Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Today is a significant day.
Sure, it symbolizes the 13th week of the NBA season, and sure, many people are off from work because of the holiday. But the significance of the holiday tends to be overlooked.
And it shouldn’t.
I don’t need to get into detail of how important this day is for so many people, so I won’t. However, I do often feel that the importance needs to continuously be stressed, even when it isn’t MLK Day. Ok, I understand you all have come here for some fantasy talk.
Rant over.
Note: Ownership percentages are based off ESPN leagues
Ramon Sessions, Charlotte Bobcats (6.9%): Sessions has hit double-digit points in each of his last three games, scoring 16, 10 and 11 points. Combined that with the fact that Kemba Walker suffered an ankle injury and will be out for the next 10-14 days, and Sessions becomes virtually a must-add for the short term. As a starter during his time in Los Angeles, Sessions posted some fantasy relevant numbers. The Bobcats are one of the fortunate teams to play four games this week, so Sessions can be rolled out there rather confidently. A score-first point guard, Sessions should be able to average around 13-17 points per game during his time as the starter. Walker was leading the NBA in offensive touches per game, so the uptick in volume for Sessions will be very significant.
DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta Hawks (0.8%): Atlanta is coming off an ugly one-game week, but Carroll himself is coming off a week where he failed to suit up. Not due to injury, but rather the birth of his child. Congrats (because he is obviously reading this). Anyway, Carroll is back now and ready to return to the starting lineup. He’s definitely not someone you have to go out and grab immediately, but if you are in a deeper league and are really hurting at the small forward position, Carroll may be worth a look. He’s averaging almost 31 minutes per game, close to 10 points and one triple per game on the season.
Ryan Kelly, Los Angeles Lakers (1.8%): It’s worth noting that head coach Mike D’antoni changes his lineup frequently, but for the time being, it appears that Kelly is “the guy.” He’s played at least 31 minutes in each of his last three games, averaging 15.3 points, 5.3 boards, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 triples per game during that span. D’antoni also likes stretch fours who can shoot the ball, and looking back at his days at Duke, it’s no secret that Kelly can do just that. He continues to start for the Lakers, and there incredibly fantasy friendly pace is nothing but good for his prospects.
Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets (3.4%): After recovering from a fractured hand, Beverley is set to return to the Rockets lineup this evening against the Blazers. Surprisingly, he’ll be inserted right back into the starting rotation, sending Jeremy Lin to a bench role. You can’t expect him to log plenty of minutes per game for the first few nights back, but it is worth nothing that Lin’s defensive liabilities have forced him to sit out a lot of the fourth quarter, which means Beverley could potentially run away with this job in the long run. The Rockets supporting cast and high pace are very friendly for Beverley’s upside, so he’s worth a look, if you ask me.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
