Basketball Pickups: Is it 'Goga Time' in Orlando?
Tuesday's six-game slate had some entertaining matchups, most notably Boston's trip to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder. From a fantasy standpoint, there was some fun in the Bay Area, as Magic coach Jamahl Mosley decided to stick with Goga Bitadze as his starting center. Rostered in 19% of Yahoo leagues, he was in the starting lineup for a second straight game, with Wendell Carter Jr. coming off the bench.
Bitadze played 26 minutes in Orlando's 121-115 loss to Golden State, scoring 13 points (6-of-6 FGs) with seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer. Carter, who scored 17 points off the bench in Sunday's loss to Phoenix, couldn't recapture that magic in San Francisco, finishing with six points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one blocked shot in 20 minutes.
The question: will this prompt Mosley to return to Carter as his starting center, thus eliminating most of Bitadze's fantasy value? Or will he stick with the current lineup, which would give Bitadze some "staying power?" That's something worth watching when the Magic complete their current road trip in Denver on Friday. With that being a 14-game night in the NBA, managers who didn't pick up Bitadze ahead of Tuesday's action may be better off looking elsewhere for value.
Let's take a look at a few more fantasy pickups from Tuesday's slate:
Trayce Jackson-Davis (39%)
Jackson-Davis remains in the starting lineup and should be rostered until that changes (if it ever does). If there's a concern from Tuesday's win over the Magic, it's the playing time, as TJD logged 24 minutes and finished with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks. Jackson-Davis played 26 and 29 minutes in the prior two games; as long as he's in the mid-20s, fantasy managers should rest easy. Of course, we'd love to see the minutes increase, especially with Draymond Green still suspended.
Day'Ron Sharpe (15%)
Sharpe has been providing 9th-round value in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks, averaging 10.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 17.1 minutes per game. He played 11 of his 17 minutes in Tuesday's loss to the Pelicans during the second half, but the recent production should put to rest any concerns regarding "garbage time" stat padding. Sharpe finished the 112-85 defeat with 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one blocked shot, shooting 6-of-9 from the field. Brooklyn plays two more games during Week 11: Oklahoma City on Friday and Portland on Sunday.
Cody Martin (9%)
With Brandon Miller (hip) ruled out, Martin was tabbed to make his first start of the season in Sacramento. The Hornets wing didn't produce the most robust stat line, finishing the win with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer. But the defensive potential makes Martin worth a look while the Hornets are shorthanded, especially if he gets the opportunity to start. In six appearances this season, he's averaging 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks in 24.2 minutes. The only issue in the aftermath of Tuesday is that Charlotte only plays once more during Week 11, Friday night at Chicago.
Chris Duarte (2%)
Duarte is more of a "watch list" player than someone who needs to be added, thanks to the change to the Kings' rotation. He's started Sacramento's last two games, with Kevin Huerter coming off the bench. Duarte played 30 minutes in Monday's loss to the Hornets, accounting for 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers. With Huerter only playing 12 minutes off the bench, this is a situation fantasy managers should track on Wednesday when the Kings host Orlando. Huerter is rostered in 40% of Yahoo leagues; that number will decrease if he continues to come off the bench.
