Basketball Pickups: Jaxson Hayes steps up after AD goes down
Many leagues start their championship next week, while others may only have to wait another week or two to get to that point. That means every move becomes just a little more important. Making the right pickup could be the difference between your team getting a ring or getting sent home (figuratively).
Saturday’s nine games delivered plenty of fun performances, though none will outshine what happened over the final two minutes of the Warriors-Lakers game. It ended up taking over 20 minutes due to reviews and issues with the clock, and it was borderline comical by the end of it.
Aside from that, it was a relatively normal nine-game slate. There are seven games on Sunday to wrap up the week, with Brooklyn and Washington playing the second night of a back-to-back. Games start at 1pm ET, so set your lineup early!
Jaxson Hayes- 1% rostered in Yahoo leagues
Anthony Davis exited early from Saturday’s game after scratching his eye. Hayes ended up starting the second half in his place and finished with seven points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes. Hayes didn’t swat any shots in this game, but we know he has the athleticism to get some when given the minutes. If AD remains out against Atlanta on Monday, Hayes should be a decent replacement.
Georges Niang- 11%
Niang has shined recently with Dean Wade out of the lineup, and that continued on Saturday. He finished with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two triples in 29 minutes against Houston. Niang has provided top-150 value over the last two weeks, and Cleveland has four games next week.
Aaron Nesmith- 41%
Nesmith has been awesome this season, but he did have a recent lull in production. However, he has been a top-25 player in 9-cat leagues over the last two weeks and had a 16/4/3/2/2 line on Saturday. Indiana has four games next week, and Nesmith will start in all of them.
Dalano Banton- 27%
If you read my Waiver Wired column from two days ago, you’re probably thinking it’s ironic that Banton is on this list. I specifically stated him as a player that was “tired”, which means I’d be fine dropping him. I was wrong. Banton should be rostered as long as he is starting, which should be the case as long as they’re monitoring Scoot Henderson’s minutes. Banton had 28 points on Saturday, and Portland has four games next week.
Sometimes, you don’t need a hot add that’s gonna give you a few games of value. Sometimes you just need someone to get you through Sunday and into the next round of the playoffs. That’s what these next few guys are for.
Duncan Robinson- 48%
Robinson has been a consistent starter for Miami over the past few weeks, and with Jimmy Butler questionable to play on Sunday, Robinson could take on more responsibility on the offensive end. He can obviously give you an advantage from beyond the arc, but he can chip in a few other numbers across the board to help out as well.
Tim Hardaway Jr.- 43%
Like Robinson, THJ will give you points and triples. With Luka Doncic and Dante Exum both questionable, he may be asked to take even more shots. That doesn’t always work out well for him, but he’s certainly capable of getting hot.
Payton Pritchard- 5%, Sam Hauser- 7%
Derrick White is out, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both questionable. Pritchard should start, and Hauser has a chance to join him. Pritchard has showcased the ability to contribute across the board as a starter, while Hauser can really only be relied on for 3-pointers.
Bones Hyland- 10%
James Harden is questionable to play on Sunday, and Hyland has played well as the starting point guard over their last two games. If Harden remains out, Bones should supply points, assists and triples.
