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Already without Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers were also without Paul George for Wednesday’s game against the Wizards. Things got a little dicey when Washington mounted a rally in the fourth quarter, but the 76ers held on in part because of the play of SG/SF Kelly Oubre Jr. (35%) i PF/C Guerschon Yabusele (14%).
Oubre, who has long been on the fantasy radar, posted a complete stat line, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals, two blocks and a triple. Over the past two weeks, Tsunami Papi has provided top 40 value per game in 9-cat formats. An element of the starting lineup when Philadelphia is whole, it will have value even after Embiid and George return.
As for Yabusele, who has provided top-75 value over the past two weeks, he shot 5-of-7 from three and finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocked shots in 34 minutes . In his return to the NBA this season after playing the last five seasons in Europe, Yabusele has scored in double figures in seven of his previous nine outings. Friday’s game against the Pelicans will be worth watching if Embiid remains out. And this is a game in which Oubre could also opt out, given how poor New Orleans has been this season.
Let’s take a look at some more of Wednesday’s best picks:
SG/SF Malik Beasley (30%), Detroit Pistons
After shooting 14-for-43 from the field in Detroit’s first three games after losing Jaden Ivey to a fractured left fibula, Beasley returned to the court Wednesday night in Brooklyn. Shooting 9-for-17 from the field and 1-for-1 from the foul line, he had 23 points, two rebounds, five assists, two steals and four 3-pointers in the Pistons’ 113-98 victory. In addition to Ivey, the Pistons were without Ausar Thompson (illness) for the second straight game, once again freeing up a spot in the starting lineup for Beasley. He’ll have carryover value until Ivey returns, either as a starter or reserve, but the previous role makes Beasley even more valuable to fantasy managers.
SF/PF Toumani Camara (18%), Portland Trail Blazers
Camara has been playing well recently, providing 6th round value in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. The second-year forward posted another quality stat line Wednesday, finishing Portland’s 119-100 win over New Orleans with 15 points, three rebounds, five assists, three steals, a block and a 3-pointer in 29 minutes . Camara may not be much of a scorer, but he has averaged 13.0 points per game over the past two weeks and is productive in other areas that have value in major leagues.
PG/SG Cason Wallace (9%), Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City’s 15-game winning streak ended Wednesday night in Cleveland, but the team had to be satisfied with Wallace’s offensive outing. He shot 6-for-8 from the field, finishing with 15 points, two rebounds, three assists and three 3-pointers (on three attempts). While Wallace remains a better option for point creation, he has hit a double-double in back-to-back games for the second time this season. In addition, he has started 11 of the last 13 games for which he has been available. Maybe Sam Presti uses his treasure trove of draft capital to make a move before the trade deadline to add a wing scorer to the mix. But Wallace will be worthy of consideration in deep leagues until that happens.
SF/PF/C Noah Clowney (7%), Brooklyn Nets
Clowney won’t get 20 shots like he consistently did Wednesday. However, with the Nets decimated by injuries, this is a good time to roll the dice on him. The second-year forward finished Brooklyn’s loss to Detroit with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and five three-pointers in 37 minutes. Cameron Johnson (ankle) is expected to play at some point during Brooklyn’s upcoming road trip, but Cam Thomas (hamstring) is not, and it’s unknown when Ben Simmons (back) or D’Angelo Russell (shin) will return. Under these circumstances, why not bet on Clowney?
SG/SF maximum stress (6%), Cleveland Cavaliers
With Oklahoma City (primarily Lugentz Dort) keeping Donovan Mitchell under wraps, the Cavaliers needed someone to step up next to Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland. Strus was that man, as he shot 5-for-6 from three and finished with 17 points, three rebounds and five assists. His inclusion in the final lineup was as notable as the production. Strus was the fifth starter last season; while Dean Wade currently fills that role, will there come a time when Kenny Atkinson decides to make a change? we’ll see
SG/SF Corey Kispert (5%) i PG/SG Jared Butler (1%), Washington Wizards
Despite their numerous injuries, give the Wizards credit for being competitive in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The Kispert and Butler reserves had a lot to do with it. The former, already on the streaming radar of some deep-league coaches, hit four 3-pointers and finished with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and four triples in 35 minutes. Kispert has hit double figures in six of his last eight outings, with a season-high 23 in the previous two. As for Butler, he only needed 20 minutes to add 26 points, four rebounds, seven assists, one steal and three three-pointers. Nights like this won’t be the norm for Butler, but he’ll be worth a look if Jordan Poole and Malcolm Brogdon stay on the sidelines.
C Thomas Bryant (< 1%), Indiana Pacers
The Pacers played the Bulls without starting center Myles Turner, who was ruled out due to illness. However, they still scored 129 points, with Bryant one of the highlights. Shooting 9-for-16 from the field and 2-for-2 from the foul line, he outplayed Nikola Vucevic and finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, one assist, two steals and two 3-pointers in 28 minutes. With Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman out for the season due to Achilles tears, the Pacers have nowhere else to turn if Turner is unavailable. If he can’t return for Friday’s game against the Warriors, Bryant adds.
