In a league full of fun names, Ayo Dosunmu stands out. The second-round rookie scored a career-high 24 points for the depleted Chicago Bulls in a close win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
A Chicago native and Illinois product, Dosunmu has been thrust into a larger role in the rotation due to significant injuries to Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball. It’s not just his scoring prowess that was notable last night, as the rookie also paced the team with eight assists.
In seven games as a starter this season, Dosunmu has averaged 38.8 minutes to go with 11.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and, most impressively, 5.9 assists. Available in free agency in nearly every league, Dosunmu could be a fantasy factor for the next several weeks.
Monday recap
Highlights
Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns: 27 points (10-17 FG), 9 rebounds, 14 assists
Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls: 26 points (10-18 FG), 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks
Lowlights
Evan Fournier, New York Knicks: 7 points (3-9 FG), 0 rebounds, 0 assists
Monday takeaways
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The Pelicans produced 64 points in the paint against the Pacers, the third-most New Orleans has scored in that area in a game this season. On a light night without a ton of star performances, one main takeaway is just how friendly a fantasy matchup Indiana has become. With Indiana missing several key starters, even a depleted New Orleans roster was able to feast on the Pacers. During the last 10 games, Indiana has allowed 116.1 points per 100 possessions to opponents, marking the fifth-worst defensive rating in the league over this span. Whenever looking for streaming options, pursuing the Pacers as a matchup could pay off.
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Speaking of Indiana, the Pacers turned to rookies Chris Duarte and Duane Washington Jr. in the loss to the Pelicans. Washington Jr. produced a career-high 21 points thanks to sinking seven of his 12 3-point attempts, tying him with New York’s Quentin Grimes for the second-most 3-pointers made in a game by a rookie this season.
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It wasn’t just Dosunmu playing a larger role for the Bulls on Monday, as combo guard Coby White filled the microwave role off the pine for Chicago. White couldn’t find his shot in the win, but he’s become a relevant option given the shots and minutes vacated by Caruso and Ball.
Injuries of note
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Zach LaVine returned to the lineup for Chicago after missing multiple games with a knee injury. Even though his shot wasn’t falling, the fact LaVine handled a full workload is a good sign of things to come.
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After missing multiple weeks due to a knee injury, Anthony Davis is listed as probable to play for the Lakers against the Nets this evening.
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The Sixers won’t have Seth Curry, Danny Green or Shake Milton in the rotation against the Pelicans tonight. Tyrese Maxey should prove quite busy, while streaming Matisse Thybulle (if he plays through a shoulder ailment) could lead to gobs of defensive stats for those in roto or category leagues.
Analytics advantage for Tuesday
The Brooklyn Nets will be without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving this evening, setting up James Harden with a heliocentric role leading the offense against the Lakers. Beyond the bearded one, I’m interested in streaming and daily fantasy shares of LaMarcus Aldridge and Patty Mills, two of the key waiver additions to consider this week.
Aldridge has seen his usage rate spike a team-high 7.2% with Durant and Irving off the floor this season. Mills, meanwhile, has posted a team-high 10.9 3-point attempts per 36 minutes in such scenarios.
DFS discussion
Richaun Holmes, Sacramento Kings: A long stint in health and safety protocols means Holmes is still building back to a full workload with the Kings, but this also includes a notable discount on DraftKings this evening. With a viable path to 25 minutes, Holmes is a nice frontcourt bargain against Boston tonight.
Derrick White, San Antonio Spurs: Identifying awful perimeter defenses can prove rewarding when eyeing scoring guards. Such is the case with White facing a porous Houston defense that has allowed the fourth-most DraftKings points per game to shooting guards on the season.
Source: www.espn.com