Fantasy NBA Daily Notes: Taurean Prince vs. Josh Jackson - ESPN

For those who are still entrenched in the fantasy playoffs or battling for a roto title, these next three days will challenge both your patience and your WiFi connection. Acting quickly to react to resting stars and ever-shifting rotations will prove pivotal. The clearest path to statistical success at this stage of the season is to embrace the variance these chaotic final days produce by acting on the news of the night.

The "perfect" DFS lineup for the early afternoon slate on Sunday included Lance Stephenson and Domantas Sabonis (who set a new career-best scoring mark) of the Indiana Pacers, as the team is settling into the fifth seed and chose to curb the minutes and workloads of Thaddeus Young and Myles Turner.

The ideal lineup for the 1:00 p.m. ET slate also included Malik Monk of the Charlotte Hornets, Taurean Prince of the Atlanta Hawks and Dennis Smith Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks; young players on teams long since out of the playoff picture, who have been afforded alpha roles on their respective offenses.

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The optimal DFS lineup for last night's slate included Tyler Ennis and Josh Hart of the Los Angeles Lakers and Danuel House Jr. and Dragan Bender of the Phoenix Suns. We even saw OG Anunoby excel on Sunday. I've espoused this approach before, but it bears repeating for these frenzied final days -- fantasy managers in season-long leagues can glean actionable information from DFS results and analysis.

The DFS crowd was all over Hart and Ennis after learning the Lakers were sitting Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. When news of Josh Jackson and Marquese Chriss being out for the Suns broke, Bender and House were natural beneficiaries. The same proves true for free agency in traditional fantasy leagues, as streaming becomes an influential factor at this stage of the campaign.

If we learned anything during this past weekend of NBA action it's that both good and bad teams will rest players in the twilight of the regular season. Superstars on playoff teams that can't influence seeding will rest. Productive players on bad teams will rest. There isn't a predictive formula for how each scenario will play out, so we must prove nimble with management decisions.

Sunday recap

Highlights

Malik Monk, Charlotte Hornets: 22 points (8-17 FG), 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 TO

Taurean Prince, Atlanta Hawks: 33 points (12-17 FG), 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 7 3-pointers, 5 TO

Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers: 30 points (13-21 FG), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 TO

Dennis Smith, Jr., Dallas Mavericks: 20 points (9-19 FG), 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 3 TO

Lowlights

Reggie Jackson, Detroit Pistons: 13 points (2-9 FG), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 TO

Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors: 11 points (3-10 FG), 7 assists, 3 TO

Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets: 12 points (4-9 FG), 5 assists, 4 TO

Weekend takeaways

• Leveraging some of the NBA's rich player-tracking data from the weekend, we find some unique names emerging in some of the more fantasy-relevant opportunity rates. For instance, the Suns' Tyler Ulis is sixth in the NBA since Friday with 93 touches per game. Smith Jr. is fifth in the NBA during this small but revealing sample, while the Knicks' Trey Burke is just ahead of Jeff Teague and Mitchell in touches per game. Having the ball often helps lead to surface stats, with Smith Jr. fourth in the league in potential assists per game (18.5) and Ulis sixth (18) in two games since Friday.

• The Knicks' Kyle O'Quinn is the most-added player this past week for good reason; he's fourth in the NBA over the past weekend with 23 rebounding chances (defined as being within 3.5 feet of an available rebound). It also helps that the Knicks' pivot leads the NBA in blocks during the past seven days, just ahead of fellow ascendant center Jarrett Allen (available in 80 percent of ESPN leagues).

• One key player comparison I'd like to present is Prince versus Jackson. I could be wrong, but I feel like the fantasy market is going to overvalue Jackson thanks to his strong finish to the season that has seen him average 21.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 2.0 SPG on 19.3 shots during his past 12 games. Prince has averaged 17.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.2 SPG and 2.3 3PG on 14.8 shots during his past 12. I think Prince is the more ascendant player, given flashes of efficiency from beyond the arc and a massive lead in free throw efficiency. I'd be wary of baking in a leap for Jackson, given how his success has been driven by volume versus efficiency, since Devin Booker, TJ Warren and a top draft pick are due to consume usage next season. Prince, meanwhile, could challenge Dennis Schroder as the alpha offensive lead in Atlanta next season.

• Walker might already be on vacation; he's averaged just 9.8 PPG and 3.5 APG on 33 percent shooting the past four games. Monk, on the other hand, is proving emergent down the stretch with 20 PPG, 4 APG and 4 3PG during his past four outings. I was possibly unfairly low on Monk as a prospect this season, as he simply wasn't given much time or many shots to grow in what was a weak Charlotte offense. Monk could become a valuable fantasy weapon as a high-volume shooting specialist if new GM Mitch Kupchak makes a switch to a progressive coach and scheme. This could prove particularly accurate if Walker is dealt during the offseason.

• For those seeking out easy defensive targets and differentiation when streaming, it helps to reference the league's defensive rating index (points allowed per 100 possessions) in April. The Clippers, Grizzlies, Warriors, Hornets and Bucks are among the six worst defenses this month.

• Speaking of the Grizzlies, MarShon Brooks' career revival has been fun to watch unfold; he's earned a two-year deal, thanks to somehow averaging 23.3 PPG in four NBA games this season. Getting shares of Brooks and, well Dillon Brooks, could prove helpful for fantasy managers in need of reinforcements this week.

Injuries of note

• Denver's Gary Harris is doubtful for Monday night due to a knee sprain, even as they could really use him in pursuit of a playoff bid. Reports from the beat writers suggest his regular season is likely over, thus I'd be comfortable exchanging him for one of the Brooks discussed above.

• The Suns' Chriss was held out for what might just be lottery leverage, as was Jackson yesterday. Chriss has been playing well, so keep an eye on his hip "injury."

• The Raptors could use this final stretch to rest their key players, which includes Fred VanFleet sitting out on Sunday with a back issue. Delon Wright could be a savvy addition if Lowry and VanFleet rest.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out Saturday against the Knicks with an ankle injury, but it appears to be maintenance, given he'd played seven straight leading into the game.

Analytics advantage for Monday

Having already broached the Clippers' suspect defense, it's worth noting just how specifically bad they've been of late on that end; having allowed an absurd 122.3 points per 100 possessions since the start of April in four games, eight more than any other team.

This means tonight's tilt with the Pelicans could be the choice DFS climate of the slate, given an atypically rich projected point total that opened at 227.5 points across most major books. Vegas is a helpful tool for sifting through a busy night in the NBA, so I'm also intrigued by the healthy point total in Brooklyn tonight (220). The Nets are giving their key players heavy minutes, considering their draft pick is in Cleveland's hands, making players like Allen valuable in both daily and seasonal formats.

Top players to watch tonight

Focusing on tanking teams can prove profitable at this stage of the season, with players such as the Grizzlies' Deyonta Davis and Chicago's David Nwaba and Sean Kilpatrick due heavy minutes and touches to conclude the campaign. I get the complaints for how fickle this part of the season can prove for seasonal leagues, but it's entirely fun for DFS purposes, given how many of these key values emerge.

For a more recognized but still affordable player to consider, how about San Antonio's Rudy Gay -- who provided a wry grin when asked if there was any narrative energy playing against his former team, the Kings, tonight. With the Spurs seeking to secure another playoff berth, Gay could top 25 minutes and 30 fantasy points tonight.

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