Basketball Pickups: Have yourself a night, Dalton Knecht

Due to a sprained ankle, the Lakers have been without Rui Hachimura for the last three games. That opened the door for first-round pick Dalton Knecht to move into the starting lineup, and he’s made the most of his opportunity. A double-digit scorer in four straight, he caught fire in Tuesday’s win over the Jazz. Knecht shot 12-of-16 from the field, scoring a season-high 37 points with five rebounds, one steal, and nine 3-pointers. The nine triples tied the NBA rookie record for threes in a game, and Knecht scored 21 points in the third quarter alone.

Utah continued to lose the rookie, and he continued to make shots at an absurd clip. A top-15 fantasy player in 9-cat formats over the last week, are we at the point where it needs to be asked if Knecht should remain in the starting lineup? And, if so, would it be for Hachimura? Or Cam Reddish, who starts primarily for defensive reasons? Regardless of what Lakers coach JJ Redick decides, it’s been clear that Knecht should be rostered in more than 30% of Yahoo leagues. Look for that percentage to increase in the aftermath of Tuesday’s performance, even if Hachimura is available for Thursday’s game against the Magic.

Let’s look at a few more of Tuesday’s top pickups:

Santi Aldama (47%), Memphis Grizzlies

Aldama continues to have value in deep (and some standard) due to the combination of his play and the Grizzlies being shorthanded. Memphis lost Zach Edey to a sprained ankle on Sunday, and the rookie is considered week-to-week. Aldama was excellent in Tuesday’s loss to the Nuggets, playing 33 minutes and finishing with 28 points, 11 rebounds, one steal, and four 3-pointers. He’s still providing top 100 per-game value in 9-cat formats and is well worth the risk in standard leagues.

Keldon Johnson (36%), San Antonio Spurs

Johnson’s inconsistent production outside of points and rebounds has made him challenging to rely on in many fantasy leagues. However, he’s been better over the last two weeks, ranking just outside the top 100. He finished Tuesday’s win over Oklahoma City with 22 points, five rebounds, four assists, and six 3-pointers in 29 minutes. Inconsistency aside, Johnson’s worth a roll of the dice in deep leagues as long as the Spurs are without Victor Wembanyama.

Grant Williams (25%), Charlotte Hornets

There may not be much excitement surrounding Williams in fantasy leagues, but where else will we turn concerning the Hornets frontcourt? Mark Williams and Nick Richards remain sidelined, with the latter closing in on a return to action. Until one of those two is cleared, Williams will have value in deep leagues. He finished Tuesday’s loss to the Nets with 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocked shots in 33 minutes.

Zach Collins (19%), San Antonio Spurs

Collins didn’t do as much scoring as he did in Saturday’s loss to the Mavericks, but he provided deep-league managers a complete stat line in the Spurs’ win over Oklahoma City. Shooting 5-of-7 from the field and 1-of-1 from the foul line, he finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer in 26 minutes. Charles Bassey (12/8/0/1/2 in 21 minutes) gave San Antonio good minutes off the bench, but Collins is the more reliable streaming option if Wembanyama remains sidelined.

Dorian Finney-Smith (17%), Brooklyn Nets

Cameron Johnson was the biggest beneficiary of the Nets’ playing Tuesday’s game without Cam Thomas, who sat due to lower back tightness. But, with Johnson already rostered in most leagues, he wasn’t loitering on many waiver wires. Finney-Smith, on the other hand, is available in more than 80% of Yahoo leagues. He finished Tuesday’s win with 15 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and four 3-pointers, shooting 5-of-6 from the field. Jalen Wilson, who filled in for Thomas, scored 17 points but didn’t provide much outside of points and 3-pointers. Category league managers would be better off with Finney-Smith, especially if Thomas only misses one game.

Ty Jerome (12%), Cleveland Cavaliers

Jerome may not be a wing, but the absences of Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, and Dean Wade meant the Cavaliers needed a little more from their backup point guard in Boston. He played 28 minutes, finishing with 10 points, one rebound, five assists, and one steal in the three-point defeat. While Craig Porter Jr. (15/3/3 with three 3-pointers) and Georges Niang (11/4/3 with one 3-pointer) were also productive off the bench, Jerome has been the most consistent regarding season-long fantasy value.

Cason Wallace (5%), Oklahoma City Thunder

With Isaiah Joe ruled out, the “three players for two starting spots” quandary Thunder coach Mark Daigneault faces on most nights was taken care of. Wallace and Aaron Wiggins started in San Antonio, with the former accounting for 13 points, three rebounds, seven assists, one block, three 3-pointers, and no turnovers in 34 minutes. Wallace’s playmaking ability gives him the edge over Wiggins (11/3/0/1 with three 3-pointers) if Joe remains sidelined.