HomeSportsFantasy basketball takeaways and waiver wire pickups from the MLK Day slate

Fantasy basketball takeaways and waiver wire pickups from the MLK Day slate

I love and appreciate MLK Day. It is a day to celebrate the incredible legacy of Dr. Honor and reflect on Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most inspiring and impactful leaders in history. As a basketball fan, MLK Day has also become somewhat of a tradition for me. It’s the perfect mix of reflection and joy: you start the week immersed in history and hoops.

Monday’s slate also brought plenty of action for fantasy managers. Here you’ll find everything from standout performances to duds, with some possible improvements following yesterday’s matches.

Gafford turned in a career-best performance Monday to fill the stat sheet in the Mavs’ win over the Hornets. He scored an astonishing 31 points (career-high), 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 7 blocks and 1 steal. Gafford scored 77.5 fantasy points, the highest on the list.

Without Dereck Lively II in the lineup, Gafford has taken a big step forward. He averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3 shares per game while shooting a ridiculous 77% from the field with Lively off the floor this season. Lively will return soon, but Gafford remains one of the most reliable backup giants in fantasy.

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McCollum’s late-game heroics helped the Pels earn a 123-119 win over the Jazz in overtime. McCollum had 45 points Monday night (18-31, 5-13 3PT, 8-10 FT) with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks over 43 minutes. He scored 18 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter and led a 25-point comeback, the largest in Pelicans franchise history. McCollum finished with 67.6 fantasy points, the second-highest on Monday. Shoutout to Dejounte Murray too. He came one rebound shy of a triple-double and scored 57.3 fantasy points (third highest).

The Pistons have been one of the best teams since the calendar turned to 2025 and beating the Houston Rockets on the road was another impressive feat. Led by Cade Cunningham’s 32 points, Jalen Duren had one of his most efficient two-way efforts of the season, finishing with 16 points (8-8 FG) with 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, for a 52.3 fantasy . points – the fourth highest on Monday. Duren was a dud early in the season, but he’s turned it on lately, providing third-round value to fantasy managers in 9-cat leagues over the past two weeks – selling high?

Other notable achievements:

  • Donovan Mitchell – 49.50 fantasy points

  • LaMelo Ball – 48.90 fantasy points

  • Kyrie Irving – 47.30 fantasy points

  • Trey Murphy III – 46.40 fantasy points

  • Jayson Tatum – 46.30 fantasy points

Andrew Wiggins – SF/PF, Golden State Warriors

Granted, the Warriors played terrible basketball as a team, but Wiggs didn’t fare well, going 1-for-11 from the field and scoring 4 points with 3 rebounds and 2 shares in 24 minutes. He finished with 12.60 fantasy points, and Dennis Schröder was even worse, with 10.50 fantasy points, resulting in a big loss for the Celtics.

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Dropping 5 points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3PT), 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 25 minutes sounds like a lot of cardio without impact. His four-shot attempts were his lowest of the season, and fantasy managers can only shake their heads at 12.60 fantasy points. He needs to waive his no-trade clause because even if he returns from an ankle sprain, this isn’t it.

Fresh off a double-double off the bench, Richards joined the starting unit and gave fantasy managers a total of 14.30 fantasy points. Better days will follow, but 4 points with 4 boards and 2 blocks in 22 minutes fell far short of expectations, especially with Evan Mobley out of the lineup.

The 58% of fantasy managers who draft Bogie will have to give up because he’s done. He played 15 minutes off the bench and produced 1 point (0-4 FG, 0-4 3PT, 1-2 FT) with 2 boards and 3 turnovers. He collected 0.4 fantasy points. Bah.

Nick Smith Jr. turned his scoring upside down Monday, dropping 19 points on efficient 7-for-13 shooting, including 5-for-8 from deep. He also had 3 boards, 1 assist and 1 steal in 30 minutes during a win over the Mavericks.

This uptick in minutes and production comes with Brandon Miller (wrist) sidelined indefinitely and Tre Mann (back) still out. The Hornets have three games remaining in Week 13, so Smith is officially on the streaming radar. While you shouldn’t rely on this level of efficiency every night, his scoring ability and three-point potential make him a solid short-term option. Keep an eye on his role in the starting unit; he can have sneaky value if his usage stays high.

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The Jazz are ready to give their young players an edge, and in 37 minutes, Collier brought fantasy managers a double-double of 20 points and 11 assists. Collier became the youngest player in Jazz franchise history to record a 20-and-10 game and only the second rookie this season (Jared McCain). Collin Sexton (rest) didn’t play Monday, so that helped, but if Sexton is traded or load-managed down the road, we saw some potential after Collier’s performance on MLK Day. I wouldn’t pick it up yet, but it should be on the crazy season watchlist.

The Ukrainian wing is only 1% listed, so this will be a deep cut. The seven-year pro is on his eighth team, but with all the injuries and lineup changes in Utah, Mykhailiuk will get a chance to play. He finished Monday’s game with 19 points (7-14 FG, 4-10 3PT, 1-1 FT) with 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in 27 minutes. And for good reason, Mykhailiuk’s block on Jordan Hawkins was nasty.

He has flirted with ninth-round value in his last four games, averaging 16 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.0 3s and 1.3 shares. I doubt he’s in the Jazz’s plans, but he could be a valuable asset in the short term. And where did Kyle Filipowski come from with 17 rebounds off the bench? That Pels/Jazz game was derailed.

Dillingham saw his first action in more than a month, playing 17 minutes off the bench for the Wolves. Donte DiVincenzo is out indefinitely with a toe injury, providing valuable minutes for Dillingham as a backup point guard. Since Mike Conley Jr. is starting, he’s more of a follower for me, but his 15 points (6-8 FG, 3-4 3PT) with 3 rebounds and 2 assists in limited action showed his potential.

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