Welcome to Rotation Watch, RotoBallers! Each week, this article will highlight the players gaining minutes in their team's rotation. Fantasy managers want to roster the players that accumulate stats and rack up the playing time. They want to avoid the players falling out of favor and watching the action from the sidelines.
With the new season here, Rotation Watch is well... back in the rotation. With new rotations and players bouncing around from season to season, it's important to take note of who's "in" and who's "out". I've been consistently updating my data model to account for minutes over the 2022-2023 regular season, as well as each player's last four games, and their stats based on who's on and who's off the floor (accounting for injury, etc.).
So without further ado, let's start searching those box scores and look for those hidden gems that grabbed minutes to help your fantasy basketball team achieve the ultimate prize: a championship. Of course, these suggestions are the cream of the crop, and if you ever need an extra slice of advice, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @LucidMediaDFS.
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NBA Playing Time Changes
T.J. McConnell - PG, Indiana Pacers
ESPN: 17.4% rostered
Week 12: 26:15 Minutes per Game
I'll start off this week with T.J. McConnell, who's seemingly taking over point guard duty as well as Andrew Nembhard in the absence of Tyrese Haliburton. While McConnell is coming off the bench, he's worth picking up, even when Haliburton returns to the lineup, in my opinion.
McConnell averaged 16.25 points, five rebounds, 8.25 assists, and 2.25 steals over the last week, and has been getting solid run even when Haliburton plays. He's a solid option in all formats, especially in category formats where you're looking for assists and steals.
Andrew Nembhard - PG, Indiana Pacers
ESPN: 5.1% rostered
Week 12: 29:30 Minutes per Game
Speaking of Andrew Nembhard, I'd take a look at him next, especially if McConnell has already been scooped up in your league. Nembhard got the start on Wednesday night, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in 27 minutes of work.
Nembhard overcame a slow start Wednesday night and is now averaging 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, seven assists, and 1.25 steals over the last week. While I would rather have McConnell if I had the option, should Nembhard begin to start games for Indiana in Haliburton's absence, he's certainly worth a stash.
Torrey Craig - SF/PF, Phoenix Suns
ESPN: 3.1% rostered
Week 12: 28:30 Minutes per Game
I'll finish things up with Torrey Craig. I'm a bit late on the Suns' injury train, as it seems that Josh Okogie, Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne, and Devin Booker should all be back in the next week or so.
Nevertheless, Craig is a solid streamer for the next week. His minutes are certainly there, but he averaged just 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, two assists, and 1.5 steals in the Suns' two games last week. I'll be looking for him in extremely deep leagues and this is nothing more than a quick pickup if you need to fill a roster spot.
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