Fantasy Basketball Pickups: Hello, Ausar Thompson

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The Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons have met three times this season, and the two matchups hosted by the latter have been highly entertaining. Detroit’s NBA Cup win over Miami required overtime, with Erik Spoelstra mistakenly calling a timeout that his team did not have to seal the outcome. There was no such misfortune on Monday, but Detroit picked up a one-point victory thanks to multiple players, including a few who remain available in most fantasy leagues.

SF/PF Ausar Thompson (35% rostered, Yahoo) was one of those players, with the second-year wing filling in for the injured Tobias Harris (thumb). In 27 minutes, Thompson tallied 19 points, nine rebounds, one assist, four steals, one block, and one 3-pointer, shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 2-of-4 from the foul line. Fantasy managers have been waiting for this kind of outing, and Harris’ absence opened the door for Thompson. Give him credit for making the most of his opportunity, and he’ll be worth rostering if Harris remains sidelined for Detroit’s final two games of Week 8.

SG/SF Tim Hardaway Jr. (4%) came up huge in overtime, hitting 3-pointers on three straight possessions to help deliver the victory. However, he finished with 16 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal, and five 3-pointers, so a late flurry was needed for THJ to provide suitable value. He’s a far less appealing option than Thompson despite being a fixture in the starting lineup. Let’s look at a few more of Monday’s top pickups.

SG/SF Gradey Dick (47%), Toronto Raptors

The Raptors were already without Scottie Barnes for Monday’s game against the Bulls, and they lost Jakob Poeltl to a groin injury during the second half. Someone will have to pick up the slack offensively, and Dick is the player best equipped to do so. He finished Monday’s one-point defeat with 27 points, six rebounds, two assists, and three 3-pointers, shooting 9-of-20 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line. Dick needs to be rostered in standard leagues, especially with Barnes sidelined and Poeltl likely looking at an extended absence as well.

PG Russell Westbrook (46%), Denver Nuggets

With Christian Braun (back)…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-basketball-pickups-hello-ausar-070000756.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-17 07:00:00

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