Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Everyone is missing games.
It’s the end of the regular seasons, and contending teams are resting some of their starters, preserving them for the playoffs. This opens up sneaky opportunities for other guys to step in and become fantasy heroes for owners looking to sneak into their respective fantasy postseason. And, of course, injuries aren’t slowing down for anyone.
Note: Ownership percentages are based off ESPN leagues.
Ramon Sessions, Milwaukee Bucks (21.6%): With Nate Wolters out for the remainder of the season, Sessions is seeing some extra run off the bench, and has been productive. Over his last five contests, he’s averaging a healthy 17.2 points, three rebounds, 4.6 assists and 4.4 made free throws made per game. He’s played at least 30 minutes in all but two games during that span, and that was only the result of a blowout. Also, keep an eye on the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who may be the only reason Bucks fans are attending games. The rookie has all the upside in the world, but his minutes have been sporadic. In a lost season, it wouldn’t surprise me if Larry Drew unleashed the freak, who can contribute in all categories; points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals.
Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers (38.7%): After missing 11 consecutive games with a knee injury, many owners gave up on Swaggy P. You never give up on Swaggy P. In his first game back, Young did his normal thing, jacking up 17 shots, scoring 26 points. Of course, the Lakers are an absolute mess right now, so we aren’t quite sure how head coach Mike D’Antoni is going to construct his starting lineup, but Young did play a strong 31 minutes in his first game back. The Lakers play at the league’s second-highest pace, averaging 100.8 possessions per game. If that pace keeps up (pun intended), Young will continue to see plenty of looks, which, as a result, will equal plenty of shots.
Jordan Hill, Los Angeles Lakers (10.8%): Hill returned to the starting rotation on Friday, posting a solid line of nine points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. He then followed that performance on Sunday (another start), scoring a whopping 28 points to go along with 13 boards and a block against the Magic. The fact that he was immediately thrust back into the starting lineup after coming off an injury is a good sign that the job is his for the taking, making him fantasy relevant once again. Teams are attempting a league-leading 90.2 shots per game against the Lakers this season, so there will be plenty of rebounding opportunity for Hill the rest of the way.
Henry Sims, Philadelphia 76ers (3.5%): The 76ers stink (losing 24-straight games), but Sims is balling, y’all. Yes, that sentence just happened. Over his last five outings, the guy is averaging a double-double (10.2 points, 10 rebounds) with two assists. And he’s doing it against strong defenses, too. He’s coming off a career-best 18-point, 15-rebound performance against the physical, tough Bulls frontcourt. He has cemented himself as the clear-cut starting center in Philly,
Timofey Mozgov, Denver Nuggets (2.6%): With J.J. Hickson out for the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL, the center position is Mozgov’s and Mozgov’s alone. He’ll see an uptick in minutes, and considering he has had some productive outings in limited action this season, this is great news for those who are in need of a center. Head coach Brian Shaw stated in the past that he wanted to get Mozgov more touches, so the news with Hickson should absolutely pave the way for the big man.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
