While the world was focused on the weekend college football rivalries, we basketball geeks were focused on Saturday’s six games. The day started with Joel Embiid and the 76ers taking on Chet Holmgren and the Thunder. We also saw Trae Young continue his strong streak as the Hawks defeated the Wizards. LeBron James won a close game against his former team. Brooklyn beat the Heat without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Jazz came back to beat the Pelicans, and the night ended with the Clippers defeating arch-rival Luka Doncic. It was a quiet night, so let’s talk about a few players who can help us finish or win next week’s matchups strong.
Sadiq Bey – 47% registered in Yahoo League
Jalen Johnson took a hard fall while attempting a dunk and went down early with a wrist injury. He is scheduled to undergo tests this week, but could be out for an extended period of time. Bey will start the second half in his place and continue to start at power forward as long as Johnson is out. The Hawks play in Boston on Sunday, but there’s basically no chance that Johnson will play. The best-case scenario would be to return to Cleveland on Tuesday, but that seems unlikely. Bey should start against the Celtics, but while the Celtics are a good team, this is a good chance for Bey. Unfortunately, he’s harder to find on the waiver wire than most players on this list.
Caleb Martin – 10%
Haywood Highsmith went down with a back contusion in this game, and if he continues to be sidelined, Martin should slide into the starting power forward position. Even if Erik Spoelstra takes over as the starter for Kevin Love, Martin will likely play a bigger role off the bench. The star of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals brought some of that magic to Saturday’s game with a 22/7/3 line. He was plagued by injuries earlier this year, but seems ready to contribute.
Max Christie – 1%
With Cam Reddish still out, Christie started for the Lakers on Saturday. He hit a 12/5/3 line with two triples. This was his second consecutive start, but his first game didn’t go well. If Reddish remains sidelined, Christie should continue to make significant appearances.
Pat Connaughton – 5%
With Khris Middleton (Achilles) sidelined, Connaughton should start for the Bucks on Sunday. The only thing he can rely on is his 3-point shot, but he should play big minutes against the Trail Blazers.
Keita Bates-Diop- 1%
Kevin Durant (foot) is questionable to play Sunday against the Knicks. KBD started in his place in the last game and played a 6/4/1/1/2 line in 24 minutes. If KD remains unavailable, KBD is worth considering.
Dyson Daniels – 37%
With CJ McCollum out for the foreseeable future, Daniels will continue to be the starting point guard for the Pelicans. Daniels had six steals in the first half of Saturday’s game and provided value in other categories as well. He doesn’t score a lot, but he contributes enough rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks to be on the roster until McCollum returns.