Monday, December 16, 2024

Fantasy Basketball Pickups: Davion Mitchell to step up in wake of Scottie Barnes injury

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Scottie Barnes exited early from Monday’s game against the Knicks with an ankle injury, and he is set to be re-evaluated on Tuesday after the initial x-rays came back clean. That’s good news, but he still may miss some time. Their next game is on Thursday in Miami, and there are only three games that day. That makes both Davion Mitchell (4% rostered in Yahoo leagues) and Jonathan Mogbo (4%) potential streaming options. Barnes had been the team’s primary playmaker with Immanuel Quickley sidelined, and now that responsibility will fall to Mitchell. He only had eight points, three rebounds, three assists and two 3-pointers off the bench in this game, but he had some excellent assist games earlier this year as a starter. Mogbo is a riskier option, but he was the one that replaced Barnes in the lineup after he exited the game. He has shown the ability to produce value across the board as a rookie, though he hasn’t had enough minutes to truly make an impact. He’s more of a deeper league option than Mitchell.

With only one game on Monday, there weren’t many other players worth adding. Rookie Ja’Kobe Walter (1%) scored a career-high 19 points, but he hasn’t been consistent this year. He’s a player to keep an eye on, but he isn’t worth adding yet.

However, there are only two games on Tuesday, so here are a few players to consider picking up. If your league has a games cap, it may not be best to stream some of these guys, but if you’re looking to maximize your games played, here are a few options:

Cole Anthony- 5%

With both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner sidelined, the Magic have turned to Anthony for offense. He hasn’t been a large part of the rotation this year, but he had 14 points in a season-high 29 minutes in their last game. He’s arguably their best healthy shot creator, and he should see plenty of usage until Banchero returns.

Gary Trent Jr.- 7%

GTJ’s first year in Milwaukee started off slowly, but he has started to figure things out. He has scored in double figures in 10 of their last 12 games, and he scored a season-high 20 points in their last one. The steals haven’t come back, but the points and 3-pointers have been strong recently.

Cason Wallace- 10%

With OKC’s rotating starting lineup, it’s worth including Isaiah Joe (3%) and Aaron Wiggins (3%) here as well. Wallace has seen the most starts recently, and he has been able to pour in the steals recently. All three should play 20+ minutes, making all of them worth streaming on a lighter day.

Naji Marshall- 9%

Marshall is questionable after missing the Mavs’ last four games with an illness. PJ Washington (illness) is also questionable, so there is a chance that Marshall starts in place of an absent Washington. Marshall has been an excellent fantasy option this season, especially when he’s gotten the chance to start.

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