FAB’S FIVE: Top fantasy basketball pickups for week 18 - Part Two
Fantasy owners are in the middle of a much-needed break as we get set for part two of week 18, and head-to-head playoffs are just around the corner.
Gaining a man-games advantage is difficult with the condensed schedule from Thursday to Sunday, but here are five players I value in the bigger picture.
10-Team Leagues
SF, PF: Kyle Anderson, Timberwolves
Anderson's availability can waver due to his ongoing back problems, but there's no doubting his value when healthy. After returning from a brief stop on the shelf in the middle of February, "Slow Mo" lit it up in his last three games before the All-Star break: 14.0 points on 53.6 per cent shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals. Assuming he can stay healthy, Anderson should be owned in all formats.
SG, SF: Donte DiVincenzo, Warriors
DiVincenzo is an integral part of head coach Steve Kerr's rotation in Golden State, and even more so with Stephen Curry out for the foreseeable future. "The Big Ragu" offers plenty in traditional guard categories, averaging 11.6 points, 2.9 triples, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals over the past month, making him a top-75 player during that span.
12-Team Leagues
SG, SF: Josh Okogie, Suns
It's not certain how Okogie will fit into the Suns plans once Kevin Durant returns from injury, but Okogie is worth a speculative add because of his potential fit with the starting lineup. His three-point shooting has been unsustainably hot heading into the break, hitting three or more triples while shooting over 50 per cent from behind the arc in February, but if he can continue to drain threes at a reasonable clip, he can provide some defensive stats and rebounding going forward.
14-Team Leagues
SF, PF: Shaedon Sharpe, Trail Blazers
Anfernee Simons may not return to the lineup for a long time after sustaining a grade two ankle sprain, so it could be Sharpe's time to shine in a more prominent role. The seventh-overall pick in this past year's draft has recorded four-straight games in double figures while shooting 61.8 per cent, and Portland has every reason to want to develop his game as soon as possible.
SG, SF: Josh Richardson, Pelicans
The newly-acquired Richardson is worth a flier as long as Zion Williamson is out with a hamstring injury, and he's been racking up steals and blocks as a Pelican, nabbing seven swipes and swatting three shots in two games, despite getting ejected halfway through the Lakers game last Wednesday. CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram have also been battling injuries, so Richardson's value only increases if either of them miss time.