The Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons kicked off Saturday's NBA action in the afternoon, but seven other games will make up the remaining slate. There are plenty of ideal guards up for grabs, but big men seem to be the most appealing from a fantasy outlook. Several are in prime positions to abuse mismatches or make the most out of new opportunities.
Are you looking for strong returns? Here's who you should keep an eye on as you look to build an optimal lineup:
Stud: Alperen Sengun
Sengun is gearing up for his first meeting with the Utah Jazz this season. The Houston Rockets center is amid his best scoring month of the season. He's averaging 22.8 points per game in January and should easily impose his will as a low-post scorer and rebounder against John Collins, who the Jazz have opted to start at center over Walker Kessler. His physical advantage should help him create open shots for himself and his teammates.
Mid-tier: Nikola Vucevic
Vucevic torched the Toronto Raptors with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists his last time out and could easily put up similar numbers against the depleted Memphis Grizzlies. They've moved on from Bismack Biyombo and Xavier Tillman is questionable, so they might not have many options to stop Vuc down low. The Chicago Bulls big man has rattled off five double-doubles in his previous six games while averaging 19.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.
Value: Marvin Bagley III
Bagley has been unleashed. The former Pistons big man made his Washington Wizards debut on Thursday and started in place of the concussed Daniel Gafford. The Duke product racked up 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in 39 minutes against the New York Knicks' sturdy defense. Gafford won't play again on Saturday, so Bagley could see a similar workload against the abysmal San Antonio Spurs. Bagely's price will probably rise significantly with another start, so fantasy managers should buy low while they can.
