Buy Low, Sell High: Fantasy Week 16
Buy Low:
J.R. Smith has been making nightly appearances on SportsCenter highlights lately for his vicious dunks, but he’s done nothing to get the attention of fantasy owners so far this season. But if you look at his game log from last two seasons, it’s obvious that Smith is fully capable of turning things around after the All-Star break. It’s a bit speculative, but buy him at a low price from a disgruntled, impatient owner.
Paul Pierce has looked downright tame lately, and his knee troubles haven’t helped. But with the Celtics struggling it seems like a ripe opportunity for Pierce to put on his team captain’s hat and drag his slouching team to the finish line. Expect a big comeback for Pierce after the long weekend.
Dirk Nowitzki finished the first half of the regular season with a whimper, and he hasn’t had a three, steal or block in his last four games. Regardless, Diggler is a fantasy beast who consistently puts up solid numbers and doesn’t turn the ball over as much as other superstars do. Expect Notwitzki, who should get the starting All-Star spot left open by Kobe, to be revived for a strong second-half run.
Chris Kaman got the All-Star spot that many thought he deserved but finished out the first half with less-than convincing play, averaging just 5 rebounds in his last three games. The Kaveman remains a usually-reliable source of rebounds and blocks, and with Blake Griffin out of the picture, he should have himself a fine second half.
Ray Allen is at the center of plenty of trade rumors these days, and most scenarios have him going to a depleted team, which means he would likely shoulder a good deal of the offensive load. Even if he isn’t dealt, though, the Celtics will rely on him and Pierce for better production the rest of the way.
Kobe Bryant, Brandon Roy, Monta Ellis, Mo Williams and any other productive fantasy players who are injured should be considered buy-low candidates.
Sell High:
Lamar Odom has been beastly while Kobe and Andrew Bynum have been dealing with injuries, but we all know what happens when he comes off the bench: his numbers plummet. Sell as high as you can before the weekend is up.
Stephen Curry has been nothing short of awesome for the Warriors and his fantasy owners so far, but after a triple-double, reports that Monta Ellis’ injury is a lot less serious than many feared, and the dreaded rookie wall looming for the rookie guard who is playing heavy minutes, it might be an ideal time to sell high on Curry.
Jermaine O’Neal had a strong weak and is having a surprisingly decent fantasy season so far. But we all know about his frail health. He’s a hot potato and you should try your best not to be caught with him on your team down the stretch of the season.
Andre Miller has been quite nice with Roy out, but those days are ending very shortly. He’s done a good job of recovering much of his value that was lost at the beginning of the season, but he’s not guaranteed to continue on his current roll, especially with a near-healthy roster.
Darren Collison has been the pickup of the month, but give opponents another couple weeks to figure out how to defend against him and wait for him to encounter some inconsistency during the second half. Also, with Chris Paul’s return a faraway thought in most owners’ minds, it’s a good idea to sell high on him as early as you can.
Throughout the season, be sure to leave your questions, comments, concerns, trade offers, roster problems and more in the comments below.
Follow Jason on Twitter at @fbasketballblog.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DIMEMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
-->
February 15th, 2010 at 11:18 am
dagwaller says:
I’m thinking about selling high on Martell Webster – straight up for Wilson Chandler. Thoughts?
February 15th, 2010 at 11:36 am
b says:
who has more value going forward: bargnani or zach randolph?
z-bo is nice on the boards, pts, and %s but it seems barg might be better with his steady mix of 3′s and blocks. or is randolph not a sell high candidate just yet?
February 15th, 2010 at 11:50 am
NYDaredevil says:
Hey Doc
Is it worth it to grab Josh Howard or Drew Gooden right now?
Thanks!
February 15th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
kevin says:
Hey doc what are your thoughts on this weekend’s trade?
February 15th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Jamal says:
Who should I aim for when trading Darren collison?
February 15th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Nick says:
Will Drew Gooden start (and produce like he did starting in Dallas), and will Nazr keep it up?
Also, Charlie V, will he pick himself back up [and will T.J. Ford produce in the second half]?
February 15th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Kevin.H says:
Hey Doc,
I know selling high with Curry is probably the best move,
but he’s been so good, its hard for me to part with him for a guy like Joe Johnson or something.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Kevin.H says:
Hey Doc,
I know selling high with Curry is probably the best move,
but he’s been so good, its hard for me to part with him for a guy like Joe Johnson or something.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Kevin.H says:
Hey Doc,
I know selling high with Curry is probably the best move,
but he’s been so good, its hard for me to part with him for a guy like Joe Johnson or something.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Kevin.H says:
Hey Doc,
I know selling high with Curry is probably the best move,
but he’s been so good, its hard for me to part with him for a guy like Joe Johnson or something.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Kevin.H says:
Hey Doc,
I know selling high with Curry is probably the best move,
but he’s been so good, its hard for me to part with him for a guy like Joe Johnson or something.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Kevin.H says:
Hey Doc,
I know selling high with Curry is probably the best move,
but he’s been so good, its hard for me to part with him for a guy like Joe Johnson or something.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Kevin.H says:
Hey Doc,
I know selling high with Curry is probably the best move,
but he’s been so good, its hard for me to part with him for a guy like Joe Johnson or something.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Kevin.H says:
Hey Doc,
I know selling high with Curry is probably the best move,
but he’s been so good, its hard for me to part with him for a guy like Joe Johnson or something.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Kevin.H says:
Hey Doc,
I know selling high with Curry is probably the best move,
but he’s been so good, its hard for me to part with him for a guy like Joe Johnson or something.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Kevin.H says:
sorry for the spam, computer messed up
February 15th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Kevin.H says:
sorry for the spam, clicked a lot by accident.
February 15th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Nick says:
Doc,
Pressing question here: will Terry still get over 30 minutes a game with Butler now on the Mavs? Will he still put up 17 and 4 assists with his steals and threes?
February 15th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@dagwaller: That would be a steal for you.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@b: You pretty much summed it up – they’ll both have solid value, but in very different ways. I’m not sure Randolph will dip in value anytime soon. It really depends on what you need.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@NYDaredevil: Maybe, but don’t drop anyone with solid value just yet. If you have dead weight, sure.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@kevin: I’ll have a post about that tomorrow!
As a preview, I’ll say this: Andray Blatche might be the big winner.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Jamal: Aim for maybe the third best player on the other squad, depending on how deep your league is. Shoot as high as you can.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Nick: Gooden isn’t guaranteed to start unless Jamison is dealt away. Nazr will be decent, but not a 20/20 guy. Villanueva and Ford will continue to be inconsistent down the stretch.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Kevin.H: Understandable.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Nick: Terry should continue to be himself. Shawn Marion seems likely to lost the most because of Butler’s presence. But Terry/Butler’s minutes at the SG position are definitely worth monitoring.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
madbijou says:
man, you posted 9 times ! And you keep doing it lol!
February 15th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Nick says:
Hey another one Doc,
What is the max I could push for my Bosh (56) + Jeff Green (7) out of:
Curry (15)
B. Lopez (12)
D. Granger (45)
D. Lee (26)
P. Pierce (30)
Biedrins (9) [salary reasons]
It needs to be within 10 bucks, so at least 53. You see anything that’s fair? Getting Curry and Granger sound fair on both sides or a push?
February 16th, 2010 at 3:55 am
Coop says:
Doc, who’s ‘Notwitzki’? haha. Damn.
February 16th, 2010 at 7:15 am
Joeyy says:
hi doc, yet another question,
Now that Outlaw has been dealt, should I drop any of Barnes, Jianlian, R.Lopeez or Thompson to add him?
I was thinking about dropping Barnes
Thanks
February 16th, 2010 at 11:44 am
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Nick: Lee, Curry and Lopez seems very fair. I’d like this group better than Curry and Granger.
February 16th, 2010 at 11:45 am
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Coop: You got me. I could blame my sickness that day, along with the drugs I took, but I won’t.
February 16th, 2010 at 11:47 am
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Joeyy: The Camby deal isn’t officially done yet, so hold your horses a bit longer. I’m not so sure he benefits by going to the Clippers. He has to compete for minutes with Al Thornton and Rasual Butler. I might drop Barnes for him, but not the other dudes.
February 16th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Nick says:
How did I do Doc:
(I’m far and away 1st in boards, so no risk in losing my points there, and i’m within 4 points [10 cat, 10 team roto] in assists)
My Bosh and Scola for his Nash and Jamal Crawford.
I’m happy. You happy?
February 16th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Nick: I’m happy, too. Nice dealing.