The Pistons’ Daniss Jenkins is averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 7.8 assists over the past four games.
Fantasy championship week is here in many leagues. Let’s lock in and help bring home a title. With next week’s schedule in mind, here are six players to consider adding who are still available in the majority of Yahoo leagues.
Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets (51% rostered)
Tari Eason has gone cold from behind the arc. Over his last 11 games, he has shot just 9.7% from deep. Overall, he shot an ugly 28.3% from the field during that span. With him struggling, he has come off the bench in each of the last four games. Not only did he move to the second unit, but he logged 24 or fewer minutes in each of them.
Sheppard has replaced Eason in the starting lineup. Across the last four games, he averaged 15.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 2.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 3.5 3-pointers. He continues to be an asset from behind the arc, shooting 38.4% from three for the season. The Rockets need his shooting, so he should remain in the starting lineup moving forward. We’re cheating a bit here because Sheppard is rostered in just over half of leagues, but with four games on the schedule next week, it’s worth double checking to see if he’s still available in your league.
Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz (49% rostered)
The Jazz have been sitting a lot of players as they try to improve their lottery odds. Bailey has avoided the frequent rest days, missing just two games since the All-Star break. The Jazz have actually expanded his role, leaving him to average 30 minutes since the break.
With Bailey playing more, he averaged 19.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks and 3.3 3-pointers over his last 15 games. Although he shot just 43.4% from the field, he made 39.1% of his attempts from three. He also made 90.0% of his free throw attempts. Look for Bailey to stay hot with the Jazz playing four games next week.
Daniss Jenkins, Detroit Pistons (34% rostered)
Cade Cunningham (chest) should be out for at least all of next week. Given the significance of his injury, it’s possible that the Pistons hold him out until the playoffs. Cunningham has been among the best players in the league, averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists over 34 minutes a game. There is no one player that can make up for his production, but Jenkins has been tasked with replacing him in the starting lineup.
Jenkins has done his best Cunningham impersonation, providing 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.0 3-pointers over the last four games. The Pistons have shown a lot of faith in him, playing him at least 34 minutes in each game. Detroit plays four games next week, so Jenkins comes with plenty of upside in fantasy. He could end up being one of those players who comes out of nowhere to swing a fantasy league.
Tre Jones, Chicago Bulls (30% rostered)
Jones has started 11 of the last 12 games for the Bulls. He’s not just a token starter, either, averaging 29 minutes a night during that span. The Bulls are out of the playoff picture, but that hasn’t stopped them from deploying their starters as normal. In addition to Jones playing a lot, Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis have been playing a ton.
Jones has increased his production as the season winds down, averaging 16.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals in that 12-game span. Anfernee Simons (wrist) and Jaden Ivey (knee) remain out, and there’s a chance we don’t see them again over the final two weeks. The Bulls will play four times next week, so don’t hesitate to add Jones if your squad is weak at guard.
Cody Williams, Utah Jazz (16% rostered)
Williams sat out Monday’s game against the Raptors with a shoulder injury. He only missed the one game, returning and playing 37 minutes against the Wizards on Wednesday. It was an impactful return with him recording 24 points, four rebounds, two steals and one block. Considering that the Jazz have been sitting some of their top starters when they play bad teams, it was encouraging to see Williams fill such a significant role against the Wizards.
Over his last 10 games, Williams has averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.0 steals. He also shot 51.2% from the field during that span. What really stands out is that he logged 35 minutes a night. Not only is he worth adding in deeper formats, but he’s a viable 12-team option with the Jazz lined up to play four games.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Memphis Grizzlies (10% rostered)
The Grizzlies announced Tuesday that Ja Morant (elbow) will miss the remainder of the regular season. He hasn’t played in over two months. The Grizzlies are on their way to one of the worst records in the league, so the news doesn’t come as a surprise. He joins Zach Edey (ankle), Santi Aldama (knee), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) and Brandon Clarke (calf) as players on Memphis who will not suit up again during the current campaign.
Since the Grizzlies are missing so many players, Prosper has averaged 25 minutes over the last 20 games. His numbers weren’t eye-popping, but they weren’t bad, either, at 13.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 3-pointers a game. The Grizzlies play four games each in both of the final two weeks of the season, making Prosper an appealing option in 12-team and deeper leagues.