Basketball Pickups: Malik Monk receives a welcome boost

Suns' thin PG rotation great for Booker managers

The Phoenix Suns' thin rotation at point guard could be great for Devin Booker fantasy managers, who will look to get more involved at the position, which could result in another top-30 fantasy season.

While Sunday's schedule did consist of six games, it did not churn out a large number of players worthy of being deemed pickups of the day. Four of the matchups turned into blowouts, which can skew a player's impact as starters tend to be shut down earlier than usual. But the thriller between the Kings and Lakers churned out two players worthy of that label, beginning with the Sacramento sixth man who shouldered much of the scoring load in overtime.

Malik Monk, who's rostered in 40% of Yahoo leagues, scored 11 of his 22 points in the overtime period of Sacramento's 132-127 victory. A big reason why he had to come up big in that spot was the absence of De'Aaron Fox, who could not continue on after playing through a sprained right ankle suffered with just over seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Fox was able to play through the pain for the remainder of regulation (after a few minutes in the locker room), but the discomfort kept him on the sideline for overtime.

Monk has long had the ability to get red-hot at a moment's notice, and that has made him one of the league's better bench scorers. Fantasy managers who had him heading into Sunday's game reaped the rewards, but the return is unlikely to be as great in Week 2. The Kings, who are off until Wednesday, will only play twice. So there isn't a whole to be gained from adding Monk in the aftermath of his stellar performance against the Lakers. But keep an eye out for injury reports on Fox, as missed game time would open the door for Monk and backup point guard Davion Mitchell, who's rostered in just two percent of Yahoo leagues.

For Sunday's top pickups, the list has been expanded to include one player who is rostered in more than 40% of Yahoo leagues. Let's take a look at a few more names:

Taurean Prince, SF, Lakers (14%)

With Jarred Vanderbilt (left heel bursitis) not due to be re-evaluated for another two weeks, Prince doesn't have too much to worry about regarding his status as the Lakers' starting power forward. After not offering any production in Thursday's win over the Suns beyond one steal, he bounced back in a big way Sunday night. Prince played 41 minutes against the Kings, scoring 20 points with three rebounds, two assists, one block, and five 3-pointers. Rui Hachimura (11/6/1 with two 3-pointers) played 17 minutes, and a minutes split like that strongly suggests that Prince's status is safe. The Lakers play three games in Week 2 and four in Week 3, which is good news for those who have Prince rostered.

Peyton Watson, SF, Nuggets (2%)

The second-year Nuggets forward did the majority of his offensive work in the fourth quarter of Sunday's blowout of the Thunder, but his impact has increased by the game thus far. Watson finished with 17 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer in 22 minutes. Again, the nature of this game meant more scoring opportunities for Watson, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect that kind of production on a consistent basis just yet. But the Nuggets do play the second game of a back-to-back on Monday. While they were able to get their stars additional rest in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game, there may be a little more room for Watson in the rotation for their matchup with the Jazz, and the team has another back-to-back to end Week 2.

Gary Payton II, SG, Warriors (4%)

Speaking of teams that will play the second game of a back-to-back on Monday, the Warriors fall into that category. Draymond Green (ankle) made his long-awaited return Sunday night in Houston but was on a minutes restriction, only playing 21 minutes. For that reason, managers should make plans for the possibility of him missing Monday's game in New Orleans. This would open things up for Payton, who reeled off a line of 15 points, four rebounds, one assist, three steals, one block, and three 3-pointers in 19 minutes on Sunday. GPII isn't going to consistently score at that level, but the defensive ability could give category league managers a leg up on the competition to begin Week 2.

Jalen Johnson, PF, Hawks (49%)

After coming off the bench in the Hawks' first two games, Johnson moved into the starting lineup for Sunday's game in Milwaukee. The Wisconsin native made the most of his opportunity, recording a stat line of 14 points, seven rebounds, one assist, two steals, one block, and two 3-pointers in 26 minutes. There's no guarantee that Johnson will remain in the starting lineup, as he, De'Andre Hunter, and Saddiq Bey are in the mix for those two forward spots. But he's clearly in the rotation, and some fantasy managers were on this bandwagon before the season began. Atlanta plays the second game of a back-to-back Monday night against the Timberwolves, which may enhance Johnson's value a bit more.

Bones Hyland, PG, Clippers (9%)

Hyland was only a good pickup for managers who looked at the matchup and assumed he would get more playing time. The Clippers smoked the Spurs by 40, and Bones went off in the fourth quarter. Shooting 5-of-9 from the field, he scored 13 of his 18 points in the final period, supplementing that point total with three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and four 3-pointers. If you didn't add Hyland before that game, there's no reason to do it now. The Clippers only play twice in Week 2, a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back against the Magic and Lakers.