The NBA fantasy season is fraught with ups and downs as players perform up to and better than expected and there are those who under-perform spectacularly. Caught in the turmoil of it all are those who have low expectations to start with and who are considered fantasy irrelevants at the season’s start.
It is often the case where a pre-season scrub who has languished at the end of a bench somewhere suddenly emerges from the shadows and starts contributing in a huge way. Recognizing these opportunistic fantasy players can make all the difference for your fantasy squad.
The NBA season is around the mid-point and now is the perfect time to highlight some of these once thought upon scrubs and bring them into the fantasy limelight where they belong.
Our first stop is in Oklahoma as the Thunder continue their championship pursuit without the all-star guard Russell Westbrook. In his absence, however; a couple players have blossomed. Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb are capitalizing on their playing time and more prolific roles in the offense.
We did get a sneak peak at Jackson last season as Westbrook’s replacement and he performed admirably. This season he was looked upon as a solid backup who would be lucky to see much playing time. Circumstances have now dictated that Jackson be the starter and secondary scoring option for the Thunder. Jackson’s play has elevated his fantasy value and he should be considered a must have in all formats.
In addition to Jackson, the Thunder’s Lamb is having a nice breakthrough season. He went from a measly 6.4 mpg last season to a robust 22 mpg this season. With the increase in playing time, Lamb has produced on the scoresheet as well. Lamb is chipping in with a decent 10 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 1.7 apg thus far. Although he can be plagued by periods of inconsistency, Lamb is still a very serviceable fantasy reserve and one would do well to stash him away on your bench.
Next up we stop in to the Windy City where we see that D.J. Augustin for the Chicago Bulls is really making his mark. Despite being called upon to come off the bench, Augustin is outperforming the starter Kirk Hinrich in every facet. Augustin’s slash line over the last ten games is an impressive 15.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg and 4.7 apg. Given the injury news surrounding Derrick Rose, I’d expect Augustin to get every opportunity to continue his strong play in the second half of the season.
From Chicago we check in with the Houston Rockets where we find Terrence Jones. Jones had an impressive rookie season last year and he is certainly following it up with a solid sophomore season. Jones is seeing a steady dose of playing time and with it he is contributing nicely with 11.7 ppg and 7.3 rpg. Jones contributes on a consistent basis; however, he remains a relative fantasy unknown.
Staying in the Western Conference we find the Los Angeles Lakers Kendall Marshall. The once forgotten and recently discarded point guard is capitalizing on his chance in Los Angeles. Marshall is averaging 10.2 ppg and 8.8 apg so far this season. With Steve Nash in and out of the lineup, expect Marshall to see some significant minutes at point.