Fantasy basketball takeaways and waiver wire pickups from the MLK Day slate

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I love and appreciate MLK Day. It’s a day to honor and reflect on the incredible legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most inspiring and impactful leaders in history. As a basketball fan, MLK Day has also become a bit of a tradition for me. It’s the perfect blend of reflection and joy — starting the week immersed in history and hoops.

Monday’s slate brought plenty of action for fantasy managers, too. Here’s everything from standout performances to duds, with some potential pickups following yesterday’s games.

Top MLK Day Fantasy Performances

Daniel Gafford – PF/C, Dallas Mavericks

Gafford turned in a career-best showing on Monday, stuffing the stat sheet in the Mavs’ win over the Hornets. He posted a jaw-dropping 31 points (career-high), 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 7 blocks and 1 steal. Gafford scored 77.5 fantasy points, the highest of the slate.

Without Dereck Lively II in the lineup, Gafford has stepped up big time. He’s averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3 stocks per game while shooting a ridiculous 77% from the field with Lively off the floor this season. Lively is set to return soon, but Gafford remains one of fantasy’s most reliable backup bigs.

CJ McCollum – PG/SG, New Orleans Pelicans

McCollum’s late-game heroics helped the Pels pull out a 123-119 victory in overtime over the Jazz. McCollum had 45 points (18-31, 5-13 3PT, 8-10 FT) with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks across 43 minutes on Monday night. He scored 18 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter and led a 25-point comeback, the largest in Pelicans franchise history. McCollum finished with 67.6 fantasy points, the second-highest on Monday. Shoutout to Dejounte Murray, too. He came up a rebound-shy of a triple-double, scoring 57.3 fantasy points (third-highest).

Jalen Duren – C, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have been one of the best teams since the calendar flipped to 2025 and defeating the Houston Rockets on the road was another impressive feat. Led by Cade Cunningham’s 32 points, Jalen Duren had one of his most efficient two-way efforts of the season, finishing with 16 points (8-8 FG) with 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-basketball-takeaways-and-waiver-wire-pickups-from-the-mlk-day-slate-145548836.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-01-21 14:55:00

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