Fantasy Basketball Week 24: Who's hot, who's not and a DFS target for Friday
Who's hot, who to buy, and a DFS target for Friday
By
Ameer Tyree
•
1 min read
This year's MVP candidates are still going strong and two of them were among Thursday's fantasy leaders. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid paced their respective teams in points and posted impressive double-doubles. A host of other players put on big-time performances ahead of Friday's 10-game slate. We'll go over who shined the brightest and who fell short before spotlighting a prime DFS target for Friday.
Who's hot
Antetokounmpo isn't giving up on winning this year's scoring title. The reigning NBA Finals MVP scored at least 40 points for a second consecutive game against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. He scored 44 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and dished out six assists in his team's victory. Antetokounmpo is averaging a ridiculous 42 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists in Week 24.
DeRozan went through a bit of a rut in early and mid-March but finished the month on a high note. The Chicago Bulls swingman dropped 50 points on the Los Angeles Clippers his last time out. He's tallied 39.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per contest through three Week 24 appearances. The return of Patrick Williams hasn't cut into DeRozan's production.
Embiid's doing the best he can to keep up with the league's other top scorers. The Philadelphia 76ers big man has lost his place as the MVP frontrunner to Nikola Jokic, but is still stuffing the stat sheet. He racked up 37 points and 15 rebounds in a loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday and is averaging 33 points in Week 24. Embiid's tallied a double-double in six consecutive outings.
Who's not
Evan Mobley's ankle injury opened up a world of opportunities for love to become a more impactful contributor, but he's floundered at every turn. The Cleveland Cavaliers big man has averaged just 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in his last two games without the versatile rookie. Love's shot 28.6 percent from the field and deep in his previous two outings.
DFS target
There's not a mid-tier play I love more than Melton for Friday's 10-game slate. The Memphis Grizzlies guard has averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 made three-pointers over six games since Ja Morant got hurt. Tyus Jones and Desmond Bane are listed as doubtful for Memphis's impending matchup against the Phoenix Suns, so Melton will get a chance to run the show. While the Suns are major favorites, the Grizzlies don't really have other ball handlers to depend on. He and Dillon Brooks are poised to carry the offense.
