Under the radar players for Week 11 in the NBA 2018-19 season

The NBA 2018-19 season has been a roller coaster ride so far, with no team running away with the conference just yet.

The Eastern Conference had the Toronto Raptors becoming runaway leaders, but injuries to key players halted their progress and now the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers are very much within touching distance with the Boston Celtics not too far behind.

Denver Nuggets are surprisingly top of the Western Conference

The Western Conference has been very turbulent this season, with no team coming out as a clear leader this season. Denver Nuggets are the team on the top of the Western Conference, with the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder in close pursuit.

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The team which is 14th, the New Orleans Pelicans are only seven games behind the Nuggets, making this one of the most intriguing playoff battles in a long time.

We all know the best players in the league, the ones who will perform night in and night out for their teams. Let us have a look at the players who are effective for their teams but slip under the radar.

Point Guards

#1 Rajon Rondo (Los Angeles Lakers)

Rajon Rondo has just returned from his hand injury which had kept him out for more than a month. He was averaging a nice 8 points per game, along with more than 4 rebounds and almost 7 assists along with a steal a game.

His impact on the Lakers when he is on the court is stellar and makes for cheap assists + steals pickup for your DFS/weekly fantasy squads.

#2 JJ Barea (Dallas Mavericks)

JJ Barea is one of the top rotation players in the Dallas Mavericks team this season. He is an elite playmaker and a great complementary player to Luka Doncic. He is averaging more than 11 points a game and almost 6 assists as well.

He also pulls down at least 2 rebounds a game and also manages an odd steal or a block a game. He is doing really well at the moment and is shooting really well too. He is truly an underrated star on the Mavericks roster this season.

#3 Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors)

The Toronto Raptors have had a blistering start to their season and their bench is really good at making this possible. One player who has been doing really well for them this season is their point guard, Fred VanVleet.

He is doing really well as second in line to Kyle Lowry and stepping in whenever Lowry is injured. He is averaging a good 10 points along with 4 rebounds in a bench role along with 1 steal. He is another truly under the radar player that needs more recognition.

#4 Emmanuel Mudiay (New York Knicks)

The New York Knicks have had trouble settling on a point guard for the past few seasons, but Mudiay has solved their problems for now.

He has been on a tear of late. He has become the first choice point guard for the Knicks and is averaging almost 15 points per game, along with 3 assists and 3 rebounds. He has been scoring with free will of late and should be a player to watch out on the Knicks for now.

Shooting Guards

#1 Bogdan Bogdanovic (Sacramento Kings)

Bogdan Bogdanovic has been off the radar for most this season, due to the stellar play from De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield taking over the limelight. Bogdanovic has been averaging 15 points per game and almost 4 assists and 3 rebounds.

In the last game against the Pelicans, Bogdanovic scored a nice 24 points along with 7 assists and 5 rebounds. He should be rostered in your DFS squads and should be monitored continuously.

#2 Wesley Matthews (Dallas Mavericks)

Dallas Mavericks v Portland Trail Blazers - Game Three

Matthews is enjoying the best field goal efficiency and scoring clip since his final season with Portland.

He is averaging an efficient 14.5 points per game, along with 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Shooting at almost 42% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc, Matthews is having an amazing season with the Mavericks.

#3 Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics)

Marcus Smart is one of the most underrated players this season, due to the fact that his offensive game is not as polished as his defense. He is averaging 2.8 steals since being shifted to the starting lineup around a month ago.

He is averaging a low scoring total of 8 points per game, but he has upped his assists, averaging at least 4 per game. With Hayward unable to find his form and this rotation becoming the winning one, Smart will stick around in the starting 5 and is a player to watch out for.

Small Forwards

#1 Robert Covington (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Portland Trail Blazers v Minnesota Timberwolves

Robert Covington is another player who is hugely underrated. especially as his profile has risen given his impact as a defensive force for Minnesota since being dealt in the Jimmy Butler blockbuster from November.

Covington, also known as "RoCo" is the embodiment of the term "3 and D" wing. He is averaging almost 13 points and 5 rebounds per game, with 2 steals and 2 blocks as well. He is shooting 6 3s a game too, making him a top player that is going under the radar of late.

#2 Trevor Ariza (Washington Wizards)

Back into a more comfortable role as a defensive combo forward for the Wizards, Ariza has been getting more and more open looks here. He was moved to the Wizards, in a deal which had Kelly Oubre Jr, moving the other way.

Ariza is having a resurgence with the Wizards, he is playing heavy minutes with Porter Jr out and has found his scoring touch. He is also an elite defender which makes him very valuable to the Wizards. We should keep an eye out for him to have a few big games.

#3 Kevin Knox (New York Knicks)

Kevin Knox has been playing some superb basketball of late

Kevin Knox was one of the most highly rated and anticipated players from the 2018 NBA draft. His start in the NBA was not he expected and had a really bad start and then suffered an injury.

His return from injury had him playing some minutes again, which he has capitalized on and has become a force to reckon with on this Knicks roster. He has been playing really well of late and has gone 7 games in a row with at least 15 points and 7 rebounds on an average. He seems to be breaking out finally and should look to continue his stellar performances.

Power Forwards

#1 Larry Nance Jr. (Cleveland Cavaliers)

With Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love injured and Sam Dekker traded, the Cavaliers only have Larry Nance Jr. to play in that spot, one which he seems to have made his own as of late. He has been a force to reckon with.

He has got 4 double-doubles in the last 6 games and has been both a great source of points and rebounds. He is even assisting at a high level from the post and we should keep our eye on him

#2 Lauri Markkanen (Chicago Bulls)

Lauri Markkanen was injured to start the NBA 2018-19 season and was overlooked for a while, until he returned to the court around the end of November.

He has been nothing short of great since his return to the court , averaging more than 17 points and just under 7 rebounds too. In his last 2 matches, Lauri has managed to score 2 30 point games in a row and with Lavine and Portis out for a while his usage will only rise.

#3 Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers)

Sabonis seems to have made enough of an impact to feature in most discussions this season but yet in one of the player who always flies under the radar due to his coming off the bench and lack of shots.

Yet, he is one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA this season. He is shooting at a high clip of more than 60% and doesn't seem like he will be stopping anytime soon

Centers

Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)

Jaren Jackson Jr. or "JJJ" as everyone loves to call him, is a rookie from the Memphis Grizzlies, who seems to be one of the biggest talents to come out of this draft.

He has a lot of foul trouble issues but whenever he can stay consistent. He is a player who can explode at any given game and should always look out for him.

#2 Thomas Bryant (Washington Wizards)

The Washington Wizards have been bad this season and the lack of a frontcourt after an injury to Dwight Howard has not helped, thrusting the young Thomas Bryant into the starting 5. Bryant has been an absolutely amazing form, scoring and rebounding. He had a 14-14 shooting game, which everyone sat up and noticed.

#3 Robert Williams (Boston Celtics)

With an injury to Aron Baynes for 4-6 weeks, the Celtics frontcourt seems a bit short-handed. Out comes the rookie, Robert Williams, to help out the team. He is a 6 foot 10 center, considered a great defender and an elite rim protector.

In the game versus the Pelicans, where he had 3 blocks, with a block or 2 on Anthony Davis. If he can get his offensive boards going, he is a really good athletic player. Look out for him tomorrow

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Edited by Abhinav Munshi