Paul Reed will start in basketball pickups following another Embiid injury.
Teams are starting to deal with a lot of injuries at this time of year. A portion of those were brief absences that made it possible for someone to perform well on Thursday, but that level of output won’t last. For instance, Peyton Watson was able to start when Nikola Jokic was sidelined due to back discomfort. Watson won’t be worthwhile to stream going forward because Jokic is most likely returning on Friday.
But other injuries might not go away as long, which would free up a ton of minutes for players who don’t typically play a lot of minutes in fantasy basketball. These guys might mean the difference between your team’s victory and defeat this week.
The fact that there are only four games on Thursday and six on Saturday should not be overlooked. The eight teams that will play on Thursday are the Lakers, Celtics, Pacers, Knicks, Cavs, Grizzlies, 76ers, and Jazz. Additionally, the players of the 76ers, Lakers, Knicks, and Cavs will have a slight advantage because they also played on Saturday. Not to mention, Cleveland played on Wednesday, so we’ll see if Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, who both had to miss a lot of games, can play on the second night of a back-to-back. Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro would probably start in their place if they were to sit out, with Sam Merrill likely getting more playing time off the bench.
Due to a fresh injury sustained on Tuesday, Joel Embiid will not be playing against the Jazz on Thursday. Given his injuries, it wouldn’t be shocking if Embiid missed a few games. Reed has averaged 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.0 block, and 1.5 threes per game over his last two starts. This season, his starts have been erratic, so he could disappoint. Still, there’s too much to lose by not streaming him.
Mark Daigneault stated on Wednesday that Isaiah Joe and Jalen Williams being able to play in their “next couple games” would “surprise” him. Instead of JDub, Kenrich Williams received the first start, but he was held scoreless for the entire 17 minutes. After starting the second half in his place, Wiggins finished with a 25-minute total of 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two 3-pointers. Wiggins will be the superior streaming choice, assuming he continues on his current trajectory.
The fact that Dallas doesn’t play again until Saturday adds to Green’s allure for streaming. He has scored in double figures in five of his last seven games, including his 18 points on Wednesday. Although he hasn’t produced much in many areas, he has been reliable and has regularly played significant minutes. In the event that Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic return to the Mavericks, Green’s options will be restricted. But if one or both stay out, Green ought to be a key component of their offense once more.
Due to a broken nose, Dereck Lively II was unable to play on Wednesday. It is unknown how long he will be sidelined. In his place, Holmes got off to a 30-minute score of 11 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. According to Jason Kidd, Lively is getting fitted for a mask, so it’s possible that he will perform on Saturday. If not, though, Holmes ought to receive another opportunity.
Whitmore has been playing exceptionally well despite the team being largely healthy. In 13 of his previous 16 games and five in a row, he has scored in double figures. He is mostly reliable for baskets and 3-pointers, but he has also put up some strong rebounding efforts. For the past week, he has been among the top 75 players in 9-cat leagues, albeit this is a small sample size. That does, however, demonstrate his effectiveness, and Tari Eason’s eventual return is the only thing that could alter that.
Gordon took over for Grayson Allen (ankle) at the start and proved to be a deadly threat for deep. After scoring 23 points and making five triples in their previous game, he finished with 17 points and five 3-pointers. Gordon should be able to eat up one of the worst defenses in the league if Allen is sidelined for Friday’s game against the Hawks.
