Fantasy Basketball 2021: Lineup Advice for NBA Week 5
The new-look Houston Rockets lineup should present fantasy basketball players with a chance to land one or two unexpected main contributors.
Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker headline the list of players whose usage rates could be much higher in the coming weeks as the Rockets figure out their new rotations.
However, Houston is not the only Western Conference team going through a lineup adjustment at the moment.
The Portland Trail Blazers are in the midst of working through Jusuf Nurkic's injury. Enes Kanter and Harry Giles III are expected to make up for the bulk of Nurkic's production.
Over in the Eastern Conference, a handful of rookies worked their way into increased playing time. Immanuel Quickley of the New York Knicks could be the latest to do so after his last few performances, and with that in mind, he could be a solid waiver-wire pickup ahead of Week 5.
Take a Chance on Some of Houston's Starters
Gordon and Tucker could be the two of the main beneficiaries of the James Harden trade to the Brooklyn Nets.
Gordon has the third-most points per game of the players still on the roster behind John Wall and Christian Wood, who have been mainstays of fantasy lineups since the start of the season.
With Harden out of the lineup, Gordon should have a chance to take more shots alongside Wall and Victor Oladipo in the revamped starting five.
Week 5 could be the perfect time to see that at work since the Rockets face the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons in two of their four games. The other two come against the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks.
Entering Sunday, the Bulls gave up the fourth-most points per game and had one of the 10 worst three-point percentage concessions.
If Gordon takes advantage of that matchup, it could spark a high-scoring week for himself and the Rockets.
Tucker is a lower-volume addition compared to Gordon, but he could see an uptick in scoring without Harden on the floor.
In the last two games, Tucker had eight three-point attempts, with six coming on Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs.
If Tucker increases his number of three-point shots, and makes a few more in the process, he could be a decent addition for frontcourt depth on fantasy rosters.
Bring in One of Jusuf Nurkic's Replacements
Kanter received more playing time than Giles in Portland's first full game without Nurkic, but both players could earn a decent chunk of minutes in Week 5.
Portland plays four games at home, starting with Monday's meeting against the Spurs. Two clashes with the Memphis Grizzlies follow that, and a matchup with the New York Knicks on Sunday closes out the weekly schedule.
On Saturday, Kanter recorded a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds in 28 minutes and 33 seconds on the floor. In 11 minutes, Giles contributed three points, five rebounds and an assist.
Kanter is the better of the two pickups at the moment, but Giles could be worth an addition if he works his way into more playing time in the next week.
After Portland's five-game homestand ends on January 25, the Blazers embark on a six-game road swing that includes trips to Milwaukee and Philadelphia.
In those games, Kanter's impact down low may be negated by Brook Lopez and Joel Embiid, which could lead to Terry Stotts using the more athletic Giles over a pure center.
Until Nurkic returns from his wrist injury, at least one of Kanter and Giles will carry fantasy value in the frontcourt, and that could make them two of the most popular pickups in the coming weeks.
Risk a Waiver-Wire Move on Immanuel Quickley
Quickley's performance off the bench in the last week has been a pleasant surprise for the Knicks.
The rookie out of Kentucky broke out with a 19-point showing against the Brooklyn Nets, and he followed that up with two more double-digit totals.
If the 21-year-old continues to thrive in the next week or two, he may not be available on the waiver wire as much as he is right now.
Quickley proved with his last two performances that his outbreak against the Nets was more than just a fluke point total.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau may feel more inclined to call on Quickley more in the near future if Elfrid Payton continues to struggle out of the starting lineup. Payton is averaged 13.2 points per game, but he has a single 15-point showing in his last four games.
If Quickley shines in the next few games, he could join Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey, who was his college teammate, as unexpected rookie contributors in the East.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference