You can Nance if you want to

by Zak Hanshew

Happy New Year! Sunday’s six-game slate was our last NBA action of 2023, and of course, we’ve got some recommended pickups to help out your team in 2024.

Larry Nance Jr. (12% rostered) 

Nance Jr. missed 13 straight games due to a rib fracture, but he’s been highly productive since returning to the Pelicans’ lineup. Over his last two, he’s averaged 10.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.0 triples across 24.0 minutes. What’s most encouraging about Nance Jr.’s outlook moving forward is that Jonas Valanciunas has averaged 24.0 minutes over his last two. The pair of centers should see a fairly even timeshare moving forward, and minutes in the low-to-mid-20’s should be enough for Nance Jr. to maintain relevance in 12-team leagues.

Donte DiVincenzo (23% rostered)

DiVincenzo’s arrow has been pointing up for weeks, but he’s in a fantastic position to succeed moving forward. He scored a career-high 38 points against Indiana on Saturday, hitting seven triples and stuffing the stat sheet with six rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block. The Knicks traded Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett for OG Anunoby, which means there are minutes up for grabs in New York. It’s time to add DiVincenzo with the hope that he can build off of Saturday’s career-best performance.

Lu Dort (34% rostered)

Dort has been great over his last four games, averaging 11.8 points, 3.5 boards, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 2.5 triples while shooting efficiently from the floor. He’s not going to dazzle on offense regularly, but he does enough across the stat sheet to be worth rostering in 12-team leagues. He’s ranked inside the top-85 in per-game fantasy value over the last week.

Aaron Nesmith (27% rostered) 

Nesmith went off for 25 points and a career-best seven triples Saturday against New York, adding a rebound, two assists and a steal across 31 minutes. He’s been productive over the last month, ranking inside the top-100 in per-game fantasy value behind 13.5 points, 3.1 boards, 1.1 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.9 triples. He’s started each of Indiana’s last three games, and he figures to be a big part of the team’s future plans, making him worth an add wherever he’s available.

Trayce Jackson-Davis (32% rostered)

TJD has seen increased run over the last seven games, averaging 11.7 points, 8.7 boards, 2.0 assists, 0.6 steals 1.0 blocks in that span. He drew his first start of the season Saturday against Dallas, delivering a 17/6/2/1 line in 29 minutes. With Draymond Green on the shelf indefinitely, and Golden State desperately searching for a spark, the rookie could see heavy playing time for the foreseeable future. He’s a must-add.