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Fantasy Mailbag: Is Joe Ingles' value going to increase?

The race for the fantasy playoffs is heating up, so I took your questions from Twitter and Instagram to try and help you make the most of your fantasy team. Let’s get to it.

@grant_cresswell Is Jaren Jackson Jr. a drop?

If you haven’t heard it, Jaren Jackson Jr. suffered a knee sprain and he will be out at least two weeks.

To say that it is not ideal timing for fantasy playoffs, and the Grizzlies’ playoff push, is an understatement.

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But, let’s revisit what Jackson has actually been doing. Over the last month, he is averaging just 26.96 fantasy points per game and that means he is not a top 100 player.

With a return coming no earlier than March 7, and the production not great to begin with, it’s pretty tough to hold onto JJJ especially if your team is still fighting for the playoffs.

@kaiobe Milton worth a shake for a weekly league stream?

First of all, I enjoy the pun. For those of you who don’t know, Kaiobe is referring to Shake Milton, a backup guard for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Shake Milton gets ready to shoot the ball.
\Shake Milton #18 of the Philadelphia 76ers controls the ball against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center on February 20, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 112-104 in overtime. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

With Ben Simmons suffering through a troubling back issue, there is a real fear he may be forced to miss most of this week, if not more.

But, the initial MRI results have only led us to having Simmons ruled out for Tuesday. Last game Simmons missed, it was Raul Neto who started, but the Sixers have such an abundance of average guards and wings, that finding one guy to replace Simmons is not something Brett Brown will likely do.

Milton has impressed this season, but there is Neto, there is also Alec Burks and there are more minutes that can go to Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz too.

As well as Glenn Robinson III, pushing Josh Richardson across to point guard.

So, while Milton is worthy of a flier, I would prioritise him behind Burks and probably Robinson.

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For a weekly lock league, which is what I am assuming is meant by weekly league, he may play one game and then be a DNP the others. So, in short, no, I wouldn’t give it a shake for the week ahead, there are too many variables that I think you can find better options around.

@alexredekop Is there any path to Joe Ingles providing more value than he currently is or is this likely to be his averages moving forward?

It’s been a rough year for Ingles. He struggled coming off the bench to begin the year, but then, when Mike Conley got hurt, he moved back to the starting line up and it looked like the old Ingles was back.

But, things have not turned out that way, especially since Conley has returned, even with Ingles remaining in the starting lineup. Over the last month, Ingles isn’t even a top 175 player, averaging 20.15 fantasy points per game in 31 minutes and I don’t really see a whole lot changing.

Conley will miss some games, but now with Jordan Clarkson around, he will pick up the slack, not Ingles. So, I have very little faith in Ingles becoming a relevant player for fantasy leagues that aren’t significantly deeper than the standard.

Joe Ingles dribbles the ball.
Joe Ingles in action during a game against the New York Knicks at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 8, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

@rem_wah Thoughts on Naz Reid as a short-term add? 12 team points league. Also, do you think he has decent dynasty value?

With Karl-Anthony Towns out for at least two weeks, Reid is the short-term starting centre for Minnesota and his first game as a starter yielded over 40 fantasy points.

Now, it may last just 6-7 games, but that sort of top 50ish production is too good to leave on the wire. The Wolves won’t rush Towns back (I fully expect Towns to play again this season), so Reid could be a nice boost to push you into a strong playoff spot.

Reid has looked comfortable at NBA level and while of course Towns is the Wolves centre, Reid could attract attention as a free agent in a few years and I think he has top 100 dynasty value and could be a starter in the league.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and keep an eye out for the next mailbag tweet to gather your questions.