The biggest fantasy news from a busy Monday slate in the NBA might just be that Houston Rockets point guard John Wall will likely miss the remainder of the season with a right hamstring strain. We're at the point of the season when ailing stars such as Wall are often shut down, placing the onus on fantasy managers to react quickly and adapt to new-look NBA rotations.
We'll learn more about Houston's post-Wall rotation this evening, as the Rockets host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game that sports a robust opening total of 231.5 points. In other words, there might not be much defense played in Houston this evening.
The key beneficiary of Wall's absence is Kevin Porter Jr., as the dynamic second-year wing has averaged an awesome 8.2 assists to go along with 19.6 points and 5.0 rebounds (per 36 minutes) with the star point guard off the floor this season. Building around "KPJ" in daily fantasy play on Tuesday could be quite rewarding. Kelly Olynyk should also benefit from securing more touches in the high post as the team's "pseudo point center," with the stretch big averaging 4.5 dimes (per 36 minutes) with Wall sidelined.
The sneaky pickup from your waiver wire might just be D.J. Wilson. Acquired from the Bucks in the P.J. Tucker deal last month, Wilson just played 40 minutes over the weekend, producing his biggest line of the season. Wilson has averaged 16.6 points and 9.6 rebounds (per 36 minutes) with both Wall and Victor Oladipo off the floor this season. Wilson, meanwhile, is rostered in just 0.4% of ESPN leagues.
Monday recap
Highlights
Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs: 25 points (12-23 FG), 17 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
D'Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves: 27 points (10-16 FG), 2 rebounds, 12 assists
Lowlights
Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah Jazz: 7 points (1-11 FG), 1 rebound, 0 assists, 2 steals, 2 TO
Paul George, LA Clippers: 9 points (3-11 FG), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 TO
Monday takeaways
The Timberwolves were able to take down the Jazz for the third time this season, led by Russell's heroics. He either scored or assisted on 56 of Minnesota's 105 points. This includes the game-winning field goal with 4.2 seconds left on the clock. Since Russell has returned from injury, Minnesota is now 6-6 after having gone 6-20 in the games he missed due to knee surgery.
The Kings secured a win over the Mavericks, thanks largely to the brilliant play of Tyrese Haliburton, who registered his fourth game of the season with at least 10 dimes (while also adding three steals). If the Kings are able to deal Buddy Hield this offseason, Haliburton could step into a rewarding starting role next fall.
Anthony Davis scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a win against the Magic. More importantly, Davis played 31 minutes in his third game back from a calf injury that had caused him to miss 30 games. Fantasy managers who survived Davis' absence could be in for a strong finish from "The Brow."
While the Magic lost to the Lakers, it was another solid showing from rookie point guard Cole Anthony. The North Carolina product tallied 15 points and seven assists (with zero turnovers) and has become the lead creator for Orlando in recent weeks.
Injuries of note
Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner won't play for the Pacers this evening, meaning that Oshae Brissett will likely enjoy a big role for Indiana against the Trail Blazers.
Harrison Barnes suffered what appeared to be an oblique injury against the Mavericks last night and wasn't able to return to the floor. We'll learn more about this injury in the coming days.
Analytics advantage for Tuesday
Boston's Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker will both miss tonight's inviting matchup with the Thunder. The absence of two high-usage stars could lead to a nice night from Evan Fournier, who has yet to really make his mark on this Boston offense. Fournier's usage rate has spiked by a whopping 9.7% with both Walker and Tatum off the floor this season, setting up the wing for a solid showing.
Top player to watch on Tuesday
Another key contributor to Minnesota's rare win last night was rookie forward Jaden McDaniels, who turned in a full line that included 10 rebounds, two steals, and a block. McDaniels claims a center-like block percentage of 3.6% this season, which ranks 19th overall in the league. There is some Robert Covington-esque appeal to McDaniels' defensive profile, making him an intriguing sleeper -- not only for tonight's matchup with the Rockets, but for next season as well.
