Heading into the weekend, many fantasy basketball managers may be facing deficits in their matchups.
If you're looking to make that final push to victory, consider these standout options that can help turn the tide in your favor in the High Score/Points/9 Categories leagues.
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▶️ Play with these guys in High Score
Kel'El Ware – FC, Miami Heat (62% of roster)
See if Ware is on your waiver notice because Bam Adebayo (toe) will miss Friday's contest against the Hornets. Ware is an auto starter against Charlotte, which ranks in the bottom 10 this season in fantasy points allowed to opposing centers (58.6 standard fantasy points per game.).
Ware was in and out of Spo's doghouse, but he played well Wednesday in relief of Adebayo, finishing with 13 points, 13 rebounds, four steals and one blocked shot in 27 minutes. The Heat will also play on Saturday, leaving a couple of opportunities for Ware to start until Sunday.
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Jusuf Nurkic – FC, Utah Jazz (33% of roster)
With Walker Kessler (shoulder) out for the season, Nurkic will be the Jazz's next center in the short term. Nurk has played over 30 minutes in his last two bouts without Kessler and averaged 39.5 fantasy points in High Score.
He is averaging 1.22 fantasy points per minute, which is a strong sign that he will continue to produce well in the starting position. The downside to adding Nurk is that the Jazz only have one game this week (Friday), but I would leave it after Week 3 given the size of the opportunity.
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P.J. Washington – Dallas Mavericks (44% on roster)
Washington ranks 63rd in average High Score per game with 36.5 fantasy points per game. On Friday and Saturday, the Mavs will face the Grizzlies and Wizards, the two teams he will feast against.
Both teams rank in the bottom five in points allowed by opposing power forwards, allowing 52 standard fantasy points per game. Anthony Davis and Derek Lively II remain on the sidelines, so Washington is a safe play.
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🔁 Players who will score points and leagues with 9 cats
Ajay Mitchell – Point Guard/Defenseman, Oklahoma City Thunder (31% on roster)
The Thunder will be without Aaron Wiggins (hip) and questionable Lu Dort (shoulder), opening up more minutes for Mitchell. He's coming off his third 20-plus point game on Wednesday and will be strong against the Kings on Friday and the Grizzlies on Sunday. He will get you points, threes, steals, some rebounds and assists.
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Jaras Walker – SF/PF, Indiana Pacers (16% on roster)
Walker started the last five games for the Pacers, averaging 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. This is a player I would add to the rankings as well as the points and 9 cats formats. The Pacers play back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, so if you're in a tight spot, Walker could step in as a last-minute filler as he'll impact multiple categories – just don't expect much in terms of stock. Ben Sheppard (3%) is another major league option.
Terence Mann – SG/SF – Brooklyn Nets (12% of roster)
Determining which Nets player to broadcast can be difficult most nights because they have such a deep rotation. However, with Cam Thomas ruled out of Friday's contest with a hamstring injury, Mann will play a 30-minute role this weekend against the Pistons (Friday) and Knicks (Sunday).
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He started for PG in their last game, dishing out six assists and dishing out at least five assists in three of their previous four games. He's enjoying the best start to his career and may be worth keeping outside of the streamer if his efficiency and interceptions remain consistent.
He cracks the top 100 in games played in nine-cat leagues. Finally, take a look at Noah Clowney (4% of the roster).
Trendon Watford – PF/C, Philadelphia 76ers (2% of roster)
The Sixers play back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday, meaning there's a good chance Joel Embiid won't play in either game. Watford plays exceptionally well as a reserve second line, averaging 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game and shooting 63% from the field.
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It's a deep cut, but will be productive if you're looking for key stats on points, rebounds and assists over the weekend.
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If you have Jazz or Hornets fringe players like Kyle Filipovski, Taylor Hendricks or Moussa Diabate, consider moving on from them. With an 11-game Friday schedule, you likely won't have room to play them on this tablet.
To make matters worse, they won't play again until Monday, leaving them with no streaming options left this weekend. Keep your core players on both teams (including Nurkic, Collin Sexton and Ryan Kalkbrenner), but move away from the rest.
