Fantasy Basketball Pickups: Time for Grimes?

Christmas Day in the NBA was truly 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 opener as the Knicks edged the Spurs.

Minnesota won a close matchup with Dallas after Luka Doncic went down with a calf strain. Kyrie Irving grabbed 39 points, but who else will move up? Doncic is expected to miss an extended period of time, opening the door for players like Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes.

Philly won in Boston as the Sixers’ Big 3 all played 30+ minutes. However, it was Caleb Martin who played all 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 the game and an Austin Reaves go-ahead bucket with another to go. Anthony Davis’ injury in the first quarter opened up 29 minutes for Gabe Vincent and 25 minutes for Dalton Knecht, although Knecht was the top option.

On the nightcap, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal combined for 54 points to lead Phoenix past Denver after losing to the Nuggets on Monday. Aaron Gordon was forced out early with a calf injury, and if he’s out, Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson will be in line for more playing time, although neither is an appealing streamer.

Here are some players worth adding after Wednesday’s five-game slate:

Quentin Grimes (6% listed)
Grimes finished with 10 points, seven boards, two dimes, one block and a pair of triples on Wednesday. The stats were nice, but playing time is the real story here. In the wake of Luka Doncic’s injury, Grimes’ 24 minutes were the best among bench players, and he could be the next man up for Dallas. Spencer Dinwiddie (10% listed) went 2/1/2/1 in 14 minutes, but he could also see an increase in playing time going forward.

Caleb Martin (8% listed)
Martin hit a career-high seven three-pointers against Boston. We don’t want to count on him channeling his inner Klay Thompson too often, but he should see some extra run with KJ Martin on the shelf, making Martin a valuable option in deeper leagues.

Al Horford (32% listed)
Kristaps Porzingis logged just 13 minutes Wednesday because of left ankle soreness, and Big Al finished the game with 17/4/2 and one blocked shot across 33 minutes. He’s worth a look if Porzingis is forced to miss time.

Dalton Knecht (16% listed)
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 runs off the bench. Vincent is typically on the field for a healthy dose of cardio, but Knecht made a significant impact.