The NBA In-Season Tournament tipped off Friday, and assuming you’re not sensitive to bright colors, you likely enjoyed the action!
The Nets narrowly defeated the Bulls, the Bucks triumphed over the Knicks, the Pacers downed the Cavs, and the Warriors took down the Thunder on a Steph Curry game-winner. All four games were decided by five points or less, making for a thrilling seven-game slate!
Despite the exciting play on the court, there’s not a ton of excitement in the realm of fantasy hoops. This may not be the most intriguing group of pickups we’ve ever highlighted, but we can still find some useful adds on the waiver wire. Here are some names to consider when you’re perusing your league’s free-agent pool.
Haywood Highsmith 1%
Highsmith finished with just eight points and two triples Friday against Washington. He drew the start in just his second game of the season, but the eight points and pair of triples were the only counting stats that he racked up over 22 minutes. Jaime Jacquez posted a 9/5/3/1 line across 22 minutes of his own, while Josh Richardson finished with 10/3/5 in 26 minutes off the bench. Highsmith missed the first four games of the season and provided useful output in his first game back. His performance was muted here, but the fact that he’s starting is a great sign.
Miami went up by 20 points after three quarters, so it’s tough to say how the minutes would have shaken out if this one was competitive. Highsmith, Jacquez and Richardson are all worth adding in deeper leagues, or as luxury stashes in 12-team leagues. Someone will need to step up for Miami, but it’s not yet clear if there will be a consistent option who does that. Highsmith’s place in the starting five indicates that he may have the inside track to bigger minutes moving forward, and we’ll be sure to keep an eye on Miami’s rotation in their upcoming games.
Dario Saric 10%
Saric went off in Friday’s win over the Thunder, going for 20 points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal and four triples across 20 minutes. He’s enjoying a career revival in Golden State, and he’s logged at least 20 minutes in five of six games this season. The points and triples were season-highs for the veteran big man, and he’s scored at least 15 points in two straight. Thus far, he’s pulling down a career-best 7.0 boards since joining the Warriors, and he’s swatting nearly one shot per contest. Saric’s shooting percentages are garbage, and his production outside of rebounds is nearly non-existent, so his services are best reserved for deeper leagues.
Torrey Craig 2%
Craig replaced Patrick Williams in the Bulls’s starting lineup Friday, going 3/6/4/1 with a triple across 23 minutes of action. Williams got 21 minutes and went 10/5/1 with a block and two triples, so neither player did much to separate himself as the starting PF of the future. With Chicago struggling and Williams not doing much to help his team win, the Bulls will likely keep Craig with the starters to shake things up, so we’re willing to take a speculative chance on him.
Bilal Coulibaly 5%
The Cool Baller finished Friday’s loss to Miami with nine points, three rebounds, three assists and a triple across 26 minutes. After logging 28 minutes in each of his last two games, Coulibaly saw his playing time reduced ever so slightly in this one. His final line wasn’t anything to write home about, and he failed to rack up any defensive stats after averaging 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks across the first four games of the season. The Wizards continue to struggle to get anything going on offense while simultaneously surrendering an ample amount of points to opponents. Coulibaly should see minutes in the mid-20s moving forward, with the chance for more playing time as the season continues. He’s not a super thrilling option thanks to his lack of scoring and counting stats, but 2.5 stocks per contest is nothing to scoff at. Keep him in mind if you’re looking for steals and/or blocks off the waiver wire. Deni Avdija finished with14/4/3 and a triple in 24 minutes, and he’s still available in 49% of Yahoo leagues, even after a solid start to the season.
Jalen Smith 8%
Smith accounted for 13 points (6-of-8 FG), five rebounds, two assists, a block and a three-pointer across 17 minutes in Friday’s win over the Cavs. He’s played well this season, and despite several key additions in the offseason, he’s held his own in the rotation. The big man played four fewer minutes than Obi Toppin (6/4/1 line), but he outplayed the former Knick as he’s done for most of the campaign. Smith ranks just outside the top-100 in 9-cat formats and just outside the top-125 in 8-cat. He’s worth a look as an end-of-bench guy if you’re looking for elite FG%, useful rebounds and some blocks.
David Roddy 2%
With Santi Aldama (ankle) out and the Grizzlies sitting at 0-5 on the season, Memphis’ coaching staff decided to mix things up and give Rowdy Roddy the start Friday. Roddy performed admirably, and while the final numbers weren’t earth-shattering, he saw 32 minutes compared to 24 for Xavier Tillman, who found himself relegated to a bench role once again. Roddy doesn’t have the highest upside in the world, but the opportunities should be there for a team still looking for answers in the frontcourt. For what it’s worth, Roddy got rowdy Friday, scoring 16 points on 14 shot attempts, showing that he’s not afraid to shoot his shot.
Jae Crowder 4%
Crowder finished with 14/6/2/1 and four triples Friday, delivering one of his best performances of the season. Crowder ranks just inside the top-115 in per-game fantasy value thanks to his ability to contribute in multiple categories and the fact that he doesn’t hurt you too badly in any of them. Crowder is seeing minutes in the mid-20s for Milwaukee, and that should continue for the foreseeable future.