This column will concentrate on borderline fantasy options who should get strong consideration to start/bench during the upcoming week based on schedules.
Enes Kanter: After averaging a double-double in March and finishing with an even bigger April (15.0 ppg and 12.8 rpg) last year, Kanter looked like a breakout candidate this season. Instead, the 22-year-old got off to an extremely slow start, and all the preseason talk about him launching threes has resulted in a total of seven so far on the year. However, the big man has turned it around of late, as he's been a top-50 player over the last two weeks and has upped his season FG percentage to 53.3 (despite attempting 1.1 threes per game). Moreover, Derrick Favors left Utah's last game with an ankle injury (which resulted in Kanter attempting 17 field goals) that might sideline him a while, and the Jazz play four games this week. Kanter is owned in a modest 62 percent of Yahoo leagues and could be a sneaky start.
Mason Plumlee: He's averaging 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting 63.6 percent from the floor over the past two games, and Brook Lopez remains sidelined with a lower back strain. There's no guarantee how long Plumlee will stick in the starting lineup, but the Nets play a league-high four games this week, with all of the opponents coming against teams that rank in the bottom half of the NBA in Defensive Efficiency.
Danny Green: He certainly doesn't seem like a star averaging just 11.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 1.7 apg, but Green has added 1.3 spg, 1.2 bpg and 2.3 3pt while committing just 1.2 tpg. As a result, he's quietly been the No. 16 fantasy player this season (and No. 7 over the past month). Green's Usage Rate (15.5) is actually tied for the second lowest of his career, but his 29:29 mpg are easily the most of his career. The Spurs play four games this week, with two of them falling on the second of back-to-backs, which means there's a real chance guys like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and/or Tony Parker sit out. It's crazy Green is still available in nearly 20 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Patrick Patterson: He's seen a major bump in Usage Rate since DeMar DeRozan has been out, despite him coming off the bench still. Patterson has averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 2.7 threes while shooting 60.0 percent from the floor over the past three games and has been a top-50 player over the last two weeks. Toronto possesses the second-best Offensive Efficiency in the NBA this season and has a favorable schedule this week (playing four games against mostly weak defenses). Patterson is owned in just 23 percent of Yahoo leagues, which is too low.
Harrison Barnes: The former top-10 pick has resurrected his career under new coach Steve Kerr, no longer relegated to a bench role that featured him mostly utilized in isolation plays like last season. In fact, Barnes sports a 64.2 True Shooting Percentage (No. 16 in the NBA) and has been a top-30 fantasy player over the past week. However, he's a candidate to bench this week, as the Warriors are the only team in the league to play just two games. Golden State is on a 15-game winning streak and has the second-highest PACE in the NBA, but they are a deep team (and there's a chance David Lee returns soon), and the Warriors' upcoming schedule hurts Barnes' short-term fantasy value.
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