The Detroit Pistons are playing some of their best basketball of the season at the right time, as they won four in a row to put themselves in the 6th seed heading into the All-Star break.
They have at least five players who are surging at the right time, filling in the absence left by the injury to Jaden Ivey.
Prior to this season, you wouldn’t have paid much attention to the Pistons when it came to fantasy basketball or daily bets unless you had Cade Cunningham, hoping he’d put up big stats in a loss.
That has changed this season and ESPN recently named two Detroit Pistons players that are savvy fantasy pickups for the home stretch.
Malik Beasley
Pistons fans already know all about the impact Malik Beasley has made this season, which is why most of us breathed a sigh of relief when he wasn’t traded at the deadline.
He’s been great on and off the court but you don’t get fantasy points for leadership and vibes.
Even without those, Beasley is a player only owned by a small percentage of fantasy owners, meaning he’s a bargain for his production, which has gone up of late.
Beasley has averaged just under 18 points per game over his last 10 while hitting 49 percent of his 3-point shots on over 10 attempts per game.
Those are starter numbers being put up by a guy who is a huge bargain, both in real life and in the realm of fantasy. When he’s on a heater (which he is right now), you won’t find too many better shooters in the league.
Ausar Thompson
If you are looking for a guy to fill the stat sheet, Thompson is your man, as he has increased his offensive production of late and is still getting steals, blocks and rebounds to go along with increased points and assists.
He’s only owned by 32 percent of fantasy owners, so if you are looking for a boost from someone few other people have, Thompson is your man.
Over his last five games, Thompson has averaged 15.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.2 steals while shooting over 70 percent from the floor, numbers that look sustainable now that he is 100 percent and would be a welcome addition to any team, fantasy or otherwise.
The Pistons are getting big production from guys on team-friendly deals and/or rookie contracts, which is key in the current NBA where tax penalties have real teeth and teams will increasingly need lower-paid players to make an impact.