As the first leg of the NBA season comes to a close, player values are starting to fall in place. Of course there are some exceptions, like if some of these players just happened to start off ice cold or riding a hot streak. However, by this time statistics begin to even out. The early hot streaks dissolve, and the underachievers slowly work their way back into the fantasy hierarchy. Here are this week’s top risers and fallers in fantasy basketball.
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RISERS
STEPHEN CURRY
As long as Steph Curry is healthy, he is a fantasy beast. The only category he doesn’t produce in is blocks, but how many point guards provide those? When dropping dimes, it makes him that much more elite, and Curry has been averaging 8.3 of those over his last eight games while also adding in 19.1 points, 3.3 treys and 2.1 steals. As always, we have to be mindful of his injury-riddled past and he is currently sporting a sleeve over a sore knee. However as long as he makes it to the arena, Steph is a force to be reckoned with.
TYSON CHANDLER
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is finally starting to come around after a bit of a slow start. We all expect him to rebound and block shots, but lately, Chandler has been able to chip in offensively as well. In the month of December, he’s averaging 14.0 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, while leading the league in field goal percentage. Once again, he’s become the nightly double-double guarantee that we all drafted him to be. Expect him to keep his stellar play up as an anchor not only to the Knicks’ defense, but your fantasy team’s defensive stats as well
KLAY THOMPSON
Steph Curry isn’t the only Warrior guard to turn it on of late – his backcourt mate Klay Thompson has been dialing it up as well. Together, Curry and Thompson could perhaps be the best shooting backcourt in the league, and Thompson has been showing it by putting up 20.0 points and 4.0 treys over his last five games. As a second-year player, he will go through his ups and downs, but can help your squad greatly in threes, points and free throw percentage while adding in enough blocks to contribute if you’re using him as a shooting guard. As long as the Warriors are shooting this efficiently, expect Klay (and Steph) to continue to rise in the rankings.
TAYSHAUN PRINCE
A lot of people questioned the four-year extension Tayshaun Prince signed before last season, but even as he’s slowed down and lost a step, Prince remains a solid fantasy play. On a thin Pistons’ squad, he’s currently averaging 33 minutes a game on the season and 15.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists over his last five games. He’s not going to put your fake team on his back and carry you to the championship, but at the same time, he’s not going to bring you down in any particular category. Tayshaun can be a great complimentary player, especially in rotisserie formats.
FALLERS
JEREMY LIN
Leave it up to Jeremy Lin to drop 38 points a few nights before I put him on the fallers list, but nonetheless, Lin’s been a bit of a fantasy disappointment so far this season. He’s still putting up 1.8 steals and 6.1 assists on the season, making him a more than useful point guard, but odds are you paid a pretty hefty price for him on draft day and his 39 percent field goal percentage is probably dragging you down. I wouldn’t fire sell him just yet, as a rebound in the second half is very possible. Remember, this is Lin’s first full season as an NBA starter and he’s still doing some learning on the fly. His current play, however, cannot be excused.
ANDRE IGUODALA
In his first season away from Philadelphia, Andre Iguodala has been somewhat of a let down. I thought a transition from Doug Collins‘ half-court offense to George Karl‘s up-tempo style would have done wonders for him, but so far Iggy is averaging just 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists, compared to last year’s 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Getting dimes for Iggy is crucial to his fantasy value because they are hard to come by from most shooting guards and small forwards, and with his rebounds and steals trending downwards as well, now might be a great time to buy low. Keep in mind that this is Iggy’s ninth year in the league, but first year away from his comfort zone in Philly. I’m expecting a huge second half of the season from him as he continues to adjust and familiarize himself to his new home and teammates. Unfortunately, for now, he’s sinking in the rankings.
NIKOLA PEKOVIC
As if Nikola Pekovic’s slow start wasn’t bad enough, he’s now being bothered by a troublesome ankle injury. Although he’s fighting to play through the pain, his stat lines have become horribly inconsistent and plaguing a season where he was supposed to build on last year’s success. After killing it in the preseason, we all expected Pekovic to head a Kevin Love-less frontcourt, but when he started slowly in the regular season, the built-in excuse was that he needed Love there to take some pressure off him. Upon Love’s return, Pek had a few solid games, but is averaging just 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in the month of December. Until he proves to be over his injury, Pekovic will be heading south in the rankings.
Who’s been the biggest bust so far?
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