Playing their first game since losing starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton to left elbow and left knee injuries during Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks, the Pacers had two attractive streaming options for Friday’s game against the Hawks. Andrew Nembhard, who’s rostered in 36% of Yahoo leagues, was due to shift over to the point after starting alongside Haliburton. And while he wasn’t a starter, T.J. McConnell (34% rostered) was due to get the minutes needed to be a factor in fantasy leagues.
McConnell was the more effective guard in Friday’s 113-111 loss to the Hawks, finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in 24 minutes. Nembhard, on the other hand, struggled mightily with his shot. Making two of his 16 attempts from the field, he finished with six points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer in 34 minutes. With Haliburton sidelined for at least two weeks, Nembhard and McConnell will remain solid streaming options. And they aren’t the only Pacers to emerge as solid streaming options on Friday.
Isaiah Jackson (20%)
With Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner ruled out, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle turned to Jalen Smith and James Johnson as fill-ins for Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks. He took a different approach Friday, promoting Jackson and Chris Duarte, with Smith coming off the bench and Johnson receiving a DNP-CD. Jackson was excellent defensively, blocking a career-high seven shots to go along with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist in 28 minutes. With Turner not expected to play in Saturday’s game against the Grizzlies, Jackson should get another opportunity to start, given how well he played against the Hawks.
Oshae Brissett (2%)
Brissett is another Pacers player who took advantage of his opportunity to play extended minutes. Shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 3-of-3 from the foul line, he played 31 minutes off the bench and finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, and one steal. While he isn’t a must-add on par with Jackson, Brissett is in a spot where he can be of value in the short term. With the aforementioned Nesmith considered questionable for Saturday, Brissett is worth adding before the Pacers make a final decision. Given how well he played Friday night, Brissett should be in the rotation Saturday night if Nesmith can’t play.
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Alex Caruso (33%)
The Bulls were again without DeMar DeRozan, which meant another start for Caruso. And he was very good defensively, accumulating five steals and one blocked shot to go along with 11 points, four rebounds, five assists, and two 3-pointers in 33 minutes. The offensive stats haven’t been there for Caruso on most nights, but the assists and defensive production make him worthy of a look while DeRozan is sidelined. With the Bulls hosting the Warriors on Sunday, this would be a good time to take a one-game flier on Caruso. Chicago only plays one game in Week 14 (Thursday vs. Detroit in Paris), so regardless of what happens Sunday, AC would need to be dropped the following morning.
Damion Lee (5%)
Good luck finding a reliable guard on the Suns’ roster other than Mikal Bridges, who also has small forward eligibility. Duane Washington Jr. shot 3-of-11 from the field in Friday’s loss to the Timberwolves, accounting for eight points, two rebounds, two assists, and one blocked shot in 24 minutes. The Suns’ guard who did step up was Lee, who scored a career-high 31 points with six rebounds, two assists, and six 3-pointers in 31 minutes. Over the last two weeks, he’s been a 12th-round player in 9-cat formats. That isn’t impressive, but Lee has been able to offer more production than Washington. There’s no need to add Lee right now if you didn’t before Friday, as the Suns are off until Monday when they visit the Grizzlies.
Terence Davis (1%) and Trey Lyles (7%)
Davis appeared to be a simple choice with Kevin Huerter sidelined but based on the rostered percentage, there were plenty of skeptics. Davis may have convinced a few people with his play Friday night, as he finished with 22 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals, and three 3-pointers in 31 minutes. Regarding Sunday’s game against the Spurs, Davis is only worth rostering if Huerter remains sidelined. As for Lyles, he’s been the only reserve big man to solidify his place within the rotation. He’s reached double figures in four straight games after finishing Friday’s win with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks, and one 3-pointer in 30 minutes. As well as Lyles played on Friday, the bump in minutes occurred because of Keegan Murray getting into foul trouble. Lyles is worth tracking at this stage, especially with the Kings still looking for someone to make the backup center role his own. Counting Friday’s performance Lyles has been a 10th-round player in 9-cat formats over the last two weeks.
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Corey Kispert (4%)
Kispert has been an 11th-round player over the last two weeks and remains a streaming target with Bradley Beal (hamstring) sidelined. He’s reached double figures in five of his last seven games, averaging 11.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.4 3-pointers per game during this stretch. Kispert, who remains a points and 3-pointers option, finished Friday’s loss to the Knicks with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and two 3-pointers in 36 minutes. The one negative is the schedule, as the Wizards are done for Week 13 and will only play three games in Week 14.
Source: Yahoo Sports
