Larry Nance Jr., De’Andre Hunter and Malik Beasley are among Monday’s top standouts worth a pickup in fantasy basketball leagues.
Monday marked the final day of games before Christmas, as the entire NBA will take Tuesday night off. With 14 games on the schedule, there was much information to sift through. While there may not have been any elite performances from players rostered in less than half of all Yahoo leagues, some provided solid value. One is Hawks backup center Larry Nance Jr. (13% rostered), who has moved into the rotation with Onyeka Okongwu sidelined by a knee injury. Boasting a more varied skill set in the two-man game, Nance stood out defensively in the Hawks’ win over Minnesota.
Playing 21 minutes off the bench, he accounted for six points (2-of-4 FGs), four rebounds, two assists, two steals, three blocks and two 3-pointers. Nance’s overall value was more significant than starter Clint Capela’s, and he’s recorded a complete stat line in three consecutive games. Atlanta ends Week 9 with three games in four nights, beginning with the Bulls on Thursday, and Okongwu will be re-evaluated after Christmas. Adding Nance wouldn’t be the worst idea, especially if Okongwu isn’t ready to return.
Another Hawks player to consider on waiver wires is PG/SG/SF De’Andre Hunter (41%), who has scored 15 points or more in 12 straight games. To describe his defensive production as limited would be generous. Still, Hunter’s offensive value, especially with Bogdan Bogdanovic dealing with a leg injury, makes him worth the risk in the short term.
Here are some more low-rostered players who provided value on Monday:
Malik Beasley, SG/SF, Detroit Pistons (32%)
Over the past two weeks, Beasley has provided top 75 per-game value in 9-cat formats, performing well whether he’s asked to start or come off the bench. He logged 26 minutes in Monday’s win over the Lakers, tallying 21 points, five rebounds, two steals and five 3-pointers. Beasley’s production has been critical, as starters Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tobias Harris have been inconsistent recently.
Jordan Clarkson, SG/SF, Utah Jazz (31%)
The Jazz guards haven’t been exceptionally reliable in fantasy basketball this season, but Clarkson had a good night off the bench in their loss to the Cavaliers. With Keyonte George (ankle) sidelined, he played 33 minutes, finishing with 27 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals, one blocked shot and three 3-pointers. The shooting (7-of-17 FGs) and turnovers (four) weren’t great, but Clarkson will be worth a look if George remains out for Thursday’s game in Portland.
Chris Boucher, PF/C, Toronto Raptors (7%)
Finding value among the Raptors bigs with Jakob Poeltl (groin) sidelined can be difficult. Jonathan Mogbo has been the replacement in the starting lineup, but the rookie hasn’t been too productive. Kelly Olynyk (12%) has a proven track record, especially in “tanking” situations, but he remains on a minutes restriction. So, should we roll the dice on Boucher? You never know what can happen, but he had a good night in Monday’s loss to the Knicks. In 19 minutes, he accounted for 16 points, three rebounds, one assist, three steals, one block and four 3-pointers. Toronto returns to action on Thursday in Memphis; Boucher is a risky play, but he may have value if Poeltl remains out.
Guerschon Yabusele, PF/C, Philadelphia 76ers (5%)
Philadelphia had an eventful Monday night in their win over the Spurs. Joel Embiid was thrown out during the second quarter. Before that, Andre Drummond was initially tossed himself before the second technical was overturned due to Victor Wembanyama flopping to buy a call. But that wasn’t all, as Drummond (toe) and KJ Martin (foot) exited during the third quarter and did not return. Enter Yabusele, with the “Dancing Bear” putting up 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, four steals, one block and three 3-pointers in 32 minutes. If Drummond and Martin cannot play in Philadelphia’s Christmas Day game in Boston, Yabusele will be worth adding in deep leagues.
Noah Clowney, SF/PF/C, Brooklyn Nets (4%)
A player who some fantasy managers were willing to use a late-round pick on in drafts, Clowney has been disappointing thus far. However, he started Monday’s loss to the Heat and recorded a line of 19 points, five rebounds, one assist and four 3-pointers in 30 minutes. Dorian Finney-Smith (calf) being out opened the spot in the starting lineup for Clowney, and DFS’s status will impact the second-year big’s value in the short term. However, Clowney is someone whose value should increase as the season progresses, especially if the Nets continue to move veterans in hopes of improving their draft lottery odds.
Max Christie, SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers (1%)
Christie has started the Lakers’ last six games, retaining his spot even after Austin Reaves and LeBron James returned from their respective injuries. The offensive production has been inconsistent, but Christie played well in Monday’s loss to the Pistons. In 33 minutes, he tallied a season-high 17 points, one rebound, two steals and three 3-pointers. One game isn’t enough to make Christie trustworthy in most fantasy leagues, but he’s worth a look in deep leagues for Christmas Day, with the Lakers visiting Golden State in one of five games on the slate.
Sam Merrill, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers (< 1%)
Cleveland was without Isaac Okoro (shoulder) and Dean Wade (knee) for Monday’s game against the Jazz, and Kenny Atkinson turned to Utah native Merrill to fill the void. Shooting 6-of-11 from three, he tallied 20 points, one rebound, four assists and three steals in 24 minutes. In addition to the Okoro and Wade injuries, Merrill is at the mercy of Max Strus’ playing time, as he remains on a minutes restriction after an ankle injury prevented him from making his season debut until December 20. The schedule also hurts, as Cleveland plays once more in Week 9 (Thursday at Denver). If you didn’t add Merrill before Monday, don’t change that until the statuses of Okoro and Wade for Thursday’s game are known.
Trevelin Queen, SG, Orlando Magic (< 1%)
The Magic have been hit hard by injuries, most recently losing Moritz Wagner to a torn ACL. His absence on Monday pushed Wendell Carter Jr. to the bench, with Queen receiving the starting nod. He played well in Orlando’s win over the Celtics, accounting for 17 points, one rebound, three assists, three steals, one blocked shot and three 3-pointers in 34 minutes. Is that production level sustainable for Queen? Given the career track record, probably not. But rolling the dice on him may be more palatable for fantasy managers who have been burned by Carter, Anthony Black, or Jonathan Isaac.
