Paolo Banchero tallied 24 points (9-18 FG, 3-7 3P, 3-6 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists, and a block across 29 minutes of Tuesday’s 113-108 loss to the Grizzlies.
Fantasy Impact: Banchero logged his 12th double-double on Tuesday while scoring the most points (24) he’s had in a game since the middle of March. He came out firing on all cylinders in his first season in the NBA. However, the rookie wall has become a reality for Banchero, with the combination of lowly defensive statistics and inefficient field goal percentage significantly putting a damper on his current fantasy value. Still, in the long run, Banchero projects to be one of the better players to have on rosters for seasons to come. With six games left on the schedule for the Magic, the Duke product will look to end strong. His first chance to do so will be Friday when the Magic travel to Washington to take on the Wizards. In his most recent meeting against the Wiz, Banchero flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 18 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Franz Wagner posted 25 points (8-21 FG, 5-12 3P, 4-4 FT), three rebounds, three assists, a block, and two steals during Tuesday’s 113-108 loss to the Grizzlies.
Fantasy Impact: Wagner has turned up the heat of late. Over the last ten games, the second-year forward has sat just outside the top 50 players with averages of 18.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.6 3-pointers with shooting splits of 48.7% and 31.4%. Wagner will look to continue his elevated level of play Friday against the Wizards.
Wed, Mar 29th 10:21am EDT
By Evan Ritter
Kristaps Porzingis posted a game-high 32 points (14-21 FG, 3-5 3P, 1-1 FT), 13 rebounds, six assists, one block, and one steal in Tuesday's 130-111 win over the Celtics.
Fantasy Impact: The frontcourt of the Wizards was on fire Tuesday against the Celtics. Porzingis and Deni Advija accounted for 57 points, 22 rebounds, and 11 assists as the pair led their team to a massive upset over the Celtics, who were -11.5 point favorites. Porzingis has been an absolute fantasy revelation this season and continues to add to his impressive numbers. Over his last five games, the big man has averaged 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks. He'll look to maintain the hot hand Friday against the Magic.
Theo Maledon scored a season-high 19 points against the Thunder on Tuesday night. He also added four rebounds, nine assists, and four blocks.
Fantasy Impact: Theo’s four blocks are a career-high, as noted by Charlotte Hornets PR on Twitter. It was a great game for Maledon who was filling in for current starting point guard Dennis Smith Jr. Maledon doesn’t often get extended playing time but has shown he can be productive when he does. Smith Jr. could be back on Friday against Chicago, sending Theo back to the bench.
Deni Avdija posted 25 points (10-16 FG, 2-5 3P, 3-5 FT), 10 rebounds, five assists, and a steal in Tuesday’s 130-111 upset over the Celtics.
Fantasy Impact: With the Wizards undermanned, Avdija came through big time in the team's impressive upset over the heavily favored Celtics. The third-year forward has taken full advantage of the added opportunities he’s received recently, with Kyle Kuzma, Bradley Beal, and Daniel Gafford all missing time. Along with matching his season-high in points against the Celtics Tuesday, Avdija managed another double-double, his third in the last five games. In that span, he’s posted top-80 fantasy value with averages of 18.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. However, despite his stellar play of late, Avdija is still only rostered in 48% of Yahoo leagues. The Wizard’s next matchup is Friday against the Magic, a team Avdija posted a 15-point and 10-rebound double-double against in their most recent meeting. Therefore, Avdija will remain a viable option to plug-in into starting lineups.
PJ Washington scored a career-high 43 points (16-24 FG, 5-9 3P, 6-7 FT) to go along with six rebounds and five assists in the Hornets' 137-134 win over the Thunder.
Fantasy Impact: Washington had a huge night against Oklahoma City. Charlotte was down late but stormed back thanks to a massive fourth-quarter performance by Washington who scored 22 of his 43 points in that period. He has been playing solid basketball as of late and he’ll look to keep it up against the Bulls on Friday.
Larry Nance Jr. recorded eight points (4-8 FG, 0-2 3PT), six boards, two assists, and one steal in the Pels' loss to the Warriors.
Fantasy Impact: Nance's play-time and production have gradually waned since the beginning of the season. Often an efficient scorer and a monster in the rebound game, he's simply not playing enough to warrant fantasy attention. Tuesday marked the third game all month with four-plus points for Nance and just the second time he's played greater than 20 minutes. Compare that to his November when he averaged 10.1 points and 5.5 rebounds on 22.8 minutes per game.
Herb Jones had an all-round solid game Tuesday. He scored 13 points (5-11 FG, 3-5 3PT) and tallied six rebounds (four offensive), four assists, and two steals.
Fantasy Impact: Jones' fantasy managers long for the day where he strings together games like these. He's scored in double-figures in six of his last 14 games and has five games with nine or more FGA over the same stretch. In other words, his offensive volume is capped. On occasion, Jones will turn in a performance with an eye-catching assist or rebound figure, but he isn't consistent enough to be labeled a solid fantasy player.
Brandon Ingram totaled 26 points (9-22 FG, 1-1 3PT, 7-7 FT), eight rebounds, and seven assists in Tuesday's loss to the Warriors.
Fantasy Impact: Ingram's well-rounded play as the Pelicans chase a playoff spot should be far more appreciated. He's hit the 26-point mark in his last seven games and has recorded less than six assists just once over that time. When it's mattered most for fantasy managers, Ingram is putting on. He's having the best month of his season averaging 26.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.
Wed, Mar 29th 1:09am EDT
By Owen Klukas
Precious Achiuwa recorded 12 points (5-10 FG, 2-5 3P), nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and two turnovers across 25 minutes in Tuesday's 106-92 win over the Heat.
Fantasy Impact: Achiuwa was so close to recording his 10th double-double in his 49th game this season. Recently, Achiuwa has been unplayable in fantasy due to the low minutes he has seen in March. Maybe his performance on Tuesday will earn him more minutes as the season winds down. For now, use a wait and see approach. Next up, the Raptors play the 76ers on the road on Friday.
Luguentz Dort managed 16 points (4-10 FG, 1-4 3P, 7-8 FT) seven rebounds, two assists and a steal over 33 minutes in a Thunder 137-134 loss to the Hornets on Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact: Dort was able to get back on track scoring-wise following a poor shooting performance his last time out. He has also been rebounding the ball well of late, averaging just over six boards per game over his last four outings. Dort's next chance to perform will come on Wednesday night against the lowly Pistons.
Jalen Williams notched 31 points (11-16 FG, 1-2 3P, 8-9 FT) to go with three rebounds, four assists, and four steals over 34 minutes as the Thunder fell to the Hornets 137-134 on Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact: Williams was phenomenal on Tuesday, as has been the case for much of the month of March. The rookie has played in 13 games and is averaging 18.8 PPG, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and two steals over the duration. Williams has come out of the woodwork this season to really push himself into contention for Rookie of the Year candidacy. Expect another productive performance from him against Detroit on Wednesday night.
Isaiah Joe dropped a career-high 33 points (11-18, 6-11 3P, 5-7 FT) to go with two rebounds and an assist across 32 minutes in an Oklahoma City 137-134 loss to Charlotte on Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact: Joe filled in for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the second straight game on Tuesday and he did not disappoint. The 23-year-old managed to set the career mark in scoring while shooting a glistening 61.1% from the field. Joe is a legitimate NBA scorer and should have a role for the Thunder for the remainder of the 2023 season.
Josh Giddey finished with 31 points (14-22 FG, 1-3 3P, 2-4 FT) ten rebounds, nine assists, and a block over 34 minutes as the Thunder fell to the Hornets 137-134 on Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact: Despite the unfortunate loss for OKC on Tuesday, Giddey in his own right was on absolute fire in the affair. The second-year guard has now double-doubled in each of the past three games and he has still managed to take a whopping 58 shot attempts over that timespan. Giddey should be able to retain his hot stretch on Wednesday night, as the Thunder are set to take on the defenseless Pistons.
Jaden Hardy provided the Mavericks with 20 points (8-12 FG, 4-6 3P, 0-0 FT, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals off the bench during Monday’s victory over the Pacers.
Fantasy Impact: Typically Hardy’s big games come with either Kyrie Irving or Luka Doncic sidelined. However, he was a huge reason for Monday’s comfortable 127-104 victory over the Pacers. The rookie gave the team a huge boost in his 24 minutes off the bench and continues to carve out a role as the third scoring threat on the roster. Rostered in only 8% of Yahoo leagues, Hardy is well worth stashing.
Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 25 points (8-17 FG, 4-10 3P, 5-5 FT), seven rebounds, six assists, and one steal during Monday’s impressive 127-104 win over the Pacers.
Fantasy Impact: After losing four consecutive games and two back-to-back against the tanking Hornets, this was a must-win game for the Mavericks. Their recent losing streak landed them a game out of the play-in tournament coming into Monday’s game against the Pacers. However, Doncic put the team on his back and led them to victory, ensuring they didn’t slip further down the standings. Luckily for fantasy managers, Luka’s production has stayed steady throughout the teams' recent struggles. The Mavericks have three more games this week, with the first being in Philly against the Sixers. In the one game, Doncic faced the Sixers this season; he went off for 42 points, 12 assists, and four rebounds. A similar performance from their superstar will likely be their best chance at getting back into the playoff picture.
Zach LaVine provided a team-high 23 points (8-14 FG, 0-2 3P, 7-9 FT), five rebounds, and three assists during Monday’s 124-112 loss to the Clippers.
Fantasy Impact: LaVine has been on an absolute tear of late, helping the Bulls win seven of their last nine games and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Despite still leading the team in scoring, the veteran cooled off in Monday’s loss to the Clippers. He attempted only two shots from downtown and couldn’t sink either. LaVine and the Bulls, who are only a game back of 8th place, will face off against the Lakers on Wednesday for the second time in three games. In their most recent meeting, LaVine scorched them for 33 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. He’ll look to top that performance and get the Bulls back in the win column before heading to Charlotte for a game against the Hornets, who have suddenly become a tough out.
DeMar DeRozan provided 21 points (8-16 FG, 2-5 3P, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, seven assists, and two steals across 33 minutes of Monday’s loss to the Clippers.
Fantasy Impact: After struggling to get things going on the offensive end the past two games, DeRozan provided a very strong stat line Monday against the Clippers. His peripheral statistics have allowed DR to maintain top-five value in category leagues over the last two weeks. In that span, he’s averaged 5.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals to go along with 23.5 points. DeRozan will look to build off his strong performance Wednesday against the Lakers as he and the Bulls continue to battle for a playoff berth.
Nikola Vucevic finished with 20 points (9-13 FG, 2-3 3P, 0-0 FT), eight rebounds, and five assists during Monday's 124-112 loss to the Clippers.
Fantasy Impact: Vucevic provided fantasy managers with solid value Monday night despite a losing effort from the Bulls. With the team still having a chance at the playoffs, every game becomes magnified at this point in the season. After being ejected in their matchup on Sunday against the Lakers, Vucevic will get another crack at them on Wednesday on his home floor. With the Bulls hoping to avoid finishing the season in 10th place, you can expect the big man to be prepared to give a max effort, though he’ll have a tough matchup against Anthony Davis down low.
Khris Middleton scored a season-high 34 points against Detroit on Monday. He also added eight rebounds and five assists in the Milwaukee Bucks' win.
Fantasy Impact: The Bucks were without both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, so Middleton stepped up in their absence. Three other Bucks players had big games as well, with Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Jevon Carter all contributing over 20 points apiece. Middleton has been playing solid basketball since returning from injury and looks ready to go for the playoffs.
