March is a crucial time in fantasy basketball players. Like NBA teams, you may want to add a player or two to help solidify your playoff position.
Whether you need to adjust your roster due to a player struggling or injuries, the following advice will help you reach your goal of winning your fantasy league or at least help you get a share of the prize money.
Depending on the type of fantasy league you are playing in, you may be looking for players who will help you in different areas. So, for example, if you need to replace someone like Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, or Trae Young, as they are expected to be out until at least April 1, you could look at their teammates for a replacement.
Another strategy you could use is to look at struggling teams and grab a youngster who will get more minutes down the stretch than they did earlier in the season. Cam Whitmore, Jake LaRavia, Ausar Thompson, Jabari Walker, and GG Jackson fit the mode here.
You could also look at players who recently moved to new teams and, as a result, will have a different role than their previous or get more minutes due to injuries. Tre Mann, Lamar Stevens, Kyle Lowry, PJ Washington, Dalano Banton, and Lamar Stevens are such players.
Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and Kyle Anderson figure to get more playing time and see an uptick in production due to Towns’ injury. Bruno Fernando may be a short-term answer for you, as he will likely continue to see extra playing time. Onyeka Okongkwu is likely out with a toe injury until at least March 18.
Similarly, Duncan Robinson is a possible option, with Tyler Herro missing the past six games and Josh Richardson out for the remainder of the campaign. Having a career season, Robinson will help in scoring, 3-point shooting, and shooting percentages across the board.
However, three players stand out as top targets the most.
3 Must Target Fantasy Basketball Players: Free Agents
Vince Williams Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
Williams is the least available of the trio listed in the major fantasy leagues, but he should still be widely available. Williams has seen action in 51 contests this season after making 15 appearances a season ago, including 32 starts.
Williams is a combo guard who is generally eligible to play all three backcourt spots in fantasy basketball players leagues. The 23-year-old is a nine-category player, with scoring being his biggest weakness, though he is not an elite distributor.
Williams has consistently seen over 30 minutes and an uptick in usage percentage since the calendar turned to 2024. These trends will likely continue as the Grizzlies have several players who are not expected to return until at least the end of the month.
Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart are slated to be out until at least March 27. Meanwhile, Derrick Rose and Ziaire Williams’ will be out until at least April 3.
Since Jan. 1, Williams has produced 31.9 fantasy points a game and three double-doubles while posting a usage percentage of 17%. He has averaged 14.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.9 treys, and 1.3 steals while compiling a shooting slash line of .478/.411/.798 during this stretch.
Kelly Olynyk, Toronto Raptors
The Raptors acquired Olynyk at the trade deadline and have since re-signed the Canadian. The 6-11 big man, capable of playing both frontcourt positions, didn’t have a major role with the Raptors until this week with injuries to Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl. He is rostered in less than 60% of NBA leagues.
Still, Olynyk was pretty productive, posting an average of 24.0 fantasy points a game despite playing only 20 minutes a game in nine appearances. However, he has started the past two games and has seen an uptick in both minutes and production.
Olynyk has stuffed the stat sheet in these two starts, recording 31.2 fantasy points per game. Passing, rebounding, and defense are the 32-year-old’s biggest assets. While he is a capable scorer who can space the floor, he is not a great shooter or 3-point marksman, though he is a career 36.9% shooter from beyond the arc.
Olynyk has scored in double figures in six of his 11 appearances and produced one double-double with the Raptors. Overall, Olynyk has compiled 10.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.1 steals over the last four contests while shooting 54.7%, posting a true shooting percentage of 54.7% and a usage rate of 17% in March.
Olynyk should remain in the starting lineup for most of the remainder of the season, if not the rest of the way. Poeltl is not expected to return until April, and Barnes will not play for the rest of the season. This makes the big man a good bet for fantasy basketball players.
Paul Reed, Philadelphia 76ers
Reed, available in more than half of all fantasy basketball players leagues, has gotten extended minutes since Joel Embiid suffered a knee injury on Jan.30. The 24-year-old will likely continue to see around 25 minutes a game until at least the first part of April.
Reed is an elite rebounder with shot-blocking ability. While Reed is limited offensively, he is efficient around the rim. However, despite being an excellent free-throw shooter, he doesn’t get to the charity stripe very often.
BBall Paul has been fantastic the last two games. The 6-9 forward has posted double-doubles in each contest while totaling 34 points, 22 rebounds, five assists, six blocks, and two steals in 51 minutes.
Since Feb 1., Reed has produced four double-doubles and is fifth on the Sixers in fantasy points at 26.5 a game. He has averaged 9.3 points, 7.9 points, and 1.4 blocks in 25.5 minutes a game while shooting .511/.375/.857 during this stretch.
