Christmas Day in the NBA was indeed merry and bright for fans, as all five games were close and entertaining.
As for fantasy managers… it was a mixed bag. Mikal Bridges and Victor Wembanyama traded 40-point games in the opening matchup as the Knicks edged the Spurs.
Minnesota won a tight matchup with Dallas after Luka Doncic went down with a calf strain. Kyrie Irving picked up the slack with 39 points, but who else will step up? Doncic is expected to miss an extended period of time which opens the door for players like Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes.
Philly won in Boston as the Sixers’ Big 3 all played 30+ minutes. It was Caleb Martin, however, who played hero at TD Garden with 23 points and seven triples. Jayson Tatum returned to post 32/15/4, but the big game just wasn’t enough.
Steph Curry and LeBron James traded blows in a Christmas Day classic that ended with a Curry logo three to tie up the game and an Austin Reaves go-ahead bucket with a second remaining. Anthony Davis’ first-quarter injury opened up 29 minutes for Gabe Vincent and 25 for Dalton Knecht, though Knecht was the better option.
The nightcap saw Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal combine for 54 points to lead Phoenix past Denver after losing to the Nuggets on Monday. Aaron Gordon was forced to leave early with a calf injury, and if he’s sidelined moving forward, Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson would be in line for more playing time, though neither one is an appealing streamer.
Here are some players worth adding after Wednesday’s five-game slate:
Quentin Grimes (6% rostered)
Grimes finished with 10 points, seven boards, two dimes, a block and a pair of triples Wednesday. The stats were fine, but the playing time is the real story here. In the wake of Luka Doncic’s injury, Grimes’ 24 minutes were best among bench players, and he could be the next man up for Dallas. Spencer Dinwiddie (10% rostered) went for 2/1/2/1 in 14 minutes, but he could also see an uptick in playing time moving forward.
Caleb Martin (8% rostered)
Martin hit a career-high seven three-pointers against Boston. We won’t count on him to channel his inner Klay Thompson too often, but he should see some additional run with KJ Martin on the shelf, making Martin a worthwhile option in deeper leagues.
Al Horford (32% rostered)
Kristaps Porzingis logged only 13 minutes Wednesday due to left ankle soreness, and Big Al finished the game with 17/4/2 and a blocked shot across 33 minutes. He’s worth a look in case Porzingis is forced to miss time.
Dalton Knecht (16% rostered)
After Anthony Davis went down in the first quarter, Los Angeles didn’t give Christian Koloko big minutes. Instead, the team played small ball, and Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht saw increased run off the bench. Vincent is typically on the court for a healthy dose of cardio, but Knecht made a significant impact.
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