence. He won’t do much more than score, grab a few rebounds and hit some triples, but he can definitely get into the top-175 on the back of those strengths.
Kenrich Williams, F, Oklahoma City Thunder
Tonight: 24 minutes, 10 points (3-of-6 FG, 2-for-2 FT), five rebounds, three assists, one steal, two 3-pointers
Williams started and while we can wave away a lot of what we saw in a game that was pure garbage time, this is the sort of well-rounded, low-end line that Williams can deliver in 20 mpg. As long as he’s starting he’ll be in the top-200 discussion.
Tre Mann, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
Tonight: 32 minutes, 21 points (8-of-11 FG, 0-for-1 FT), six rebounds, three assists, three steals, two blocks, five 3-pointers
Mann was generating a little buzz in the preseason thanks to a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander injury, but that went up in smoke. He even got sent to the G League the last couple of weeks, but capitalized on SGA’s absence tonight. It’s not really all that actionable given the circumstances around the game, but Mann is good to stream whenever a starting backcourt player is out, and his recent form does mean he should be rostered in at least 20-team leagues.
Isaiah Joe, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
Tonight: 28 minutes, 21 points (8-of-13 FG, 2-for-4 FT), four rebounds, four assists, three 3-pointers
Joe scored 17 of his points in the first half and looks safe to deploy in deep leagues whenever Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Josh Giddey are out of the lineup. He’s a 3-point specialist with upside like this when the stars align.
Jaylin Williams, F/C, Oklahoma City Thunder
Tonight: 16 minutes, eight points (3-of-6 FG), seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, two 3-pointers
The man that Kenrich Williams displaced in the starting five. Jaylin had a good night off the bench and offers more long-term upside, and given the Thunder’s M.O. over the last couple of years we’d bet on him getting plenty of chances to carve out more time. This is a sense of what he might provide, though managers will obviously have to brace for quieter nights in more competitive games.
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