Already without Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers were also without Paul George for Wednesday’s game against the Wizards. Things got a bit tricky as Washington mounted a rally during the fourth quarter, but the 76ers held on partially due to the play of SG/SF Kelly Oubre Jr. (35%) and PF/C Guerschon Yabusele (14%).
Oubre, who has long been on the fantasy radar, recorded a complete stat line, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals, two blocks, and one 3-pointer. Over the past two weeks, the Tsunami Papi has provided top-40 per-game value in 9-cat formats. A fixture in the starting lineup when Philadelphia is whole, he’ll have value even after Embiid and George return.
As for Yabusele, who has provided top-75 value over the past two weeks, he shot 5-of-7 from three and finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocked shots in 34 minutes. Making his return to the NBA this season after playing the last five seasons in Europe, Yabusele has scored in double figures in seven of his previous nine outings. He’ll be worth a look for Friday’s game against the Pelicans if Embiid remains out. And that’s a game in which Oubre could also go off, given how poor New Orleans has been this season.
Let’s look at a few more of Wednesday’s top pickups:
SG/SF Malik Beasley (30%), Detroit Pistons
After shooting 14-of-43 from the field in the first three games Detroit played after losing Jaden Ivey to a fractured left fibula, Beasley got back on track Wednesday night in Brooklyn. Shooting 9-of-17 from the field and 1-of-1 from the foul line, he accounted for 23 points, two rebounds, five assists, two steals, and four 3-pointers in the Pistons’ 113-98 victory. In addition to Ivey, the Pistons were without Ausar Thompson (illness) for a second consecutive game, once again freeing up a place in the starting lineup for Beasley. He’ll have streaming value until Ivey returns, whether as a starter or reserve, but the former role makes Beasley even more valuable to fantasy managers.
SF/PF Toumani Camara (18%), Portland Trail Blazers
Camara has been playing well recently, providing 6th-round value in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. The second-year forward recorded another quality stat line on Wednesday, finishing Portland’s 119-100 win over New Orleans with 15 points, three rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block, and one 3-pointer in 29 minutes. Camara may not be much of a scorer, but he’s averaged 13.0 points per game over the past two weeks and is productive in other areas that have value in category leagues.
PG/SG Cason Wallace (9%), Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City’s 15-game win streak ended Wednesday night in Cleveland, but the team had to be pleased with Wallace’s offensive output. He shot 6-of-8 from the field, finishing with 15 points, two rebounds, three assists, and three 3-pointers (on three attempts). While Wallace remains a better option for punt-points builds, he’s reached double figures in consecutive games for the second time this season. Also, he’s started 11 of the last 13 games he’s been available for. Maybe Sam Presti uses his treasure trove of draft capital to make a move before the trade deadline to add a wing scorer to the mix. But Wallace will be worthy of consideration in deep leagues until that happens.
SF/PF/C Noah Clowney (7%), Brooklyn Nets
Clowney isn’t going to get up 20 shots like he did on Wednesday consistently. However, with the Nets decimated by injuries, this is a good time to roll the dice on him. The second-year forward finished Brooklyn’s loss to Detroit with a career-high 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and five 3-pointers in 37 minutes. Cameron Johnson (ankle) is expected to play at some point during Brooklyn’s upcoming road trip, but Cam Thomas (hamstring) will not, and it’s unknown when Ben Simmons (back) or D’Angelo Russell (shin) will return. Under those circumstances, why not bet on Clowney?
SG/SF Max Strus (6%), Cleveland Cavaliers
With Oklahoma City (primarily Lugentz Dort) keeping Donovan Mitchell under wraps, the Cavaliers needed someone to step up alongside Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland scoring-wise. Strus was that man, as he shot 5-of-6 from three and finished with 17 points, three rebounds, and five assists. His being part of the closing lineup was just as notable as the production. Strus was the fifth starter last season; while Dean Wade currently holds that role, will there come a point when Kenny Atkinson decides to make a change? We’ll see.
SG/SF Corey Kispert (5%) and PG/SG Jared Butler (1%), Washington Wizards
Despite their many injuries, give the Wizards credit for being competitive in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Reserves Kispert and Butler had a lot to do with that. The former, already on the streaming radar for some deep-league managers, hit four 3-pointers and finished with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and four 3-pointers in 35 minutes. Kispert has reached double figures in six of his last eight outings, scoring a season-high 23 in the previous two. As for Butler, he only needed 20 minutes to put up 26 points, four rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers. Nights like this won’t be the norm for Butler, but he’ll be worthy of a look if Jordan Poole and Malcolm Brogdon remain sidelined.
C Thomas Bryant (< 1%), Indiana Pacers
The Pacers played against the Bulls without starting center Myles Turner, who was ruled out due to an illness. And yet they still scored 129 points, with Bryant being one of the…
NBC Sports
