Due to a sprained ankle, the Lakers were without Rui Hachimura for the last three games. That opened the door for first-round pick Dalton Knecht to move into the starting lineup, and he made the most of his opportunity. A double-figure scorer in four straight games, 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 three-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 clip. A top-15 fantasy player in 9-cat formats this past week, are we at the point where the question must be asked should Knecht remain in the starting lineup? And if so, would it be for Hachimura? Or Cam Reddish, who starts mainly for defensive reasons? Regardless of what Lakers coach JJ Redick decides, it’s clear that Knecht should be included in more than 30% of Yahoo leagues. Expect 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 take a look at a few more of Tuesday’s best pickups:

Santi Aldama (47%)Memphis Grizzlies

Aldama continues to have value in deep (and somewhat standard) due to the combination of his play and the fact that the Grizzlies are shorthanded. Memphis lost Zach Edey to a sprained ankle on Sunday, and the rookie is being 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 game value in 9-cat formats and is well worth the risk in standard leagues.

Keldon Johnson (36%)San Antonio Spurs

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

Grant Williams (25%)Charlotte Hornets

There may not be a lot of excitement surrounding Williams in fantasy leagues, but where else should we turn when it comes to the Hornets frontcourt? Mark Williams and Nick Richards remain sidelined as the latter nears a return to action. Until one of those two is out, 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 provided deep-league managers with a complete stat line in the Spurs’ win over Oklahoma City. He shot 5-of-7 from the field and 1-of-1 from the foul line and 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 sidelined.

Dorian Finney-Smith (17%)Brooklyn Nets

Cameron Johnson was the biggest beneficiary of the Nets playing Tuesday’s game without Cam Thomas, who sat because of his lower back tightness. But because Johnson was already on the roster in most leagues, he wasn’t stuck on many waiver wires. Finney-Smith, on the other hand, is available in over 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, who came in for Thomas, scored 17 points, but didn’t produce much besides the points and three-pointers. Category managers would be better off with Finney-Smith, especially if Thomas only misses one match.

Ty Jerome (12%)Cleveland Cavaliers

Jerome may not be a wing player, but with the absences of Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade, 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 three-pointers) and Georges Niang (11/4/3 with one three-pointer) were also productive off the bench, Jerome was the most consistent in terms of fantasy throughout the season. value.

Cason Wallace (5%)Oklahoma City Thunder

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