Basketball pickups: Have a night, Dalton Knecht

Due to a sprained ankle, the Lakers have been without Rui Hachimura for the past three games. That opened the door for Dalton Knecht to move into the starting lineup in the first round, and he has made the most of his opportunity. A double-digit scorer in four straight, he caught fire in Tuesday’s win over the Jazz. Knecht shot 12-of-16 from the field and scored a season-high 37 points with five rebounds, one steal and nine 3-pointers. The nine triples tied the NBA rookie record for threes in a game, and Knecht scored 21 points in the third quarter alone.

Utah continued to lose the rookie, and he continued to make shots at an absurd rate. A top-15 fantasy player in 9-cat formats over the last week, are we at the point where it has to be asked if Knecht should remain in the starting lineup? And if so, would it be for Hachimura? Or Cam Reddish starting primarily for defensive reasons? Whatever Lakers coach JJ Redick decides, it’s been clear that Knecht should be listed in more than 30% of Yahoo leagues. Look for that percentage to increase in the wake of Tuesday’s performance, even if Hachimura is available for Thursday’s game against the Magic.

Let’s look at a few more of Tuesday’s best pickups:

Santi Aldama (47%)Memphis Grizzlies

Aldama continues to have value in depth (and some standard) due to the combination of his game and the Grizzlies being shorthanded. Memphis lost Zach Edey to a sprained ankle Sunday, and the rookie is considered week-to-week. Aldama was outstanding in Tuesday’s loss to the Nuggets, playing 33 minutes and finishing with 28 points, 11 rebounds, one steal and four 3-pointers. He still delivers top 100 per play value in 9-cat formats and is worth the risk in standard leagues.

Keldon Johnson (36%)San Antonio Spurs

Johnson’s inconsistent production outside of points and rebounds has made him challenging to trust in many fantasy leagues. However, he has been better over the past two weeks, ranking just outside the top 100. He finished Tuesday’s win over Oklahoma City with 22 points, five rebounds, four assists and six 3-pointers in 29 minutes. Inconsistency aside, Johnson is worth a roll of the dice in deep leagues as long as the Spurs are without Victor Wembanyama.

Grant Williams (25%)Charlotte Hornets

There may not be much excitement surrounding Williams in fantasy leagues, but where else should we turn in regards to the Hornets frontcourt? Mark Williams and Nick Richards remain on the sidelines, with the latter closing in on a return to action. Until one of those two is cleared, Williams will have value in deep leagues. He finished Tuesday’s loss to the Nets with 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots in 33 minutes.

Zach Collins (19%)San Antonio Spurs

Collins didn’t score as much as he did in Saturday’s loss to the Mavericks, but he gave deep-league managers a complete stat line in the Spurs’ win over Oklahoma City. Shooting 5-of-7 from the field and 1-of-1 from the foul line, he finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block and one 3-pointer in 26 minutes. Charles Bassey (12/8/0/1/2 in 21 minutes) gave San Antonio good minutes off the bench, but Collins is the more reliable streaming option if Wembanyama remains on the sidelines.

Dorian Finney-Smith (17%)Brooklyn Nets

Cameron Johnson was the biggest benefit of the Nets playing Tuesday’s game without Cam Thomas, who sat out because of a strained back. But since Johnson was already drafted in most leagues, he didn’t stroll many waiver lines. Finney-Smith, on the other hand, is available in more than 80% of Yahoo leagues. He finished Tuesday’s win with 15 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and four 3-pointers, shooting 5-of-6 from the field. Jalen Wilson, filling in for Thomas, scored 17 points but didn’t provide much outside of points and 3-pointers. Division league leaders would be better off with Finney-Smith, especially if Thomas only misses one game.

Ty Jerome (12%)Cleveland Cavaliers

Jerome may not be a wing, but the absence of Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade meant the Cavaliers needed a little more from their backup point guard in Boston. He played 28 minutes and finished with 10 points, one rebound, five assists and one steal in the three-point loss. While Craig Porter Jr. (15/3/3 with three 3-pointers) and Georges Niang (11/4/3 with one 3-pointer) were also productive off the bench, Jerome has been the most consistent in terms of season-long fantasy value.

Cason Wallace (5%)Oklahoma City Thunder

With Isaiah Joe out, the “three players for two starting spots” that Thunder coach Mark Daigneault faces most nights was taken care of. Wallace and Aaron Wiggins started for San Antonio, with the former accounting for 13 points, three rebounds, seven assists, one block, three 3-pointers and no turnovers in 34 minutes. Wallace’s playmaking ability gives him the edge over Wiggins (11/3/0/1 with three 3-pointers) if Joe remains on the sidelines.