You’ve come this far! The end is in sight! Don’t take your eyes off the prize! Stay on the waiver wire! The Timberwolves have five games next week! Don’t abandon your plans and remember, if one of your star players goes down and they have to miss the rest of the week, don’t hesitate to drop if you see a report from an accurate source. When you see a player note that can impact your team, look for a second source. Be a Coach! Be a Reporter! Take the extra time to make sure you are organized. Let’s win that ring!

 

Ish Smith PG DET-38% Ownership: Reggie Jackson is hurt and only will he see more playing time, but he will also see more shots and he is trending upward once again. His perimeter game on offense has been on point and the Pistons like to attack the rim and then kick back out. Smith has not only scored in double figures in his last three games, but he grabbed six rebounds in two of those three games. Remember, guards who rebound benefit their cause to stay on the floor. Smith’s passing has been accurate and has dished at least five assists in four of his last five games. He has been very helpful on the other side of the ball and a two or three-steal game is certainly not out of the question.

 

 

Nik Stauskas SG/SF PHI-8% Ownership: The stats are not outstanding but his minutes are consistent enough and he has taken no few than eight shots in four of his last five games. What I like best about Stauskas game is his attacking ability on the ball and then his ability to curl back outside and get open. Since scoring 20 in 2 straight games, Stauskas has been held to single digits in 3 of his last 4 games. As Stauskas minutes hit the 30’s, he tends to start helping in other categories such as rebounds, assists and steals when he is not getting the open looks. His minutes are safe and secure and he is able to ball-handle.

 

Kelly Oubre Jr. SF WSH-2% Ownership: I would not be surprised if Oubre gets even more playing time down the stretch because just like Otto Porter, he stalls possessions on the defensive end and hovers at the perimeter. He is aggressive and can score in volume as well. Oubre has seen his playing time increase to the 20’s and he has scored in double figures in three straight games. Oubre can fill in for both Porter and Bradley Beal at their respective spots and Oubre has grabbed at least five boards in four of his last five games. He runs the floor nicely as the Wizards, who play a real up-tempo style need their cutters to be able to stick with the ball and momentum on transition and Oubre does a great job of that. You see the pattern as some of the slower players like Marcin Gortat are losing playing time because they slow down the flow. Oubre is also a big steals help and has grabbed at least one in four straight games.

 

Josh Richardson SG/SF MIA-33% Ownership: The Heat have a deep mid-court and Richardson has shown that he is finally over his injuries and is running the floor a lot better. Richardson has scored in double figures in four of his last six games and he has been able to take some of the open playing time that Dion Waiters has left available as he recovers from injury. Richardson had a five-steal game last time out and he is good at finding the cutter at the top of the paint and that has helped his assist total increase. Richardson has good attacking ability and will continue to get more aggressive each game. He has a bit more to his game than both Waiters and Wayne Ellington do. Both of them are very scoring and jump shot dependant while Tyler Johnson and Richardson will look to push the ball forward and keep the offense moving. Richardson has been a MAJOR help with the swats. He has recorded at least one block in each of his last seven games including three multi-block games.

 

Jared Dudley SG/SF/PF PHX-10% Ownership: Seeing more consistency in Dudley’s playing time brings more security. He qualifies at multiple positions showing that he will play a bit more down the stretch being able to handle three positions. Add Dudley for help in other categories and NOT scoring. Dudley has grabbed at least seven boards in his both of his last two games. Dudley has dished 22 assists total in his last three games and dished 10 in one of them. Dudley is no stranger to the glass and he will battle against bigger defenders for rebounds and most of his teammates are anti-defense so that should keep his playing time in the 20’s. Dudley has also had two three-steal games in his last five.

 

Georgios Papagiannis C SAC-4% Ownership: The Kings are benching the Vets and letting the young guys play and Papagiannis will continue to see consistency in the 20’s down the stretch. He not only has double digit scoring capabilities but he recently had back-to-back double-digit rebounding games. He has also been a big help on the defensive end and the Kings don’t have any solid defenders up front. Papagiannis has blocked at least one shot in seven of his last eight games. Papagiannis is mainly a low block player and is good at positioning himself in the middle of the paint for boards. He clearly focuses more on rebounding as his eyes are normally on the paint during isolation plays or when the shot is about to be thrown up. His commitment to defense will land him even more playing time.

 

Taurean Prince SF ATL-10% Ownership: The Hawks are limping their way to finish line of the regular season and Prince has been able to pick up more playing time. The Hawks are a Playoff team and even when Paul Millsap and Kent Bazemore return, they will likely be conservative so Prince could get more run down the stretch than expected. Prince has scored in double figures and grabbed six rebounds in two of his last three games. The key for him is keeping those turnover numbers down. Prince has grabbed at least four rebounds in seven of his last eight games. Another reason why Prince is protected is because of his quick hands on defense and he has been a major steals help. Prince has three multi-steal games in his last four. Prince is also a shooting threat from long range, but will look to drive first.

 

Kris Dunn G MIN-39% Ownership: Has Dunn been amazing? No! But, his teammate Ricky Rubio has been majorly productive over the last two months and it says a lot that Dunn has been getting sufficient playing time while Rubio is dominating. Dunn has scored in double figures in two of his last four games. Remember, Minnesota plays five games next week and you can expect Dunn to get a ton of minutes. Dunn has grabbed at least four rebounds in three of his last four games and he has had a multi-block game in every other game for the last six games. Dunn is a major steals producer as he has stolen the ball at least three times in three of his last four games. He’s quick and he’s taking advantage of his playing time, especially on the defensive end.

 

WILDCARD PICK UP: Ian Mahinmi C-WSH-6% Ownership: We are going to have two wildcard’s to look at for the week and the first is Mahinmi. Mahinmi has been pulling the robbery and taking time away from Gortat. Mahinmi has been a bit quicker and a lot sharper on the boards and that’s where the Wizards need the most help in. Mahinmi has grabbed at least five boards in four of his last five games and has been a major steals help having two multi-steal games in his last four. There is nothing fancy about Mahinmi. He’s rugged in his game play and very low-key and blue collared. He takes advantage of teams who don’t box out and are too focused on the lane drivers. Mahinmi is not too much of a scorer, but has hit double figures in two of his last four games. He has clearly been the more successful big man of the two. Remember, the Wizards also have Jason Smith who can shoot from long range. If they want the best defense in, Mahinmi is that guy right now.

 

WILDCARD PICK UP: Shawn Long SF/PF/C PHI-7% Ownership: A big reason for Long being a wildcard is that his playing time is still for the most part under the 20-minute threshold. But, he can play multiple positions and the Sixers do not have a huge overall depth chart (hence why I suggested Stauskas as well). Despite not being given a ton of playing time, Long has trended upward as a volume scorer. He has scored in double digits in four of his last five games and is a minor long-range threat. The Sixers can use him as a decoy to draw out bigger defenders and teams will let him shoot. Long has made an impact defensively as well. He has swiped the ball at least once in four of his last six games. Even playing under 20 minutes, he has been able to consistently help in three categories and should be considered as a quick add.