Due to a sprained ankle, the Lakers have been 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’s 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, scoring 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.
Will Hardy: “In the second half, it seemed like everybody in the gym knew that Dalton Knecht was going to shoot the next shot, with the exception of a few people. The problem was that those few people were on our team.”
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) November 20, 2024
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 over the last week, are we at the point where it needs to be asked if Knecht should remain in the starting lineup? And, if so, would it be for Hachimura? Or Cam Reddish, who starts primarily for defensive reasons? Regardless of what Lakers coach JJ Redick decides, it’s been clear that Knecht should be rostered in more than 30% of Yahoo leagues. Look for that percentage to increase in the aftermath 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 top pickups:
Santi Aldama (47%), Memphis Grizzlies
Aldama continues to have value in deep (and some standard) due to the combination of his play and the Grizzlies being shorthanded. Memphis lost Zach Edey to a sprained ankle on Sunday, and the rookie is considered week-to-week. Aldama was excellent in Tuesday’s loss to the Nuggets, playing 33 minutes and finishing with 28 points, 11 rebounds, one steal, and four 3-pointers. He’s still providing 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 challenging…
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