Last season, the Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (53% registered, Yahoo) was someone to target on nights when his team was shorthanded. This season, he’s established himself as a reliable player regardless of the state of Joe Mazzulla’s rotation, and he’s an early favorite for Sixth Man of the Year. Boston entered Wednesday’s game against the Pistons with two starters, with Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum not playing. Pritchard may not have made it into the starting lineup, but it was clear his role was going to expand.
He played well in Boston’s win over the Pistons, shooting 7 of 15 from the field and finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, a steal and five 3-pointers in 34 minutes. The four turnovers weren’t great, but that hasn’t been common for Pritchard this season (1.1 turnovers per game). He delivers top-50 per-game value in 9-cat formats and is projected to be rostered in over 53% of Yahoo leagues.
Another Celtics waiver mic that played well on Wednesday was Sam Hauser (5%). He started against the Pistons, logging 31 minutes and totaling 20 points, three rebounds, one steal and five 3-pointers. While Pritchard may offer better overall value, Hauser is a solid streamer for those who need points and 3-pointers when Boston is down on rotation contributors. The schedule sets up nicely for both through the remainder of Week 7.
There is a consecutive Friday/Saturday against Milwaukee and Memphis, and the two opponents that Boston will play due to lack of qualification for the quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup: Detroit (Thursday, December 12) and Washington (Sunday, December 15). . Due to their production and upcoming schedule, now would be a great time to add Pritchard or Hauser. Let’s look at some more of Wednesday’s best mics.
Jared McCain (50%)Philadelphia 76ers
With Paul George missing in Philadelphia’s second straight game, McCain returned to the starting lineup against the Magic. In 39 minutes, he had a line of 24 points on 10 of 17 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists and three 3-pointers. While McCain doesn’t provide significant fantasy value outside of points and 3-pointers, the current state of Philadelphia’s roster makes it worth the effort.
De’Andre Hunter (37%)Atlanta Falcons
Pritchard isn’t the only player in this column who should be mentioned among the best-scoring sixth men in the NBA this season. Hunter is having a career year in scoring, averaging 18.5 points per game on 48.6% shooting from the field, 42.2% from three and 89.6% from the foul line. Jalen Johnson was the star of Wednesday’s win at Milwaukee, but Hunter also played well. In 28 minutes, he totaled 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, three steals and two 3-pointers. According to Basketball Monster, Hunter is ranked just outside the top 75 in terms of 9cats per game value.
Malik Beasley (32%)Detroit Pistons
Beasley remained in a reserve role for Wednesday’s game in Boston, but that didn’t stop him from having a great night. In 33 minutes, he had 23 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals and six 3-pointers, shooting 8 of 16 from the field. Beasley has been more productive than starter Tim Hardaway Jr. thus far; Will there come a time when these two switch roles, with the former joining the starting five? Even if the answer is “no,” the upcoming schedule is probably the best reason not to add Beasley, as Detroit only has two games remaining in the remainder of Week 7.
Moritz Wagner (29%)Magical Orlando
Goga Bitadze was back in the Magic’s rotation after missing Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks with a sprained ankle. While he continues to start alongside Wendell Carter Jr., Wagner’s older brother has played well coming off the bench. A 10th-rounder the past two weeks, Moe finished Wednesday’s win over Philadelphia with 10 points, six rebounds, one assist, two steals and two blocked shots in 21 minutes. Over his last four games, Wagner averaged 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks while reaching double-doubles in points three times.
Jonathan Isaac (14%)Magical Orlando
Unfortunately, Isaac’s night in Philadelphia ended prematurely due to a leg cramp. However, what he did before the injury attracted attention. In 15 minutes, Isaac had 14 points, four rebounds, two steals, two blocks and two 3-pointers, shooting 6 of 8 from the field. It was the second game this season in which he recorded at least two steals and two blocks, the first being a November 23 win over Detroit. If Isaac can play 22-25 minutes a night (at one point last month he played 20 or more in seven out of eight appearances), he can become a legitimate asset again.
Amir Coffey (4%)Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers did not have Norman Powell for Wednesday’s game against the Timberwolves as it was their second game in as many nights. Coffey filled the void in the starting lineup and was one of the few bright spots in their blowout loss, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a 3-pointer in 28 minutes. The Clippers won’t play again until Sunday, which will be plenty of time for Powell (who sat out for injury management reasons) to return. But the Clippers will be without Terance Mann (fractured finger) for at least three weeks, which frees up minutes for Coffey. Keep an eye on him in the game against the Rockets on Sunday.
