RADIO
Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games. Friday did not disappoint with a handful of high-scoring shootouts. Kyrie Irving led the Boston Celtics over the Toronto Raptors in an overtime thriller by a score of 123-116. These two teams will end up seeing a lot more of each other this season and are arguably the two top contenders out East. Irving was magnificent, scoring 43 points with two rebounds, 11 assists, three steals, one block and three three-points on an efficient 18-for-26 from the field. I've been advocating buying Irving low since his three-point dud on October 27th, but that ship has long sailed with his 28.5 points per game average over the past eight games.
The Brooklyn Nets went into Washington and upset the Wizards 115-104. I don't know if it can be considered an upset anymore with how bad the Wizards have looked this season, but Vegas did have Washington installed as a 6.5 point favorite on the night. Otto Porter scored eight points with six rebounds, two assists, one steal and two turnovers in 27 minutes. While something has not looked right with him this season, I will keep advocating him as a buy-low option in category leagues, but I'd prefer to have his toe heal slightly before acquiring him. On the other hand, Dwight Howard scored 25 points with 17 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block, giving him averages of 15 points and 11.2 rebounds in his past five games. I think the 32-year-old carries some value in points leagues, but I'd prefer to trade him in category leagues due to his weak free throw shooting and poor averages outside of rebounding and your occasional scoring outburst.
And the Philadelphia 76ers picked up their first victory of the Jimmy Butler era, outlasting the Utah Jazz 113-107. It is a two-game sample size with Butler being a member of the team, but Ben Simmons has seen a reduction in his production over those contests. Simmons is producing 4.7 fewer points and 3.5 less rebounds. Smaller sample sizes can cause some random irregularities, but it is noteworthy because Butler is a usage monster that will take the ball out of Simmons' hands. There is no need to panic quite yet if you own Simmons, but it is something worth monitoring in the upcoming weeks. Our three main takeaways of the night are still to come, so without further ado, let's dive a little deeper into Friday's recap.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: Fantasy Stock Skyrocketing
On Friday night, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a career-high 27 points with six rebounds, four steals, two blocks and one triple on 11-for-16 shooting from the floor. A lot has been made of Jackson's tantalizing upside, and mouth-watering performances like this are why the 19-year-old is considered a future star.
However, the one downside to Jackson has been his propensity to get himself into foul trouble. On the season, the fourth pick in this year's draft has averaged 3.8 fouls per game and has committed four or more fouls in eight of 14 contests. Those are growing pains that will have to be dealt with, but the concern isn't so drastic when Jackson is producing the defensive numbers he has been. In the last six games, the Michigan State product has averaged 2.6 blocks and 1.6 steals.
There is always a possibility that Jackson could cede the starting job to JaMychal Green when he returns from his broken jaw, but the 19-year-old is the future of the franchise, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff would be doing a disservice to the youngster if he returned him to a bench role. Top-50 production in category leagues is still possible, and he is a name that shouldn't be as difficult to get as you might think.
Spencer Dinwiddie: Steps Up For Brooklyn
The injury to Caris Levert was a massive blow to the Brooklyn Nets playoff chances, but Spencer Dinwiddie has been doing his part to keep the team afloat. During Friday's 115-104 victory over the Washington Wizards, the 25-year-old dominated off the bench, matching a season-high 25 points with four rebounds, eight assists, three steals and three three-pointers in 31 minutes.
In the two games since LeVert has been out of the lineup, Dinwiddie has produced averages of 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.6 steals and two three-pointers with almost a nine percent increase in playing time. The injury to LeVert has opened up a massive opportunity for Dinwiddie, who could provide mid-round value with his increased role. The 25-year-old isn't a great fit next to D'Angelo Russell, and the two have produced a negative -2.9 net rating playing together, but Brooklyn has been ramping up the minutes of their on-court time, and that should yield more cohesive results going forward.
You aren't going to find Dinwiddie floating around waiver wires in any competitive league, but the perception around his value is going to be less than it should be in most circumstances. He should be viewed as a must-start player if you own him, and I think most owners don't fully appreciate his value. He is the guard I'd like to have in the Brooklyn backcourt and is the one I am looking to acquire.
Khris Middleton: Nearly Triple-Doubles On Friday
The Milwaukee Bucks versus Chicago Bulls ended up being one of the most exciting games of the night, but you would never know it if you just glanced at the box score. The Bucks 19-point victory seems bland on the surface, but it was anything but that. Chicago exploded with a 40-point opening quarter to take a 13-point lead and continued the onslaught in the second quarter, going into halftime up by 18 points. But things changed in the third quarter when Milwaukee's core group went ballistic from the field, scoring 46 points.
Leading the way for Milwaukee was Khris Middleton, who ended the game with 23 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two triples in 33 minutes. Middleton was second best on the team with a +18 net rating and finished 9-for-15 from the field and 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. The 27-year-old has been on a tear in his past three games, averaging 23 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 three-pointers on a staggering 58.1 percent from the floor. But when you dive deeper into Middleton's season-long production, you realize none of this is out of the norm.
The 6-foot-8 small forward is producing 19.7 points per game to go along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.3 threes on 46.7 percent shooting. Middleton is knocking on the door of top-15 value in nine-category leagues and has been a draft day steal for owners that were savvy enough to grab him with his 33.3 average draft position on ESPN, Yahoo and CBS leagues.
