Table of Contents
I love and appreciate MLK Day. It is a day to honor and reflect on the incredible legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most inspiring and impactful leaders in history. As a basketball fan, MLK Day has become a tradition for me as well. It is the perfect combination of reflection and joy: starting the week immersed in history and basketball.
Monday’s schedule also brought plenty of action for fantasy managers. Here you’ll find everything from standout performances to flops, with some potential improvements after yesterday’s games.
Top MLK Day Fantasy Performances
Daniel Gafford – PF/C, Dallas Mavericks
Gafford had the best performance of his career on Monday, filling the stat sheet in the Mavs’ win over the Hornets. He had 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 has averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3 actions per game while shooting a ridiculous 77% from the field with Lively sidelined this season. Lively is expected to return soon, but Gafford remains one of fantasy’s most reliable backup bigs.
CJ McCollum – PG/SG, New Orleans Pelicans
McCollum’s late-game heroics helped the Pels to a 123-119 overtime victory over the Jazz. McCollum scored 45 points (18-31, 5-13 3PT, 8-10 FT) with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in 43 minutes on Monday night. 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. Shout out also to Dejounte Murray. He fell one rebound shy of a triple-double, scoring 57.3 fantasy points (third-highest).
Jalen Duren – C, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons have been one of the best teams since the calendar turned to 2025 and defeating 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 field goals) with 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, which equals 52.3 fantasy. points, the fourth highest on Monday. Duren was a bust at the start of the season, but he’s turned it up recently, providing third-round value to fantasy managers in 9-cat leagues over the past two weeks: Sell High?
Other notable performances:
-
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
MLK Day Fantasy Flops
Andrew Wiggins – SF/PF, Golden State Warriors
Of course, the Warriors played horrendous basketball as a team, but Wiggs did them no favors, going 1-for-11 from the field and scoring 4 points with 3 rebounds and 2 actions in 24 minutes. He finished with 12.60 fantasy points, and Dennis Schröder was even worse, with 10.50 fantasy points, resulting in a crushing loss to the Celtics.
Bradley Beal – PG/SG/SF, Phoenix Suns
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 the 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 a sprained ankle, this is not it.
Nick Richards – C, Phoenix Suns
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 are ahead, but 4 points with 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in 22 minutes were well below expectations, especially with Evan Mobley out of the lineup.
Bogdan Bogdanovic – SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks
58% of fantasy managers who draft Bogie should quit because he’s cooked. Played 15 minutes off the bench, producing 1 point (0-4 FG, 0-4 3PT, 1-2 FT) with 2 rebounds and 3 turnovers. He amassed 0.4 fantasy points. Disgusting.
This embedded content is not available in your region.
Pills worth passing on
Nick Smith Jr. – PG/SG, Charlotte Hornets (8% enrolled in Yahoo)
Nick Smith Jr. showed off his scoring potential on Monday, dropping 19 points on efficient 7-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-8 from deep. He also contributed 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 30 minutes during a win over the Mavericks.
This increase in minutes and production comes with Brandon Miller (wrist) sidelined indefinitely and Tre Mann (back) still out. The Hornets have three more games left in Week 13, so Smith is officially on the broadcast radar. While this level of efficiency shouldn’t be relied on every night, his scoring and 3-point shooting potential make him a solid short-term option. Monitor his role on the starting unit – he could have stealth value if his usage remains high.
Isaiah Collier – PG, Utah Jazz (22%)
The Jazz are ready to give their young players some career, and in 37 minutes, Collier gave Fantasy coaches 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 just the second rookie to do so this season (Jared McCain). Collin Sexton (rest) didn’t play Monday, so that helped, but if Sexton is traded or handled the load later, we saw some potential after Collier’s performance on MLK Day. I wouldn’t pick it yet, but it should be on the silly season watch list.
Svi Mykhailiuk – SG/SF, Utah Jazz (1%)
The Ukrainian wing only has 1% of its staff, so it 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 has 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 not in vain, Mykhailiuk’s block on Jordan Hawkins was unpleasant.
He has been flirting with ninth-round value in his last four games, averaging 16 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.0 three-pointers and 1.3 action points. I doubt he’s in the Jazz’s plans, but he could be an available asset in the short term. Also, where did Kyle Filipowski come from with 17 rebounds off the bench? That game between Pels and Jazz was off the rails.
Rob Dillingham – PG, Minnesota Timberwolves (2%)
Dillingham saw his first action in over a month, playing 17 minutes off the bench for the Wolves. Donte DiVincenzo is out indefinitely with a toe injury, which opens up valuable minutes for Dillingham at reserve guard. Since Mike Conley Jr. is the starter, he’s more of a watch list guy to me, but his 15 points (6-8 FG, 3-4 3PT) with 3 rebounds and 2 assists in limited action They demonstrated their potential.