Fantasy basketball pickups: Look at Melton, Hield to fill Butler void

Jimmy Butler III’s season-ending knee injury last week was one of the most significant events in the league this season. Butler was playing very well, and the Golden State Warriors had won 12 of their past 16 games as they prepared to make a second-half push up the standings.

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With Butler out, the Warriors reinserted Jonathan Kuminga into the rotation, and he played well until suffering his own knee injury that kept him out of Saturday’s game. Kuminga is talented and productive when he plays, but he had also fallen out of the Warriors’ rotation in each of the past two seasons. He recently requested a trade. Now, the Warriors must decide what to do at the trade deadline. Their decision will impact the fantasy numbers of not only their players, but potentially other teams’ players in the league who might be involved in potential deals.

In the meantime, several Warriors players now have bigger roles that make them viable on the fantasy front for as long as they remain in said roles. You’ll see multiple Warriors in this space.

As always, we’ll dig into the free agency wire to identify lightly rostered players who are ready to help your fantasy squads.

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Point guard

De’Anthony Melton, PG/SG, Warriors (5.6% rostered in ESPN leagues): Melton is one of several secondary players on the Warriors who has bumped up to fantasy relevance after the injuries to Butler and Kuminga. Melton scored 22 points in 23 minutes three days after Butler’s injury. It was the third time Melton had scored 22 or more points in his past five games. He is a viable flex or streamer in the new state of the Warriors. Brandin Podziemski (38.9% rostered) is another point guard-eligible Warriors player worthy of a roster spot.

Bub Carrington, PG/SG, Washington Wizards (12.0%): Carrington moved back into Washington’s starting lineup 10 days ago, and has been producing with heavy minutes. Carrington is a solid mid-teens scorer who can dish a handful of assists, grab three to four boards and knock down a couple of 3-pointers while in this role. Trae Young continues to be sidelined and is expected to be out for a while, so Carrington could maintain this role for the foreseeable future.

Shooting guard

Max Christie, SG, Dallas Mavericks (20.6%): Christie had another scorching streak last week, showing he is capable of scoring 20-plus points and knocking down three or more 3-pointers for extended stretches when his shot is working. Christie is an impact player for the Mavericks this season, particularly when Anthony Davis is sidelined, and has flex-worthy value while playing at this level.

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Buddy Hield, SG/SF, Warriors (14.5%): Hield is another Warriors reserve whose usage goes up in the absence of Butler and Kuminga. Hield scored 25 points in his first game after the Butler injury, but he is also still coming off the bench, so his minutes and scoring fluctuate from game to game. Hield will likely average mid-teens scoring with multiple 3-pointers per game moving forward, the numbers he typically puts up when he’s a regular part of the rotation.

Small forward

Kelly Oubre Jr., SF/SG, Philadelphia 76ers (47.9%): Oubre has been steadily picking up his pace in the past week, playing his best ball since returning from an extended injury absence. He moved into the starting lineup last Monday and increased his scoring from 18 points to 21 to 26 in his first three starts. Oubre is a plus scorer with 3-and-D skills who can also grab a handful of rebounds a game.

Sam Hauser, SF, Boston Celtics (15.0%): Hauser has been on fire from behind the arc since the calendar switched to 2026. He made 46 of his first 95 3-point attempts this month and scored at least 16 points in five straight games over the past 10 days, including a 30-point explosion against the Atlanta Hawks.

Power forward

Saddiq Bey, PF/SF, New Orleans Pelicans (28.3%): Bey was red-hot from late November through the end of December and then missed a couple of weeks because of a hip injury. Since returning two weeks ago, he has picked up where he left off. Bey has scored in double digits in every game since his return, with four games of 20 or more points during that span, including 36 on Friday.

P.J. Washington, PF/SF, Mavericks (48.8%): Washington missed most of January because of a combination of personal issues and an ankle injury. But he returned with 10 points and five combined blocks and steals in 22 minutes Thursday. When he’s in the lineup, Washington is a consistent mid-teens scorer who can contribute rebounds and 3-pointers in addition to the defensive categories.

Center

Jusuf Nurkic, C, Utah Jazz (51.2%): Nurkic continues to consistently miss games, but when he is on the court, his play is magical. Last week, Nurkic became the first Jazz player in decades to notch triple-doubles in back-to-back games. Nurkic played only 10 games from Dec. 22 to Jan. 22, but in those 10 games, he averaged 17.5 points, 12.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists.

Jock Landale, C, Memphis Grizzlies (15.4%): Landale has alternated between starting and a sixth-man role in the new year, but he has been productive in both. After averaging 17.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games off the bench last week, Landale returned to the starting lineup Friday and had 24 points and 11 rebounds. Landale is a viable flex option at center for as long as Zach Edey remains sidelined.