Basketball Pickups: Nicolas Batum is back on the map

Holley is ‘out’ on Lakers after latest road loss

Michael Holley and Mike Hill say the Lakers’ latest road loss raises questions about the team’s eventual future without LeBron James and damages their status as contenders this year.

76ers wing Kelly Oubre Jr. has been one of the pleasant surprises in the NBA thus far, providing reliable value for a team with championship ambitions. Unfortunately, his season was put on hold Saturday night, with Oubre being hit by a car in Center City, Philadelphia. He suffered a broken rib and will be re-evaluated in one week, with Oubre's absence leaving a vacancy in the starting lineup. Who would receive the starting nod was the big question heading into Philadelphia's game against the Pacers, and it was veteran Nicolas Batum (4%).

He played 33 minutes, knocking down three 3-pointers and finishing with nine points, seven rebounds, one steal, and three blocked shots. Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris did most of the shooting for the 76ers, but Batum doesn't need many shots to provide tangible fantasy value, as evidenced by his line against the Pacers.

Also worth a look is Robert Covington (9%), even if he only tallied two points, five rebounds, and two assists in 16 minutes. While he may not be the RoCo of old as far as fantasy production is concerned, the 76ers will play four games in Week 4, including the second game of a back-to-back against the Celtics on Wednesday (Philly hosts Indiana on Tuesday). With Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum lurking, the 76ers are going to need Batum and Covington defensively. Let's take a look at a few more quality pickups from Sunday's slate.

Skylar Mays (23%)

Matisse Thybulle nearly landed on here as well, but then he only played six minutes in the second half of Sunday's loss to the Lakers after scoring 14 points and hitting four 3-pointers in the first. Mays was also the subject of an interesting substitution move, as he checked out 38 seconds into the third quarter and didn't return until 3:41 to go in the period. But he played well in his first start of the season, posting a line of 15 points, four rebounds, 12 assists, and one turnover in 33 minutes. With Anfernee Simons (thumb), Scoot Henderson (ankle), and Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring) not particularly close to a return, now is the time to add Mays if you didn't ahead of Sunday's game. Portland will play four games in Week 4, which is another reason to make the move if he's on your league's waiver wire.

Bismack Biyombo (33%)

OK, fantasy managers, you've held out long enough. Biyombo has hit double figures in rebounds in all four games he's played for the Grizzlies, recording a double-double in the last two. He finished Sunday's win over the Clippers with 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocked shots in 36 minutes, shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 3-of-7 from the foul line. Fantasy managers who roster Biyombo may take a hit in the free throw percentage category, but he entered Sunday shooting 8-of-10 from the stripe. Is he an 80% shooter? No, as Biyombo is shooting 55.7% for his career. But the positives far outweigh that lone negative, even with Memphis playing three games next week.

Duncan Robinson (17%)

With Tyler Herro already sidelined by a sprained ankle, Miami played Sunday's game against the Spurs without Kyle Lowry, as it was the team's second game in as many nights. In the void stepped Robinson, who bounced back from a rough Saturday in a big way. He led the Heat with 26 points, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line, while also tallying five rebounds, four assists, one block, and four 3-pointers in 39 minutes.

Robinson is ranked just outside the top 150 in 9-cat per-game value over the last week, but the current state of the Heat roster has pushed him up the pecking order. For the time being, he's a better streaming option than Josh Richardson, who's rostered in seven percent of Yahoo leagues. Miami plays three games in Week 4, and Tuesday's matchup with the Hornets could be a good one for their fringe options due to the pace at which Charlotte likes to play.

Alec Burks (17%)

After missing six games with a left forearm contusion, Burks made his return to action Sunday night in Chicago. And he had a good night off the bench in the 119-108 defeat, posting 16 points, three rebounds, four assists, and two 3-pointers in 21 minutes. Burks is ranked within the top 75 in per-game value, but he may be a better option for points leagues. With Jaden Ivey appearing to be on the outs right now, Burks' minutes appear to be safe as Monty Williams looks to rebuild the struggling franchise.

Rui Hachimura (22%) and Cam Reddish (6%)

The Lakers played Sunday's win over the Trail Blazers without LeBron James, who injured his calf during Friday's win over the Suns. But it wouldn't be Austin Reaves who replaced him in the starting lineup. It was Hachimura, and he finished with 19 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one 3-pointer in 33 minutes. He's provided late-round value in standard leagues thus far, and the absence of Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) has also been a factor. With LeBron considered day-to-day and the Lakers beginning their four-game Week 4 slate with a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back, it isn't difficult to envision Hachimura getting at least one more start.

Fantasy managers looking for more of a "sure thing" as far as starting is concerned may want to consider adding Reddish. Yes, his overall NBA career hasn't done much to inspire confidence, whether we're talking "real" or fantasy basketball. But he's been playing well, and it doesn't appear that Reddish will be leaving the starting lineup anytime soon. After scoring 17 points on Friday, he followed that with 18 points and a full stat line against Portland. Reddish is providing 12th-round per-game value in 9-cat formats, and he's definitely worth a look in deep leagues.

Bilal Coulibaly (6%)

With Daniel Gafford injuring his left thumb during the first half of Sunday's loss to the Nets, Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. elected to go small, with Coulibaly entering the fray. The rookie from France came through with the best game of his brief NBA career, scoring 20 points (8-of-12 FGs, 0-of-1 FTs) with seven rebounds, three assists, four steals, and four 3-pointers in 34 minutes. Gafford did return to Sunday's game during the third quarter, but Coulibaly's performance is one that should make fantasy managers take notice. On a team that ranks dead last in the NBA in points allowed and 28th in defensive rating, there's a clear need for Coulibaly's abilities on that end of the floor. And now is a good time to add him, as the Wizards play again on Monday (at Toronto).

Theo Maledon (< 1%)

Already without Terry Rozier (groin), the Hornets lost another rotation player during the first half of Sunday's loss to the Knicks. Brandon Miller, who's been filling the void in the starting lineup left by Rozier, sprained his left ankle and did not return. Maledon (6/2/4 with two 3-pointers) had a rough day shooting the basketball, going 2-of-12 from the field, but the 25 minutes played suggest that he could be a bigger part of the rotation if Miller misses time. Bryce McGowens (two points in 19 minutes) and Ish Smith (4/5/2/2 in 17 minutes) also figured more prominently in the rotation. There really aren't any appealing streaming options here, but we'll mention Maledon since he led the way in minutes played. Charlotte plays three home games in Week 4, hosting Miami on Tuesday before playing a Friday/Saturday back-to-back against the Bucks and Knicks.