Fantasy Basketball Week 21 Start/Sit: Can T.J. McConnell Steal the Show?

With only a few weeks left in the season, a total of 12 teams play four times during Week 21, while 16 teams will suit up three times, leaving two teams with the dreaded two-game week. Knowing whom to sit and start could be tricky. Sitting players who only go two or three times has its advantages, but Fantasy managers still have to make smart decisions when figuring out who to play, regardless of game count. 

Four Games: BOS, CLE, DET, GSW, IND, MIA, MIN, NOP, PHI, POR, SAC, UTA

Three Games: ATL, BKN, CHI, DEN, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIL, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHO, SAS, TOR, WAS

Two Games: CHA, DAL

Here are four potential starts and four potential sits entering the 21st week of the NBA season. Just keep in mind that this is based on games played for the week. If you play in a rotisserie league, the number of games played each week may not matter in your format. 

Guards

Consider starting: T.J. McConnell, IND (32% ROS, 17% START)

Opponents: CLE, @DET, @GSW, @LAL

Despite playing just 19.5 minutes per game over the past month, McConnell has been able to put up top-75 numbers in standard leagues. During that time, he has averaged 12.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals, shooting 57.4 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the line. While there is no reason to think his role will change, he has been a consistent part of the rotation in recent times, something that cannot be said for earlier in the season. If you are simply looking for assists and steals, as well as an efficient low-volume scorer, McConnell could be a sneaky starting candidate this week.

Consider starting: Kyle Lowry, PHI (28% ROS, 12% START)

Opponents: MIA, @PHO, @LAL, @LAC

Much like McConnell, Lowry is not someone who is going to put up gaudy numbers on a nightly basis. However, he does appear to have settled in nicely in Philadelphia, typically playing upwards of 28 minutes per night. He has averaged 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals over the past month, going 94.1 percent from the charity stripe. The 76ers are fighting to stay in the playoff race, meaning Lowry is going to have to be on the floor as much as possible. While he is more of a specialist, a favorable schedule could be a deciding factor when settling on your starting lineup this week.

Consider sitting: Vasilije Micic (48% ROS, 14% START)

Opponents: @ORL, @ATL

On the other end of the games-played scale, Micic could find himself benched across a lot of leagues this week due to only suiting up twice. While he has been fantastic over the last week, there simply isn't enough meat on the bone when it comes to per-game value. Over the past seven days, his averages of 17.0 points, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.3 three-pointers have him flirting with top-70 value. Unfortunately, even that isn't enough to keep him off the chopping block, given most fantasy managers who are still active are deep into their playoffs.

Forwards

Consider starting: Trey Murphy, NOP (83% ROS, 50% START)

Opponents: @BKN, @ORL, @MIA, @DET

After a slow start to the season, Murphy has been able to round into form over the past month, putting up third-round value in the process. In that time, he has compiled averages of 17.4 points per game to go with 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 3.9 three-pointers. He has played at least 28 minutes in 13 straight games, rediscovering the form we saw last season. While he doesn't offer a ton outside of points and threes, he is definitely worth considering for one of your last starting spots.

Consider sitting: Brandon Miller, CHA (98% ROS, 61% START)

Opponents: @ORL, @ATL

Another victim of the two-game week, Miller's production over the past two weeks has taken a bit of a dip. In that time, he has barely been a top-150 player, averaging 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.1 three-pointers, shooting just 40.6 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the line. Although his minutes are guaranteed at this point, managers are likely to get more production out of someone with a four-game week, even if their ceiling is a little lower.

Consider sitting: P.J. Washington, DAL (73% ROS, 37% START)

Opponents: @SAS, UTA

Washington has been a nice addition for the Mavericks, giving them some much-needed forward depth. After starting his career in Dallas on a positive note, his numbers have diminished of late. He has scored fewer than eight points in four of the past five games, hitting a combined three triples in that time. Serviceable defensive contributions have kept him on the radar in standard formats, but with only two games slated for Week 21, managers are well within their right to keep him on the bench.

Centers

Consider starting: Larry Nance, NOP (6% ROS, 1% START)

Opponents: @BKN, @ORL, @MIA, @DET

Although Nance continues to come off the bench behind Jonas Valanciunas, he has been by far the better option of late, from both a fantasy and a reality standpoint. He has played at least 27 minutes in three of the past four games, providing him an opportunity to at least be standard-league relevant. Much like McConnell and Lowry, Nance is someone who should be viewed as a specialist starting option. He typically provides strong steal numbers, while scoring efficiently and adding serviceable contributions on the glass.

Consider sitting: Daniel Gafford, DAL (81% ROS, 39% START)

Opponents: @SAS, UTA

Prior to putting up a quiet performance Sunday, Gafford had been rolling along nicely. Since moving into the starting lineup, he has scored double digits in five straight games, recording multiple blocks in three of those. However, his playing time remains slightly underwhelming, locked in at about 24 minutes per night. With only a pair of games coming up this week, 48 minutes of Gafford is likely something managers can improve on by starting someone with four or even three games.