NBA Fantasy: Week 12 Start/Sit, including Malik Monk, Naz Reid and Andre Drummond

We're set for an interesting Week 12 schedule-wise, as we have a pair of teams saddled with the rare one-game week, as well as one two-game club. There are slightly more three-game schedules than those of the four-game variety, but we still have plenty of players with the maximum amount of opportunities to choose from. 

Each week, we'll aim to highlight a pair of Start candidates for your fantasy rosters that may shape up as some of the tougher calls of the week to make, with the focus usually being on players with a start or roster rate of 50% or less in Yahoo leagues. We'll also typically hone in on players with four-game weeks in an attempt to maximize opportunities for production.

Likewise, we'll spotlight one Sit candidate at each position that would normally not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, with the focus often on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.

TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz

TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards

TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES: Philadelphia 76ers

TEAMS WITH ONE GAME: Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers

Without further ado, let's examine some of the tougher start/sit decisions for Week 12:

Guards    

Start: Malik Monk, Kings

47% start rate 

Monk is a consideration every time the Kings are working on a full schedule, as the veteran guard always can go on a nice multi-game heater off the bench and boost your lineup in a couple of different categories along the way. There's still some volatility to Monk's production, but he's locked into a stable second-unit role that typically affords him minutes in the low-to-mid-20s at minimum. Monk checks in averaging a well-rounded 17.7 points (on 50.7 percent shooting, including 46.5 percent from three-point range), 6.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds across 28.5 minutes in his last six games. That sample includes tallies of 27 and 37 points as well, an illustration of the spike performances Monk is capable of when he has the hot hand.

Start: Malcolm Brogdon, Trail Blazers

44% start rate 

Brogdon is currently working out of the Trail Blazers' second unit, while Scoot Henderson handles starting point guard duties, but like Monk, Brogdon remains capable of starter-quality production off the bench. The veteran followed up a couple of duds in Week 11 to close out Portland's schedule with an 18-point haul over 22 minutes against the Nets on Sunday, and before his mini-slump, he'd put up 20.4 points (on 51.4 percent shooting, including 54.8 percent from distance), 7.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals across 32.4 minutes over a five-game stint as a starter. Brogdon is shooting over 40.0 percent from three-point range for the season as well and can be a solid source of assists in addition to his scoring contributions. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Marcus Smart, Grizzlies (51% start rate)

Sit: Spencer Dinwiddie, Nets

51% start rate

There will be a trio of Nets inhabiting the Sit recommendations this week, beginning with Dinwiddie, thanks largely to Brooklyn's one-game schedule. Dinwiddie is offering fairly replaceable production of late anyhow, as he has four single-digit scoring tallies – including one blanking – over the last nine contests, and he's shooting a paltry 34.1 percent over the entirety of that sample. With so little opportunity on his plate this week, sitting Dinwiddie is an easy decision.

Forwards          

Start: Duncan Robinson, Heat

34% start rate 

Jimmy Butler remains sidelined with a foot injury and Caleb Martin is also trending toward his sixth straight absence due to an ankle injury as the Heat open a four-game Week 12 schedule against the Rockets on Monday, helping boost the case for Robinson. The sharpshooting wing has been playing particularly well since the beginning of December, averaging 13.9 points (on 41.2 percent three-point shooting), 3.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds across his last 16 games. Robinson's contributions in shooting categories are well-known, but it's also worth noting he's averaging a career-high 3.1 assists per contest and has 10 tallies of four or more dimes across 33 games.

Start: Naz Reid, Timberwolves

42% start rate 

Reid has made appearances in this article already this season for his solid contributions off the bench, and he returns with the T-Wolves on tap for a busy week. The veteran big continues to average a career high in points (12.7) with the help of a career-best 39.8 percent mark on a career-high 4.7 three-point attempts per game. Reid remains a solid rebounder as well, and although he's had more single-digit scoring tallies than ideal in recent games, he's still been highly efficient over that period with 50.6 percent shooting, including 42.2 percent from behind the arc. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Kevin Love, Heat (31% roster rate); Simone Fontecchio, Jazz (24% roster rate)

Sit: Cameron Johnson, Nets

62% start rate

Johnson is enjoying a solid year overall that includes better than 40.0 percent shooting from deep for the third consecutive season, but he'll have precious little opportunity to flash his skills in Week 12 with the Nets limited to just one game. With the sparse schedule, it makes sense to look elsewhere for a forward candidate, especially since Johnson offers strong but far from irreplaceable numbers.

CENTERS        

Start: Andre Drummond, Bulls

48% start rate 

Drummond has been a fantasy darling during his six-game starting stint in place of an ailing Nikola Vucevic, putting together a couple of vintage performances that harkened back to his glory days in Motown, averaging 12.8 points, 17.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per contest in that span. Vucevic returned to action Friday but came off the bench, and Drummond still logged a solid 23 minutes in that contest against the Hornets. It's certainly possible Vucevic continues to be eased back in for at least one more game in Monday night's rematch with Charlotte, but even if Vucevic recaptures his first-unit role, Drummond has proven capable of offering strong per-minute scoring and rebounding numbers as a member of the second unit on multiple occasions this season.

Start: Nick Richards, Hornets

29% start rate 

Mark Williams remains out of action due to his back injury to open the Hornets' four-game week Monday, a development that will keep Richards in the starting role he's already filled for 13 consecutive games. Richards has averaged a serviceable 9.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks across 29 minutes per contest in that sample, posting a quartet of double-doubles in the process. With the possibility Williams' absence extends through Week 12, Richards is a very viable center Start candidate.

ALSO CONSIDER: Isaiah Hartenstein, Knicks (34% start rate)

Sit:  Nic Claxton, Nets

72% start rate 

Claxton will have just one chance to take the floor this coming week, unfortunate timing considering he comes into that period with a nice run of six double-doubles in the last seven, including three straight. Nevertheless, unless you're stretched thin at center and are in dire need of rebounding and block category boosts, you're likely best served looking at a big with considerably more opportunity this coming week.