I love and appreciate MLK Day. It’s a day to honor and reflect on the incredible legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most inspiring and impactful leaders in history. As a basketball fan, MLK Day has also become a bit of a tradition for me. It’s the perfect blend of reflection and joy — starting the week immersed in history and hoops.
Monday’s slate brought plenty of action for fantasy managers, too. Here’s everything from standout performances to duds, with some potential pickups following yesterday’s games.
Top MLK Day Fantasy Performances
Daniel Gafford – PF/C, Dallas Mavericks
Gafford turned in a career-best showing on Monday, stuffing the stat sheet in the Mavs’ win over the Hornets. He posted a jaw-dropping 31 points (career-high), 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 7 blocks and 1 steal. Gafford scored 77.5 fantasy points, the highest of the slate.
Without Dereck Lively II in the lineup, Gafford has stepped up big time. He’s averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3 stocks per game while shooting a ridiculous 77% from the field with Lively off the floor this season. Lively is set to return soon, but Gafford remains one of fantasy’s most reliable backup bigs.
CJ McCollum – PG/SG, New Orleans Pelicans
McCollum’s late-game heroics helped the Pels pull out a 123-119 victory in overtime over the Jazz. McCollum had 45 points (18-31, 5-13 3PT, 8-10 FT) with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks across 43 minutes on Monday night. He scored 18 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter and led a 25-point comeback, the largest in Pelicans franchise history. McCollum finished with 67.6 fantasy points, the second-highest on Monday. Shoutout to Dejounte Murray, too. He came up a rebound-shy of a triple-double, scoring 57.3 fantasy points (third-highest).
Jalen Duren – C, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons have been one of the best teams since the calendar flipped to 2025 and defeating the Houston Rockets on the road was another impressive feat. Led by Cade Cunningham’s 32 points, Jalen Duren had one of his most efficient two-way efforts of the season, finishing with 16 points (8-8 FG) with 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, equating to 52.3 fantasy points — the fourth-highest on Monday. Duren was an early-season dud, but he’s turned it up recently, providing third-round value to fantasy managers in 9-cat leagues over the past two weeks — sell high?
Other notable performances:
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Donovan Mitchell – 49.50 fantasy points
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LaMelo Ball – 48.90 fantasy points
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Kyrie Irving – 47.30 fantasy points
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Trey Murphy III – 46.40 fantasy points
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Jayson Tatum – 46.30 fantasy points
MLK Day Fantasy Flops
Andrew Wiggins – SF/PF, Golden State Warriors
Granted, the Warriors played horrendous basketball as a team, but Wiggs did no favors, going 1-for-11 from the field and scoring 4 points with 3 rebounds and 2 stocks in 24 minutes. He finished with 12.60 fantasy points, and Dennis Schröder was even worse, with 10.50 fantasy points, which resulted in a blowout loss to the Celtics.
Bradley Beal – PG/SG/SF, Phoenix Suns
Dropping 5 points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3PT), 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 25 minutes sounds like a lot of cardio with no impact. His four-shot attempts were his lowest of the season, and fantasy managers can only shake their heads at 12.60 fantasy points. He needs to waive his no-trade clause because even if he’s returning from an ankle sprain, this ain’t it.
Nick Richards – C, Phoenix Suns
Fresh off a double-double off the bench, Richards joined the starting unit and gave fantasy managers a grand total of 14.30 fantasy points. There will be better days ahead, but 4 points with 4 boards and 2 blocks in 22 minutes fell well short of expectations, especially with Evan Mobley out of the lineup.
Bogdan Bogdanovic – SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks
The 58% of fantasy managers rostering Bogie must give it up because he’s cooked. He played 15 minutes off the bench, producing 1 point (0-4 FG, 0-4 3PT, 1-2 FT) with 2 boards and 3 turnovers. He amassed 0.4 fantasy points. Yuck.
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Pickups Worth Streaming
Nick Smith Jr. – PG/SG, Charlotte Hornets (8% rostered on Yahoo)
Nick Smith Jr. flashed his scoring upside on Monday, dropping 19 points on an efficient 7-of-13 shooting, including 5-for-8 from deep. He also chipped in 3 boards, 1 assist and 1 steal in 30 minutes during a win over the Mavericks.
This uptick in minutes and production comes with Brandon Miller (wrist) sidelined indefinitely and Tre Mann (back) still out. The Hornets have three more games left in Week 13, so Smith is officially on the radar for streaming. While you shouldn’t bank on this level of efficiency every night, his scoring and 3-point potential make him a solid short-term option. Monitor his role in the starting unit — he could hold sneaky value if his usage remains high.
Isaiah Collier – PG, Utah Jazz (22%)
The Jazz are ready to give their young players some run, and in 37 minutes, Collier brought fantasy managers a 20-point, 11-assist double-double. Collier became the youngest player in Jazz franchise history to record a 20-and-10 game and just the second rookie to do so this season (Jared McCain). Collin Sexton (rest) didn’t play on Monday, so that helped, but if Sexton is traded or load-managed later, we saw some potential after Collier’s performance on MLK Day. I wouldn’t pick him up yet, but he should be on the silly season watchlist.
Svi Mykhailiuk – SG/SF, Utah Jazz (1%)
The Ukrainian wing is only 1% rostered, so this will be a deep cut. The seven-year pro is on his eighth team, but with all the injuries and lineup alterations in Utah, Mykhailiuk is getting a chance to play. He finished Monday’s contest with 19 points (7-14 FG, 4-10 3PT, 1-1 FT) with 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in 27 minutes. And not for nothing, Mykhailiuk’s block on Jordan Hawkins was nasty.
He’s been flirting with ninth-round value in his last four games, averaging 16 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.0 3s and 1.3 stocks. I doubt he’s in the Jazz’ plans, but he could be a streamable asset in the short term. Also, where did Kyle Filipowski come from with 17 rebounds off the bench? That Pels/Jazz game was off the rails.
Rob Dillingham – PG, Minnesota Timberwolves (2%)
Dillingham saw his first action in over a month, playing 17 minutes off the bench for the Wolves. Donte DiVincenzo is out indefinitely with a toe injury, which opens up valuable minutes for Dillingham as a reserve guard. Since Mike Conley Jr. is starting, he’s more of a watchlist guy for me, but his 15 points (6-8 FG, 3-4 3PT) with 3 rebounds and 2 assists in limited action showcased his potential.
