It’s that time of the season when teams are looking for spark — a player that can help make a potential playoff push even a little easier. While that notion pertains to NBA teams with the trade deadline a few weeks away, it also stretches to the fantasy sports realm.
It’s a pivotal point in the season for fantasy owners everywhere as a win can or loss can make or break a season. In that respect fantasy owners are searching the free agent pool looking for that diamond-in-the-rough guy that could make a huge difference down the stretch.
Shabazz Muhammad might be that guy.
Muhammad has missed much of the last month with a strained oblique, and while it’s not a lock that he plays Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks, he’ll likely be active for the first time since early January.
That in and of itself might be enough of a reason to claim Muhammad in most standard leagues. He’s only owned 14.3 percent of ESPN leagues at the moment with a 2.1 percent increase in the last week. That means a handful of people are already banking on Muhammad coming back and wrecking the whole league like he did before his injury.
As far as his actual role now that he’s back for the Wolves — the hottest team in the NBA right now for those keeping score at home — Muhammad will likely be eased back into the rotation in before the All Star Break. That said as soon as he’s ready to start playing regular minutes again, Muhammad will probably used as a sparkplug off the bench.
Though he worked his way into the starting rotation earlier this season, he seems better suited for a role where he can use his unmatched energy in spurts, rather than have to conserve it over the course of a whole game. That, coupled with the fact that Minnesota has its starting lineup set in stone for the first time in months (Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin, Andrew Wiggins, Thaddeus Young, and Nikola Pekovic) makes Muhammad a better option off the bench.
That role could also be perfect for his value in the fantasy realm.
Muhammad was averaging 13.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game before his injury, and it’s safe to assume his production will remain the same now that he’s back in the mix.
While it’s not a sexy move that’s going to turn a lot of heads, and he isn’t a player that’s going to carry a team for an entire week, Shabazz Muhammad is a guy that could make an impact if given the chance.
TRENDING UPWARD
-- Ricky Rubio recently returned from an injury that kept him out for close to three months and hit the ground running. In just his third game back Rubio snapped for 17 points and single-handedly willed the Wolves to a win. He’s always been a guy that racks up assists. Now he looks like a guy that could provide some firepower in the scoring category. Rubio is a guy to keep an eye on and maybe a guy to buy low on right now.
-- Andrew Wiggins has been improving steadily throughout the season, and while he might take a bit of a step back for a few games as he gets used to playing with Ricky Rubio again, his overall production will increase over time. Wiggins has been a godsend this season and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anything soon.
-- Nikola Pekovic recently scored a season-high 29 points. He’s a bully in the low post and a guy that’s going to get additional looks with Ricky Rubio back running sets. Pekovic is only owned in 45.9 percent of ESPN leagues right now. Though he offers a huge injury risk, he’s also a guy that can straight up get buckets. That’s always a good thing.