THE HOWL: WEEK SIX

By George Fuchs | Los Angeles

January 25, 2021

Welcome back to The Howl! February is almost upon us—the All-Star selections should be ramping up and the highest-scoring game of the year should be right around the corner. Instead, if you want to watch a team score 150, you'll need to watch a Kings game. Any Kings game, really.

Another wild week on and off the hardwood, but some things are becoming quite consistent—Jerami Grant scoring 20 each game, the Wolves losing in unforgivable fashion, and Steph Curry hitting 3s from zip codes in galaxies far, far away. Also got a new guy in the White House—hopefully, his interior game is strong and his drone game isn't. Looking at you, Obama. But I digress, we're here to discuss efficiency, not insurrection. Moving on to this week’s thoughts...

Somewhere deep down inside, I’m still cheering for Wiggins to truly succeed. To live up to the status he built as one of the best high school players ever; to become that dynamic offensive weapon and defensive stopper, and to really look like he gives a shit every single second on the court. However, while his performance on the Warriors this year has been significantly better than D-Lo's on the Wolves (to be fair, I’d rather have Alexey Shved starting than Russell right now), the newfound praise from everyone associated with Golden State doesn't necessarily reflect his current production. Wiggins’ FG percentage remains the same, he’s making one less free throw a game, averaging an assist less a game, and down two points. He's also the kind of guy that will start 5/5 and will dupe you into thinking that he won’t finish the game 6/14. Some things never change. 17.5 ppg and 1.6 bpg (with a sudden uptick) will never keep him out of your lineup—but to expect him to carry it or be a valuable trade asset in our deep, dreary leagues is hope that I don't want anymore. 

The follicle-ly challenged Frenchman returned last week after a nine-game absence and has immediately resumed his role as Orlando's number one perimeter scoring option. He's more or less the only Magic player than can consistently create his own shot. While he won't offer a lot in defensive categories, Fournier is a volume scorer with an established three-point range (eight attempts-a-game since his return) and a penchant for getting to the free-throw line. He’s been a little rusty making said free throws (14/23 since return), but the efficiency should increase back to his usual averages (80 percent lifetime) while the volume should remain quite high due to Orlando's litany of injuries.

This is a guy making a serious jump. Nick Nurse trusts him and the minutes (knock-on-wood: health) are allowing OG to put up career-high numbers across the board. He’s had multiple five-steal games (averaging 2.2 a game), his ppg are up to 15 (from 10.6 last year) and he’s shooting a very respectable 37 percent on threes (while averaging twice as many attempts) a game! Naturally, with increased volume, turnovers will usually increase—but he’s keeping it to under two per game in 35 minutes. A weekly must-play. 

 LOLuke. Just $64 million to log 10 fewer minutes a game, scoring and assist averages cut in half, and steal and block numbers that make the Mendoza line seem like Teddy Ballgame in the summer of ‘41. He's a must-play—when the Clippers are up 25 or more. Helluva draft pick, George. Hell. Of. A. Draft. Pick.

Deep dive...

Tommy Heinsohn's favorite locker room gossip is starting to come around a little bit and might be a sneaky pick-up while everyone is rightfully obsessed with league pass darling Chris Boucher. Baynes remains the starter and his minutes are finally back in the double figures. Always providing solid rebounding stats and the potential to regain some of that shocking three-point form he discovered last year in Phoenix. Just someone to monitor in the next few weeks. 

Abdel Nader: Not as interested in the 29 minutes Nader played when Devin Booker sat out the back-to-back with Denver as much as I am in the 19 minutes that he played in the first game. Langston Galloway is seemingly falling out of the rotation and someone will need to fill in some bench scoring on a Phoenix team really struggling the last 10 days. 

Thibs is running the league's number-one-rated defense and Noel is catching lobs, collecting rebounds, and blocking shots. Unlikely he hits the ten-point mark a ton this season, but he’s been getting more run with the second unit and Howl favorite Immanuel Quickley is setting him up on some beautiful dunks. 

Ellington does one thing exceptionally well: shoot (and make) threes. Currently hitting 50 percent on six attempts a game and averaging 22 mpg, Ellington has taken volume from Svi Mykhailuk and Saddiq Bey and is averaging almost 30 mpg over the last five. Very little production outside of scoring categories, but the minutes don’t lie—especially considering Detroit is not as the easy out on a nightly basis as one would expect. 

By George Fuchs | Los Angeles

January 18, 2020

Welcome back to The Howl, coming at you harder than a Paul George poster and with more finesse than a Nikola Jokic water polo pass. Or at the very least the Australian G-league version of both. 

Another absolutely bizarre week in our favorite league—multiple teams missing consecutive games, another food throwing incident in Cleveland (never change), and the season's usual bad-luck Blazers mishap—get well soon Bosnian Beast. There was also a tiny little trade that may or may not have:

1. Saved a life

2. Initiated a “was James Harden wearing a fat suit” conspiracy? (30%)

3. Inadvertently made Christian Wood go from a top 20 fantasy asset to a top-10 asset

4. Swung betting odds heavily to a Brooklyn/Lakers final

5. Put the most mysterious player in the NBA in trade rumors all over again. Kyrie to the Pelicans anyone?

Lots to see going forward, but let’s discuss who thrived and who dived in the last week first.

Quickley is...quickly (sorry) becoming a must-play daily on a short-on-talent, but full-of-grit Knicks roster. Everything goes through Julius Randle, (and to a slightly smaller scale RJ Barrett), but Quickley is in the good graces of renowned rookie skeptic Tom Thibodeau and his uptick in playing time is allowing him to show the skills that made him the SEC player of the year. In double figures four out of his last five games, Quickley is averaging 15 points, 4.5 assists, and nearly three rebounds over the last week. His steal numbers remain consistent (around one a game), but he plays smart and under control and with a floater game that will make you swoon. Keep an eye on his minutes going forward—the calls for him to take over Elfrid Payton’s starting job are getting just a little bit louder. 

One of the very few Hawks players playing to/exceeding expectations in the past few weeks, Capela has been putting up some large double-doubles. Averaging 18 ppg and 12 rbg over the week, with nearly 2.5 steals/blocks a game (and a very low turnover rate), Capela has been an efficiency stud. His rebounding numbers will always remain consistent, so even a dip in scoring with some of the Hawks finding their shot/Danilo Gallinari returning shouldn't harm his value tremendously. He's putting up the stats we want Rudy Gobert to put up—and I’m sure the Hawks are delighted that they didn’t spend 200 million for them. 

Every time I watch Gordon play, I imagine his skillset of a truly contending team pr being the primary options on a bottom feeder. A stretch four with his defensive length is an invaluable asset on the court and in some situations—i.e. Jerami Grant in Detroit—he could be putting up All-Star worthy numbers. However, in his current surroundings, Gordon is stuck in fantasy purgatory. He'll follow up a great game with three mediocre ones and a lot of it is systemic. Averaging almost 15 points ppg and 6 rbg, Gordon is solid—but not worth seeking out in fantasy trades in his current form. 

Pretty clearly a must pick-up after the Nurkic injury. Kanter is an absolute sieve defensively, but the only true offensive big option for a high-scoring Portland squad. A surprisingly low turnover rate helps accentuate his strong rebounding numbers (over 9rpg) and the sheer amount of put-backs and short jumpers will make him that much more valuable. He'll also surprise you with an occasional multiple block game, and is currently averaging two a game. Expect his 19.5 mpg to go up (although probably not tremendously, Portland can play small with Covington and Jones) and the already efficient backup numbers to trend upwards. 

Five to Watch...

I can’t emphasize this enough. Kanter offers the resistance of a wet paper towel—see Capela, Clint and Sabonis, Domantas. I’m sure adjustments will be made, but daily lineups have to look at matchups and any bigs playing Portland should have value. 

Birch has unofficially usurped Mo Bamba as the backup big in Orlando and is averaging 25 minutes a game over the last week. A relatively low volume, but highly efficient fantasy player, Birch can be a good backup big on rosters. Averaging 8 ppg and 6 rbg with almost 1.5 blocks/steals. 

Roby has been starting the games Al Horford has missed and putting up 9 and 5, but offering very little in other categories. Muscala is quietly averaging 10 and 3 off the Thunder bench and is one of the few actual veterans on the inexperienced squad. His minutes should continue to rise and with Horford missing time (and being a likely trade deadline target), he could be an interesting store. 

Beasley is a worker. He’s expanding his game beyond being a shooter and the steals, rebounds and assists numbers are trending upwards. With KAT missing up to two weeks, Beasley will take on an even bigger scoring load and should provide plenty of daily fantasy value.

Injuries, trades and a short bench have upped Sumner’s minutes and made him a rotational piece in Indiana. Averaging 21 mpg over the last week, Sumner has started multiple games and provided nearly 1.5 steals a game along with some surprising offensive flair that could increase his current 9 ppg.

By George Fuchs / Los Angeles

January 11, 2021

Three weeks down, forever to go. And what a week three we had: games suspended because of protocol breach, trade demands, triple-doubles by pre-teens, and most importantly, the discovery that DeAron Fox's dad is one, Aaron Fox. The genealogy of the NBA continues to inspire. Let's not waste any more time on pleasantries and dive right into the studs and duds of the past few weeks and some things to keep an eye on going forward.

Through the first nine games of the year, McCollum is undoubtedly playing the best basketball of his career. Whether it's the offseason routine, mercury in retrograde, or the fact that Portland actually has two functioning defenders in their starting lineup, CJ is absolutely cooking. Averaging 27.9 PPG and 5.0 APG, he's certainly making a push for an All-Star “appearance” this year. Portland's offense is flowing and the Dame/CJ backcourt is as potent as any in the league. Stay healthy and prosper, young man.

*Averaging 1.7 SPG and committing 1.2 turnovers and his minutes may only go up—Portland has been involved in multiple blowouts already 

The Kings have come crashing back to earth after their fun start, but Haliburton is a must-watch and must-play every single game. The rookie from Iowa St. has a preternatural feel for the game—his decision-making is sown in confidence well beyond his years and his defensive prowess on the perimeter and fast break situations is inspiring. He plays with confidence and swagger and much like Bradley Beal, NEVER stops smiling. His freakishly long arms deflect everything and Marion-esque push jumper goes down like a smooth scotch. Haliburton is already averaging 29 minutes,  12 points, two blocks, two steals, and 5.5 assists per contest. He's a fit in any lineup and both his minutes and production should only rise while maintaining the efficiency that's already become his staple. An almost guaranteed first-team All-Rookie and a very legitimate contender for Rookie of the Year. 

I'm going to try really hard to not oversell this, but this could be the first of many homages to my new favorite player. Mr. Vanderbilt, a Kentucky product and former first-round pick, is finally seeing some minutes at the NBA level. He's forced himself into those minutes with energy, length, and diving for anything and everything. Seriously, the guy spends at least a full minute on the ground in every game, and it's somehow effective. Comparisons to Dennis Rodman have come from Wolves announcers and players, but the most important quote came from head coach Ryan Saunders: “He makes it hard for a coach to keep him off the floor.” His energy is infectious and while he can be overaggressive, the turnover and foul rates have remained encouragingly low. He attacks the offensive glass, lives for weakside blocks, and has become the only Timberwolf who can effectively run the roll of the famed pick and roll duo. Not a volume shooter and limited range, but he makes up for it with a great handle and some surprisingly nifty passing. 

*Currently averaging 15 minutes, 5.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, two assists, and two steals a game. 

One of the most efficient and productive starts to the season from anyone in the league, Brown has been filling up every category and evolving into the type of star Danny Ainge envisioned when he was drafted third overall in 2016. Brown is averaging a career-high 26.3 PPG and getting nearly 2.5 blocks and 2.5 steals each contest. While he's not quite the pure scorer Jayson Tatum is (few are), his ability to fill up the stat sheet makes him one of the hottest assets in any league. However, it's important to note that Boston's game has been canceled today AND tomorrow and Brown is one of the players not eligible. Tatum is currently in quarantine so as soon as Boston is allowed to play again, keep an eye out for even more inflated stat lines from JB. 

Additional Rumblings...

This feels very much like a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. Undoubtedly, Zion and Ingram will get their attempts. But to what extent are Eric Bledsoe and Lonzo Ball interchangeable (fantasy-wise)? Can either break out? Slow starts, a new system, and efficiency issues all around. 

Thomas Bryant is out for the year with a torn ACL. Robin Lopez will definitely get some minutes, but hair and screens are not quantifiable fantasy qualities and Wagner has demonstrated enough offensive skills in his young career to warrant a pickup. The Wizards defense is only hypothetical at this point so high scoring games for a big with range seem like the way to go 

Currently out with a sprained ligament and mild bone bruise, Williams should be back in a week or two to soak up minutes opened up by the Markelle Fultz injury. Cole Anthony is the starting PG, but Williams was starting alongside Fultz and is a favorite of coach Clifford. Never a high-efficiency offensive option, the increased minutes should highlight some of his strengths and see an uptick in assist/rebounding numbers, alongside his always quick defensive instincts. 

One of the only Celtics eligible to play, this could be a fun lottery play. Edwards can score and score a lot. Ride him for a few games and move on. Sorry, boo. 

One of Billy Donovan's trusted veterans, Temple is averaging 27 minutes a game playing with the high scoring starters and finding more shots with the bench guys. An ever-annoying back spasms injury for Otto Porter should allow even more minutes for the solid Temple.

Paschall has been playing as a de facto center in Kerr's bench lineups. Currently averaging almost 20 MPG, he's been an efficient scorer but needs to up his rebound/assist numbers to a respectable point to be considered a legitimate weekly option.

One last note: This season is going to be bizarre, we all know this. But keep in mind that 10 games in after a quick turnaround are barely equivalent to a full preseason. Guys that played long minutes in the playoffs, guys who contracted COVID, guys who ate too much in the time off will all be getting into game shape and some of the names we all know will soon start displaying the consistency we have become accustomed to. Yes, Luka, I'm looking at you.

George Fuchs

January 4, 2021

Here we are, two weeks of this bizarre fantasy season complete. Some are already planning their playoff lineups while others are figuring out optimal ways to tank for Cade Cunningham or Jalen Suggs in next year's rookie drafts. Remember, we don't encourage tanking, but we understand it (cc: Doug Pederson). The goal for this column is to give a quick, but comprehensive recap of stats gone by and what you should be looking for and targeting going forward. Let's get started. 

My oh my, what a start to the season for the Alabama product. The Portland “Lite” backcourt comparisons seemed frivolous, but it seems as though both Sexton and Darius Garland are starting to figure things out. Garland is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury, so Sexton's scoring opportunities will only increase. The goal is for him to add some efficiency in the other areas, particularly for category leagues. Until then, 26 PPG and 55.6% on FG (including a completely unsustainable 55% from deep) will have to do. Keep an eye on the assist numbers while Garland is out—Cleveland is very limited in shot creators and ideally Sexton should be getting plenty of easy dimes to Drummond and Nance early to set the tone for the 4-2 Cavs. 

Sure, the Pistons are almost a lock for a top-three pick. And sure, they have 11 centers on or around their roster. BUT, their big free-agent signing is making the most of his newfound minutes and freedom and producing for the boys of Motown. Whether it's not worrying about Michael Porter Jr's insurgence/inability to make a simple pass or the sweet sound of 20 million dollars a year, Grant has jumped into being the focal point of an NBA offense and done so with gusto. Averaging nearly 23 points and six rebounds a game while playing an almost guaranteed 30 minutes-plus a game is a delightful start for a guy who also racks up 2.5 steals/blocks a game and provides positional versatility in most league formats.

 Hear me out, ye of little faith. After two games, it looked like the Bulls should be contracted. They couldn't inbound the ball without turning it over. However, Billy Donovan's calming presence is starting to show and no one should benefit more than LaVine. His scoring will always be there, but his effort on the glass and involving his teammates is evolving and taking him to the next level. No, I dont think the Bulls are title contenders. Yes, they may have a shot at the 10 seed. His 39-point outburst against Dallas was a reminder that he is not only the Bulls' best scoring option (no matter how much everyone wants to anoint Coby White) but also their most versatile offensive player. He's developing a nice chemistry with the revitalized Otto Porter Jr. (contract year, BABY) and averaging nearly two steals a game. Now if he can somehow turn the ball over less than 4.5 times a game...

 Boy, this one hurts to write. As a diehard Wolves fan, the pain is sharp. There have legitimately been moments this year where I've reconsidered the Wiggins trade. Russell is at his best constantly moving, old man crafting his way for floaters, finding cutting teammates, and hitting difficult threes at a close-to-acceptable percentage. Currently, he's doing none of that. There have been spurts-sure. The third quarter of yesterday's game was extended GOOD play. But my god, the 15-second dribble clinics and contested twos make me cringe repeatedly. Is it all on him? Certainly not. The Wolves are missing their two best defensive players and their only legitimate big man and Russell is being forced into a bigger role. Unfortunately, hes not inspiring much confidence and both my dreams and his stat lines are taking quite a beating. His volume should still remain as high as ever--he's getting paid 30 million a year. But unless the turnovers go down and some of those difficult shots start falling, he's gonna be a disappointment going forward. If you're still keeping the faith, keep an eye on the MN injury reports and look for chances to buy low.

Some fun names to keep track of going forward...

The rookie PG for Boston is getting minutes and the Jeff Teague experience wears thin quickly. His fantasy production is currently limited, but the opportunities should remain. 

Another one of the Pistons' big men that should get run with Blake Griffin's body slowly turning into confetti. This kid rebounds everything in sight and should have a very good FG percentage based on shot selection. Definitely a stash play for dynasty leagues. 

The least celebrated Holiday brother (perhaps the President's Day of the trio) will be seeing an uptick in minutes with TJ Warren out indefinitely. Pacers have a relatively short rotation and while Holiday will never “wow” you, he can prove invaluable as a versatile stash.  

Currently coming off the bench, Naz is continuing to show development in his second year in the league. He's providing surprising shot-blocking and efficiency when simplifying his offensive game. The three-point shot hasn't been falling, but he does have the range and he's a part of the rotation, with or without KAT. 

Brunson should establish himself as the first guy off the bench in Dallas. He's smart, efficient, and wily past his years. His fantasy numbers are slightly inflated by last night's game, but it's evident Carlisle sees him as part of the rotation and Dallas will start figuring things out offensively sooner than later. 

By George Fuchs | Los Angeles

February 1, 2021

Welcome back to The Howl, your weekly dose of hardwood nonsense--with syntax more porous than the Nets defense, but a heart as pure as a Warriors post-game presser. Yes, the column is becoming sentient. But more importantly, who THE FUCK is Rodney McGruder? 

A lot of fun happenings in the Association lately: Bradley Beal's wife and World Wide Wob (god damn it) starting a blood feud, Utah winning 11 in a row before running into Thanos Jokic, and Dallas losing five in a row and looking absolutely listless on both ends of the floor. Lebron is starting to separate himself from the other MVP contenders and the Ball brothers are using the city of Milwaukee as their personal punching bag. Giannis never forgets. 

But enough with the small talk, off to fantasy land we go... 

The Robin to Colin Sexton's Batman returned six games ago and is still rounding into form. The Cavs offense has become relatively stagnant and refuses to shoot threes, but Garland (along with Sexton) is one of the very few who can create for himself and others. He's the quickest player on the team, changing speeds and getting to the rim at will. He’s no longer on a minutes restriction and with a decent amount of time spent on the floor as the primary scoring option, his numbers will be trending upward soon. Garland is a highly effective free-throw shooter (although not getting to the line a ton yet) with decent steal numbers, and has been averaging 13.5 points and nearly four assists since his return. 

Another guy starting his season in late January, Lamb is now part of the Pacers's starting rotation and a viable third scoring option for the gritty bunch. Much like teammate Justin Holiday, Lamb will rarely “wow” you, but his positional diversity and general stability provide wonderful depth to all rosters, deep or depleted. Averaging 13.5 points and nearly five boards per contest, Lamb is also shooting 40% on four three-point attempts a game. Always good for a few defensive metrics and an occasional 20-point outburst, Lamb is unheralded, but a valuable pick-up on any waiver wire. 

The Maledonian (patent pending, I’ll sue your ass Disney) has been plugged into the OKC starting lineup with George Hill down with a thumb injury. Maledon rebounds well for a guard and has been shooting and drilling more threes with the newfound minutes. Consider him a value play until Hill's return as the minutes will be there and his experience overseas allows for a quicker adjustment to the pace of play. The 19-year-old Frenchman is averaging 7.3 ppg for the season and 38% from long distance on nearly four attempts per game. Trending upwards. 

The ageless DeRozan (well, ageless for 31) keeps on plugging along and putting up stats for the immortal Spurs. His assist rate is almost double his career average (nearly seven a game this year!), he’s putting up 20 ppg along with five rebounds and 37% from deep. He doesn’t take many threes, still preferring to feast in the midrange or crafting his way to the hoop on unsuspecting youngsters. The fact that he plays with what feels like a litany of 6'5” guys who are all willing passers, defenders and timely shooters probably keeps an old man feeling quite spry. And don’t forget, the shoe game is strong with this one. Cop ‘em while you can. 

And a few to watch...

The Bosnian is finding his stroke. The Jazz are encouraging as many threes as possible and he’s one of the best shooters in the league who was in a prolonged semi-slump. Looks like he’s coming out of it and will be setting defenses on fire for the weeks to come. 

Monk was SOS for the majority of the season, but seemingly out of nowhere, the fun-and-gun Hornets decided to give him another shot. Monk will score, and score in bunches, if given the opportunity. Having playing time in three consecutive games is a good sign, keep an eye out on this Ben Gordon impostor going forward. 

The Howl is all about high-scoring guards this week. Chicks dig the long ball, or whatever. Simons has been averaging almost 25 minutes a game over his last four and with the Blazers being forced to play multiple small-ball lineups, his minutes seem relatively secure. A willing three-point shooter, Simons will have to demonstrate an ability to do anything other than scoring to become a valuable asset, but the talent is clearly there. 

(heating up or stuck on fire)   

Buddy Hield, Eric Bledsoe, Patty Mills, Jordan Clarkson, Kemba Walker—Marcus Smart is out for the next week or two and Kemba's minutes restrictions should be winding down.

Have a great week everyone and please pray we get Anthony Edwards in the dunk contest this year!

By George Fuchs | Los Angeles, CA

March 29, 2021

Welcome back, dear readers, to our first-ever post-trade deadline edition of The Howl! An eventful, albeit not quite earth-shattering deadline, has changed the fantasy outlook for several key players and opened up minutes and most importantly, volume for a handful of others. Let’s jump right in.

A delightful change of pace for Vucevic personally—he has a chance to make the playoffs and build chemistry with Zach Lavine, but in terms of his fantasy production, the numbers will be taking quite a hit. He had a career-high usage rate in Orlando before the trade and is pretty clearly coming into a situation where he is the second option. While his efficiency numbers may trend up slightly, the loss of volume will be felt quicker and with only a handful of weeks remaining in the fantasy regular season, it’s important to compensate your roster with several cheap additions. 

Cheap additions should include Vucevic's old teammates: guys like Khem Birch and Chuma Okeke are widely available and are going to hog front-court minutes for the rest of the season. Okeke, in particular, has been a column favorite and should finally get the consistent run we've been aiming for.

Gordon gets injured, requests a trade, plays a few great games, and gets dealt to a team where he can make a legitimate title run. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, his volume will be absolutely overshadowed by the Joker and Murray show. His impact should be felt on the court, not on the stat-sheet. He's a hard 'avoid' for the rest of the year, but keep an eye on his contract situation. 

He goes from a high-volume starting option in Orlando to possibly a high-volume bench option in Boston? For fantasy preferences, it may be better for him to come off the bench. He should be taking all the Green/Ojeleye/Teague minutes and while he's not gonna outpace Brown or Tatum, his production should stay comparable and efficiency can improve. Definitely like him most of the former Magic. 

Trending Up...

Likely the highest trending pick-up in leagues this week, Brown has taken the starting center position from the semi-retired Al Horford and has been putting up NUMBERS. OKC refuses to play anyone over the legal drinking age and Brown's minutes and gigantic wingspan will provide you with points, rebounds, and blocks on the cheap every night. His foul rate is a bit extreme—youth today. And keep an eye on Isiah Roby for backup minutes. But Brown should be a fantasy stud for the remainder of the season. 

The polar opposite of the Aaron Gordon situation, Drummond is a walking double-double and rebounds like he was possessed by the Detroit version of Dennis Rodman. If he develops any sort of chemistry with Schroeder, the Lakers will stay “competitive” in games, but with no Lebron for the foreseeable future, Drummond will be putting up scary stat-lines. The wins accompany said stats are very much in question, but we're not here to judge. 

Apparently, we're on a center kick today. The “Time Lord” is finally going to get the minutes Celtic faithful have been pining for all year. The Daniel Theis trade was a bit surprising, but it may have been a money issue. Mo Wagner is... Mo Wagner. Get Williams 25 minutes a game consistently and find yourself a guy that can be at the top of the league in blocks and rebounds, while providing great steal numbers and a FG percentage that relies mainly on dunks. If your team is not making a run this year and you're looking to acquire assets going forward (dynasty leagues), this is the type of player you're looking for. 

As the playoff races become tighter and the blowouts start to mount for the Houstons and Minnesotas of the world, track their minutes. A guy like Kelly Olynyk may turn into the steal that gets you a playoff push. Juancho Hernangomez' minutes have started climbing up and while it hurts me to watch him, it's important to know he will get playing time. And while everyone is tremendously excited about Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Alridge going to the Nets, their production is not worth monitoring unless you have a time machine. Have a great week everyone!

By George Fuchs | Los Angeles

March 15, .2021

Dearest Readers,

Welcome back from the All-Star break and into a new Monday edition of The Howl. As bewildering as it may be to have seen Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid have to miss the (pardon my language, absolutely fucking worthless) All-Star game because of Covid protocols, its even more frustrating seeing Embiid get injured immediately upon return from break. Pick up all the Tony Bradley stock and hope Dwight Howard averages a foul a minute. Its been over a year since Rudy Gobert kissed a microphone and became the greatest symbol of French-American diplomacy since the Statue of Liberty. The bubble, Jamal vs Donovan, Lakers vs Heat, the rookies, everything has flown by. Fans are slowly being allowed in stands, coaches are finally being fired, and the lottery is shaping up to be a giant sweat for fans of certain Howl-affiliated franchises. Don't win us too many games, Chris Finch. Let's talk about a few guys who should be getting run in the weeks to come and a few sleepers for the end of the year.

Second-year pro out of Virginia is the first guard off the bench, and will seemingly remain so as George Hill is a favorite to get moved by the trade deadline. Two weeks (until deadline) is a long time and Jerome has been putting together very solid numbers in his seven games back. Averaging 9/4/3 with nearly 5 3PA a game, Jerome's volume has become relatively stable. The addition of Svy Mikhailuk (and subtraction of Diallo) can add an interesting dynamic to the bench pairings—SGA and Maledon are entrenched as starters.

An uber-talented offensive player who's a VOLUME shooter. If he's somehow available, pick him up. The Rockets have no incentive to win, John Wall is missing games to injury and the roster is thinner than Calista Flockhart in the late 90's. Easiest second half break-out prediction—assuming the guy can finally stay out of trouble.

Green is a walking triple-double right now, putting up stats we havent seen from him in several years. Near the top of the league in assists, Draymond is rebounding and stealing at elite rates and the only thing preventing him from being a daily start are his scheduled rest days. Steve Kerr doesnt trust his backup bigs (particuarly Eric Paschall, Wiseman is just limited in minutes) and the Warriors will be looking to stay in the playoff picture. As much as its Steph's team, they will go as far as these performances from Draymond take them. Expect more.

The buyout guys, Drummond and Alridge. Drummond is fantasy dynamo and if he winds up on a team like Toronto or Boston, he's gonna swing some weeks. Alridge has become relatively limited in his fantasy production, but a bench role on a winning team could spark a mini renaissance and a few 20 point games are definitely left for a scorer of his caliber.

George Hill and Al Horford: Does OKC have any incentive to keep them? They can't be expecting much in return, but youre playing your young guys and these two deserve a chance to help out a contender. Hill will be rested and ready to go, Horfords fantasy value would likely decline.

What happens in Atlanta with the John Collins situation? He didnt sign an extension, someone will pay him and they seem ready to move on. His departure could see an increase in volume for Danilo and Bogdan Bogdanovic, freshly back from injury and in desperate need of minutes if Atlanta has a chance to fight for a playoff spot.

And finally, keep an eye on the Rockets guys. Kenyon Martin Jr, Justin Patton are widely gettable and should see a consistent amount of minutes. Keep an eye on the Patton contract situation, but with no PJ Tucker, he's their only big.

Have a great week everyone!

  Dearly Beloved,

We are gathered here today to commemorate the exiting of a man's soul from his body. This isn't a religious dedication—far more so a spiritual one. But as we begin our week here in the Lord’s year 2021, it would behoove us all to pay a moment of tribute to the wandering ethereal shadow that once inhabited the physical entity known as Yuta Watanabe. This past Friday evening, Howl favorite Anthony Edwards delivered a dunk so ferocious, so magnanimous in scope, that sweet Yuta had no choice but to leave this plane. A blown coverage by DeAndre Bembry (charged as an accomplice to the crime) allowed Edwards to get a running start on the left baseline and cock-back a dunk that can only be described as a crime against humanity. A dunk so violent that Brandon Knight's hands starting shaking as he was pouring his morning cup of coffee. A dunk so grievous that Frederic Weis began weeping uncontrollably while cleaning the dust off his moped. A dunk so preposterous that Shawn Bradley called Tracy McGrady's house and just hung up. We thank Yuta for becoming the most valuable physical dunk prop since Orlando Magic mascot “Stuff the Magic Dragon.” His commitment and dedication to the craft will live on in clips, sounds, tweets, but most importantly—in our hearts. Sayonara, sweet prince. See below and you have been warned.

(Removing clerical collar and other religious garments...)

Welcome back to The Howl!

The trade deadline is a little over a month away, the All-Star game and its festive accoutrement are going to happen and the cream of the crop is starting to become more evident in both conferences. Brooklyn finishes a west coast road trip undefeated, playing for the most part without Kevin Durant. Kyrie and Harden are on fire, Joe Harris and Bruce Brown are becoming the role guys championship teams covet and don't be surprised by a deadline addition or two. The Clippers are back to full health and PG should be off his minutes limit within the week. Utah is continuing to play the prettiest basketball in the league, Phoenix is becoming a real problem, Toronto has decided Tampa isn't all that bad after all and the Knicks are going to make the damn playoffs—the Thibs redemption story fits into our narrative this week. Some individuals have also gotten our notice:

Willy has usurped young Jaxson Hayes as the undisputed backup to Steven Adams, and with Adams being injured the last couple games, his upped minutes have led to another jump in productivity. His biggest strength is his rebounding rate, he's averaging nearly 15-a-game since starting. He doesn't provide much spacing and very limited defensive statistics for fantasy purposes, but he's a clever passer and moves well without the ball to pick up some easy buckets each game. Keep an eye on the injury situation in NO, but Willy should be consistently getting minutes going forward. 

Brogdon's efficiency is finally beginning to catch up to his volume. He's had a couple monstrous games lately and looks ready to keep it going. However, both TJ Warren and Caris Levert are projected to come back this year, possibly as soon as the All-Star break. So, what to do with Brogdon? His minutes will suffer, but will his efficiency actually improve? Will he play with Levert and get better shots created for him? Will his already solid assist numbers (6.6 a game this year) move another step forward with walking bucket Warren taking some of Justin Holiday's minutes? I think ride him while we can, but be wary. Could be a great time to look into others interest in franchise leagues. 

The only legitimate post big on the entire roster, Carter is finally healthy and seeing almost 30 minutes a game. He's an efficient scorer, will find a handful of blocks and steals and we can safely project his scoring average to jump another point or two this year—assuming he stays healthy, of course. His rebound numbers have been slightly underwhelming since his return, but he averages 7.5 rpg for his career and he's still working himself into form. The most attractive part about rostering Carter is not worrying about Daniel Gafford or Luke Kornet or Cristiano Felicio stealing any meaningful minutes from him anytime soon. 

Others to watch:

Boogie is on the outs in Houston, PJ Tucker will play huge center minutes in the immediate future, but the Rockets did just sign Patton and will give him some run. Hopefully, the former first-rounder has something left in the tank (yes, that’s a shot at you, Dennis Smith Jr.). 

Glenn Robinson and Harrison Barnes both missing games, Bjelica on the trade block, Jabari Parker....unplayable. Some wing minutes open up, Jeffries takes advantage. Played nearly 40 minutes last night against MIL, he's showing some 3pt aptitude and 1.1 steals/blocks per game since he's been on the roster. 

Also: 

Al-Farouq Aminu

Dorian Finney-Smith

DJ Augustin

Kendrick Nunn

Guys that are coming back from injuries, seeing minute upticks and just settling into their designed roles with their teams and producing under the radar. Buy low, sell high and have a great week everybody!

By George Fuchs | Los Angeles

February 8, 2021

 Good afternoon everyone, and welcome back for another week of fantasy fun facts and dated pop culture references. Now that football is over (after that absolute debacle of a game), NBA storylines jump to the head of the table. I'm gonna format this column a bit differently today—plenty of fantasy points, but more of a stream of consciousness about this year’s rookie class.

The 2020 class was looked at as one of the weakest draft classes in recent memory. The rookies had an abbreviated college season, there wasn't a definitive #1 prospect (although some had memorable traits) and the lack of a summer league or preseason only added to the narrative for most of the young guns not being able to make an immediate impact. Plus, the 2021/2022 draft classes have prospects at the top that everyone is willing to kill for, so why not overlook this scrappy bunch? I'm sure this will come back to haunt me—but I firmly believe this draft class will have multiple All-Stars come from it, more max guys than one would have ever guessed, and a plethora of young men who are going to be in the league for more than a decade.

Let’s start at the top: pre-draft, everyone more or less narrowed it down to three guys: Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, and LaMelo Ball. Much to form, they were drafted in exactly that order. Now, about a third of the way through the season, we’re starting to see why.

Edwards is in a putrid situation in Minnesota: a lack of offensive schemes, two point guards playing career-worst basketball, and a franchise that’s been mired in a two-decade-long fog. However, every single game he does a couple things that only a handful of people in the league are capable of. He can get to the rim on anyone. ANYONE. He's a surprisingly clever passer and a streaky three-point shooter. He's also 19-years-old. This is the type of guy that I'm targeting in keeper and franchise leagues, especially if your team has assets and isn't making a run this year. Edwards has Oladipo/Mitchell potential and plenty of minutes coming up to make all the mistakes he needs to. He's going to be a high-volume guy and one of few reasons to still watch Timberwolves basketball these days.

The second reason that’s getting me through the torture of Timberwolves basketball: Jaden McDaniels. My God, what a steal at the end of the first round. The guy is arguably already our best individual defender. He should be available on many waiver wires and while his minutes will not be nearly as high as some other rookies, he's firmly in the rotation. Wolves color guy Jim Peterson compared McDaniels to Robert Covington, but I think that ceiling is a little low (no offense to RoCo). Ideally, he'll be starting at PF next to KAT beginning next year and producing efficient, game changing performances that will put the league on notice. McDaniels is also 19 and needs to fill out, but even as a 185-pound teenager playing against grown men, he’s picking up nearly 1.5 blocks/steals a game and shooting 33% on 2.5 3PA a game. As the Wolves season continues to plummet, expect more minutes for the young guys (McDaniels currently averages 17.5 MPG) and hop on the bandwagon sooner than later.

Patrick Williams is another one of my favorite rookies in this class. Already starting and always defending the opposing team’s best perimeter threat, Williams is averaging 10.5 PPG and 4.3 boards in 26 minutes. Expect him to make a De'Andre Hunter-like jump next year. The Bulls have a ton of older perimeter guys on expiring contracts and Williams is a building block going forward. 

Isaac Okoro is a fantastic basketball player, but doesn’t offer much fantasy value. His offensive game is pretty limited to corner three's and put-backs, but his minutes will remain consistent and his steals/blocks numbers may make him a valuable streamer.

The ROY race is likely down to two: LaMelo and Tyrese Haliburton. Both have been mentioned in previous columns, but please try to watch these guys as often as you can. Actual game changers already. LaMelo's minutes only increasing with Rozier/Graham alternating injuries and Haliburton has been as instrumental to the Kings sudden winning streak as anyone not named De’Aaron Fox.

Shortened rotations/COVID protocols/injuries, etc. have allowed other rookies to entrench themselves in firm minutes going forward: Desmond Bane, Precious Achiuwa, andCole Anthony are weekly plays and Payton Pritchard and Deni Avdija are both back in rotation minutes after quick injury spells. Keep an eye out for Avdija—he’s becoming a trendy DFS play for a Washington team that doesn’t offer much in win totals, but plenty in empty stats. And before I forget: Kira Lewis Jr. might be a sleeper, especially if JJ Reddick gets traded.

Weekly thoughts...

What does this Fox say? Not much, just three 30-point games in his last five, multiple double-digit assist performances, and a four-game winning streak for a Kings team playing really good basketball. Who would’a thought? Fox is the engine at 35 minutes-a-game and an almost guaranteed 20 field-goal attempts per. Averaging 23 PPG and 6.5 APG for the season, his three-point volume can still trend upwards, and hopefully, he improves his free-throw percentage considering how easy it is for him to get to the line. 

Freshly off the injured list and starting to push his minutes limit, Okeke is an interesting stream. He can fill up the box score in a variety of ways on both sides of the ball and is one of the very few offensive options coming off Orlando's bench. Terrence Ross is mired in a shooting slump and doesn’t offer much production elsewhere. As for the two fill-in starters at forward? Gary Clark is a defensive menace who can't make a layup and James Ennis is...fine? Okeke is a fascinating prospect and should see his volume trend upwards, especially with Aaron Gordon out another month. 

Lonnie Walker has been maddeningly inconsistent and is now dealing with some stomach maladies. DeJounte Murray has a sore left ankle. White has come back, dished out six assists a game, found almost two blocks per game, and saw 30 minutes in his last performance. His scoring will come, his three-point attempts are trending upwards and his percentages will too. A very intriguing play for the weeks to come. 

Frank Mason (minutes emergency)

Derrick Rose (we all know that Thibs will give him more minutes than Payton and Quickley)  

Ish Smith (can’t make a shot to save his life, but is the fastest guy on the court and will find a handful of worthy performances, especially with Neto still out)