A Dozen Dimes: Volume 23

Most fantasy basketball leagues out there have ended and their champions have been crowned. Considering the majority of fantasy hoopsters have already cleared out their lockers, this week’s instalment will be just a few quick and dirty tips for those still going at it.

Thanks for following along this season and I hope these assists gave you an edge and helped you in achieving fantasy glory. It’s been a lot of fun writing these and the feedback has been much appreciated.

When it comes to your adds this week, keep in mind that the majority of players worth owning at this time of year tend to be injury replacements or fill-ins for resting stars. Keep a close eye on your injury report of choice to get the jump on guys as they emerge and prepare to adjust on the fly.

Alright, enough jibber jabber. Here are this week’s dimes.

D.J. Augustin

D.J. Augustin has been one of the best waiver wire adds of the whole season, yet is still available in half the leagues out there. The Bulls are rolling and he’s an early-round play over his last six, averaging 19.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.0 steal, and 2.7 treys per contest and shooting .451 from the field, .421 from deep, and .923 from the line. It couldn't be more obvious.

Anthony Morrow

If you can believe it, Anthony Morrow has been a first-round value over the past week and is barely owned at all. Eric Gordon looks to be a shutdown candidate, so grabbing Morrow looks like a safe move if you like the look of his 20.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 2.8 three-pointers per game over his last four or his pristine .604 shooting from the field, .579 from long range, or .933 from the stripe during that time.

Ray McCallum

Isaiah Thomas has missed the last seven games for the Kings and might not return this season. In his stead, rookie Ray McCallum has turned some heads with averages of 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.7 threes per game over that span. His value is weakened by 2.1 turnovers per game and pretty awful shooting splits of .377 from the field, .250 from three, and .529 from the line, but he’s basically the only healthy point guard the Kings have left. As long as IT2 is out, McCallum’s 45.4 minutes per game figure to be safe and the counting stats should be there.

Draymond Green

Continuing the trend of players stepping up in the place of injured starters, Draymond Green has been filling in admirably for David Lee, who looks like he might be sidelined into the playoffs. In Green’s last four (all starts), he has posted early-round value on a modest-yet-solid 9.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointer per game. The .462 shooting from the field, .429 from deep and a mere 1.3 turnovers per contest over that span won’t hurt you either, so he’ll make for a solid pickup as long as Lee remains out.

J.J. Redick

J.J. Redick is back from injury and now back in the starting lineup. From that position, before his back issues, he was a top-60 value for his 15.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.1 three-pointers per game and .460 shooting from the field, .393 from long range, and .918 from the charity stripe. He should go back to putting up pretty much those numbers from here on out and should be universally owned if you’re still playing.

Mario Chalmers

Mario Chalmers has been one of the most under-appreciated assets in fantasy hoops all year, consistently ranking in the top-100 while rarely exceeding 60 percent ownership. In his four games since returning from a quad injury, he has jumped to a top-30 value on 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steal, and 2.3 three-pointers per game to go with a blistering .568 from the field, .500 from three-point range, and .778 from the line. He’s a great add if you’re an owner reeling from losing a starting point guard in the last week or two.

Aaron Brooks

Ty Lawson has a sprained ankle and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be rushed back, so look for Aaron Brooks to be a must-own player for the foreseeable future. Over his last three games (two starts), Brooks has averaged 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 3.0 treys per contest and shot .510 from the field and .474 from deep. The 4.0 turnovers per game are an eyesore, but he’s been the most valuable Nugget over the last week and his early-round value should be sustainable as long as Lawson is on the shelf.

Alec Burks

Alec Burks has been a top-20 play over his last three games, averaging 20.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.7 three-pointers per contest. The 2.7 turnovers are a bummer, but the shooting splits of .516 from the field, .500 from deep, and .903 from the line are sterling. He isn’t starting at the moment, but the 31.7 minutes per game over his last three look like they’ll be the norm going forward, so he should be a safe add as the Jazz play out what’s left of their schedule.

Mike Dunleavy

Mike Dunleavy has been filling up the box score in a variety of ways over the Bulls recent five-game winning streak, averaging a versatile 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.8 blocks, and 1.4 long balls per game, while shooting .476 from the floor, .412 from behind the arc, and a perfect 1.000 from the charity stripe. That mid-round value is certainly worth a look this week, even if he doesn’t jump off the page in any one category.

Timofey Mozgov

Timofey Mozgov is basically the only center left standing on a decimated Nuggets squad and has been making an impact lately. He has scored in double figures in four straight, averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 1.3 blocks, and a surprising 0.8 treys per game over that span. His shooting split of .533 from the floor, .500 from deep, and .750 from the line is certainly serviceable and he makes for a solid pickup for those in need of relief in the middle.

Kyle O’Quinn

Kyle O’Quinn has been a little all over the place since joining the Magic’s starting five in early March, but he has been coming on over his last few games with Nikola Vucevic sidelined with a sore Achilles. In O’Quinn’s last three contests, he has averaged 10.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and a stellar 4.0 blocks per game. He’s also shooting .438 from the field and .800 from the line over the past week, making him an early-round value during that time. If you’re chasing blocks for cheap, he’s your man.

Jordan Hill

The Lakers’ big-man pendulum continues to swing right into the last week of the season and it’s only fitting that my final dime of the year has me once again talking about Mike D’Antoni (at least I managed to avoid the Bucks and Larry Drew for this final round). D’Antoni has gone back and forth between Jordan Hill and Chris Kaman the last few weeks and their fantasy value has swung back and forth as a result. The compass is currently pointing Hill, who has averaged top-25-worthy numbers over his last three, posting 18.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 2.0 blocks per game, while shooting .513 from the field and .778 from the line. Pau Gasol looks like another shutdown candidate and Hill should be good to go for this final stretch.