After a good five-game stretch, Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott had just seven points (2-for-6 from the floor, 1-for-2 from three-point range) with two rebounds over 25 minutes. But over that previous five games, including one start, he averaged 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and two made three-pointers per game.
With Jimmy Butler (illness) and Dwyane Wade (rest) set to sit out the second of a back-to-back Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards, McDermott should get a start and plenty of minutes. That will make him a solid DFS play, and a likely value, but is McDermott worth adding in season-long fantasy leagues?
Since missing a month with a concussion, McDermott is averaging 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game over 16 games (28.5 minutes per game). His usage rate is trending up in January, albeit in only four games, to 17.4 percent compared to his season-long usage rate of 16.2. That spike is not really sustainable, with Butler and Wade getting plenty of touches and shots, but McDermott is also a perimeter shooting threat the Bulls don’t really have consistently.
McDermott is far from a fantasy stud, and his DFS viability is sure to fluctuate based partially on Wade’s game-to-game availability. But as a possible bench stash that can contribute in a few categories, McDermott is at least worth keeping an eye on, and he’s worth adding right away in deep leagues.
Doug McDermott ESPN Ownership: 13.6%
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