Jaylen Brown is having a career year and eclipsed 40 points for the first time this season on Wednesday. The Boston Celtics wing scored 41 points and snared 12 rebounds to top the fantasy leaderboard after totaling just 19 points on 21 shots in his previous outing. While he was the star of the night, we're going to highlight three hot players with more momentum, a waiver wire target, and a DFS play for Thursday here.
Who's hot
Jokic fell one assist short of notching his third consecutive triple-double against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The Denver Nuggets star recorded 21 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists in just 28 minutes. The Nuggets still have a share of first place in the Western Conference, and the reigning MVP hasn't let up at all this season. He's averaging 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 10.8 assists per game in January.
McCollum's scoring is down after averaging a career-high 24.3 points per game in his first run with the New Orleans Pelicans, but he's really starting to hit his stride. The combo guard scored 38 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. He's now scored at least 26 points in five straight games while shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 51.1 percent from deep. McCollum is sure to carry a heavy workload moving forward with both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram out.
The LaVine of old has resurfaced for a little. The Chicago Bulls guard didn't disappoint in his first game without DeMar DeRozan this year and racked up 38 points with five assists and two rebounds against the Washington Wizards. He averaged 30.0 points per game in three contests without DeRozan last season and has averaged 35.5 points over his previous four games. DeRozan is dealing with a quad injury and isn't expected to miss much time, but fantasy managers should be locked in on LaVine if he gets another go without his co-star this week.
Waiver wire target
Fantasy managers are still coming around on McDaniels, and he's rostered in just 43 percent of CBS leagues right now. The Charlotte Hornets forward has taken advantage of a slew of wing injuries, and it appears like he'll be an important contributor at least until the All-Star break. Gordon Hayward's dealing with a minor hamstring, and Kelly Oubre will miss more than a month with a hand injury. McDaniels has recorded at least 10 points, six rebounds, a block, and a steal in five straight games to kick off January while logging 31.0 minutes per contest. His versatility and defensive impact can make him a quality filler if your team's a little banged up right now.
DFS play
Fantasy managers are sure to be locked in on the Brooklyn Nets now that Kevin Durant is set to miss his second game of the season. Kyrie Irving is sure to be extra aggressive against his old team, and TJ Warren will likely take on a larger role, but I'd prefer an option in the middle. Simmons isn't the player he was in Philadelphia but has averaged 16.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in his previous six games against the Celtics. He's Brooklyn's assist and steals leader on a per-game basis and his defensive versatility will make him crucial in a matchup against athletic wings like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. He doesn't need to have an amazing game to return 5X value and is averaging 10.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game when he plays for 30 minutes this season.
Still deciding who to lock in for your DFS roster? We've identified a player worth locking in and one to avoid ahead of tip-off below, but you can get my full selection of stud and value plays at each position by heading over to SportsLine.
