Fantasy Basketball is all about outsmarting your opponents, and much of that is done through grabbing the unfound star in free agency. Here’s our best way to do that in Week 21.
Note: All OWN%’s come from ESPN Fantasy Leagues.
Point Guard:
NYK- Alexey Shved (16.1%)
It seems like every day a Knicks player is graciously liberated from their horrid season and sent to the inactive list. Unfortunately, Shved has endured the pain, but has actually turned into a possible bright spot for them, averaging 16.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per his last six games.
GSW- Shaun Livingston (4.5%)
Don’t you miss the life Livingston brought to Barclays Center? Now at least he can do the same for your fantasy lineup. As Steve Kerr rests his starters in the final stretch of the season, Livingston’s opportunities will increase, as exhibited by his all-too-familiar averages of 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists over his last six contests.
Shooting Guard:
CHA- Gerald Henderson (19.5%)
It looks like he’s embarking on part two of his mid-season tear. 18.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 6.5 rebounds in his last two games.
DEN- Will Barton (6.1%)
More of a daily fantasy flyer, Barton has gone from Portland’s benchwarmer to Denver’s stick of dynamite. It’s all about riding his two-to-three game streaks. His last hot streak (March 9th through 11th) featured 16.5 points, 5.0 boards, and 4.0 assists per game. Yesterday: 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, one block, and possibly the start of another wave that needs riding.
Small Forward:
LAC- Matt Barnes (7.7%)
Watch him play and you’ll call him reckless; carry him in fantasy and you’ll call him a steal. The mercurial vet has averaged 17 points (and 0.3 flagrant fouls) per game in his last three games.
CHI- Tony Snell (7.2%)
It took him long enough to finally pick up the slack in his new starter role for the injured Jimmy Butler, but it looks like he now has attained that expected fantasy bump. He’s posted 14 points and 5.3 rebounds over his last four games.
Power Forward:
NYK- Andrea Bargnani (29.0%)
You know the drill: 18.6 points per game in his last 7; rebounds worse than a literal brick; still astonished how he has managed to make this list 4 weeks in a row. Here’s this throwback to keep our minds stationed on planet earth.
TOR- Amir Johnson (14.7%)
With the playoffs right around the corner, Johnson is regaining postseason form. Averaging 13 points and 8 rebounds per game in his last 3 games.
Center:
NOP- Omer Asik (25.9%)
Averaging 11 points and 14 rebounds over his last two games alongside a hot Anthony Davis. Asik’s recent success could easily turn into long-term production.
PHO- Brandon Wright (2.7%)
Any night Alex Len is out with his recurring right ankle injury, the former Nets center makes for a very viable fill-in as he takes over in the starting 5.
OKC- Steven Adams (2.4%)
Coach Scott Brooks elected to go with a frontcourt of Enes Kanter and Steven Adams, who filled in for the injured Serge Ibaka, yesterday, and Adams posted a 14-11 double-double against a vicious Bulls frontcourt.
