Fantasy Basketball 2020: Top Pickups After NBA Trade Deadline

The moves made before the NBA trade deadline altered the rotations of a handful of squads.

One of the most notable changes occurred with the Detroit Pistons, who shipped Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for a pair of players and a draft pick.

The Pistons now have to fill the void of the league's leading rebounder, and with Blake Griffin out injured, there is an opportunity for lesser-known players to increase their statistics.

The rearranging of the Minnesota Timberwolves roster opened up a chance for one of their newly acquired players to be a reliable fantasy option moving forward alongside the team's top point producers.

Instead of waiting a week or two to see how the moves affect fantasy basketball, it would be wise to pick up the players who will benefit most from the trades now before other owners scoop them up.

Top Pickups After Trade Deadline

Christian Wood, PF/C, Detroit

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

No single player will be able to replace Drummond's 17.8 points and 15.8 rebounds per game, but Christian Wood could make up for a decent chunk of those stats in Detroit.

Wood is in the middle of a stretch with four double-digit performances over the past five games, but he has not earned more than eight rebounds in that run.

Pistons head coach Dwane Casey noted after Wednesday's win over the Phoenix Suns that the coaching staff is looking for more consistency from Wood, per Keith Langlois of the team's official website:

"Just his focus, making sure he understands the next-play mentality. Consistency. When he's consistent, he's a talent. So that's our charge as a coaching staff to make sure we keep him on target, on point what he's doing on both ends of the floor."

Without Drummond's presence on the glass, Wood's rebounding totals should increase by a few boards per game.

He may not be at double-double level every night, but Wood will at least have the opportunity in front of him to fill the void on Detroit's stat chart.

In each of his recent 10-plus-point outings, Wood shot 50 percent or better from the field, and he has knocked down a three-pointer in each of his last four appearances.

Wood eclipsed 30 minutes for the first time this season Monday and hit that mark again Wednesday, and with Drummond gone, his time on the floor should be more consistent moving forward.

Malik Beasley, SG, Minnesota

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Malik Beasley's change in scenery from Denver to Minnesota should open up more minutes for him.

With the Nuggets, the shooting guard did not start in any of his 41 appearances this season after starting 18 of 81 games last season. 

Beasley is expected to log more time in Minnesota's rotation alongside D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns. 

Before he was traded to the Timberwolves, Beasley strung together three straight double-digit outings for the Nuggets. 

In Minnesota, the 23-year-old will be a tertiary scoring option, but if Russell and Towns occupy the top opposing defenders, he could find plenty of open looks in every game.

At the moment, Beasley could be the best choice to fill in the points column behind the two stars, as Minnesota looks to replace the production of Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington, who were traded to Golden State and Houston, respectively.

No matter which way you look at Minnesota's situation after the trade deadline, there will be an opportunity for Beasley to produce, which makes him an intriguing waiver-wire prospect. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.