I know people are supposed to learn from their mistakes, reflect on past decisions, and try to improve. Remember last year, when Jahlil Okafor was traded to the Brooklyn Nets and I was quick to label him “must-own” and feature him as the main Buy suggestion? I hope you don’t, as we all know how that worked out. I hope I’m not replicating the same mistake by suggesting him again today, due to Antony Davis’ latest injury. More discussion on him coming up on him on his respective blurb. I just hope that with this introduction I can finally combat my Achilles heel, my kryptonite, this man right here…
Taking a look at last week’s suggestions, Victor Oladipo is gaining some momentum again after a 21 point performance, but the buy-low window is still there. Alec Burks and Richaun Holmes were not helpful for different reasons, as the former flat out underperformed while the latter got injured. Finally, Donovan Mitchell continued his scoring tear, but Ricky Rubio has returned so this might be the last chance to sell really high on him. Special shout-out to Corey Brewer who played a team-high 32 minutes against the Rockets and did everything in his power to annoy James Harden with his “unorthodox” defense…
Buy
Jahlil Okafor: As the introduction suggested, Okafor is going to be the featured Buy player for this week. Anthony Davis is hurt again and there are fears he could miss up to one month. Okafor replaced him in the starting five and had a 20/10 double-double with a steal and 2 blocks, playing 35 minutes. Granted it was against the Grizzles, who play a tall frountcourt, but I think he can realistically have value if he plays around 25 minutes per game. I’ve been burned by him before, but I’m willing to give him a chance and so should you (30% owned).
Mitchell Robinson: Luke Kornet, aka the chubbier Unicorn, will be sidelined for a couple of weeks with an ankle injury and Enes Kanter is more likely to be traded before the deadline. That opens the door for Mitchell Robinson, whose minutes can only be contained by his penchant for foulding. He won’t be starting unless Kanter is dealt, but his per 36 numbers are a thing of beauty: 3.8 blocks, 1.4 steals, and 8.3 rebounds. As long as he can stay on the court, he is both a great stash for the second half of the season and immediate help for boards and blocks (12% owned).
Rajon Rondo: The assist king for fantasy, Rondo is still sidelined with a hand injury but there is optimism he can play on Thursday. Lonzo Ball will miss the next 4-6 weeks with an ankle sprain, so the stage is set for him to assume the starting PG position and do what he does best. Assist, assist, and then assist some more! He is available in half of Yahoo Leagues and I think he can be a matchup winner in the correct builds, so check your wire to make sure he is not available.
Sell
Marc Gasol: If the Grizzles were winning and fighting for a playoff spot, I wouldn’t even think to recommend him. But they are currently 1-12 over the last 13 games and both he and Mike Conley can be dealt at any point to start a full-on rebuild. Gasol will likely lose a lot of his value in a potential trade as it is hard to envision a better system for his skillset than the one the Grizzles utilize. Try to gauge his trade value and, if you find a package that you are comfortable with, pulling the trigger might be the safer play moving forward.
Kyle Kuzma: LeBron’s absence has handed much of the scoring duties to Kuzma and he has shouldered them admirably, scoring 21.4 points with 2.2 triples in the King’s absence. That hot-scoring period must have him high in the player rater during that period right?? Well, not exactly. He is ranked only 177th, mainly due to 3.1 turnovers, a complete lack of stocks (0.6/0 steals/blocks) and mediocre, high-volume 43.7%/74% percentages. As we have established before, high scoring young players can be sold for more than they are worth in fantasy and that is exactly what a savvy owner should do at this point of the season.
So there you have it folks. As always, I am eager to read your thoughts about other players you think are Buy/Sell worthy in the comments below, as well as all your fantasy related questions! See you next week with new suggestions and a recap of the performances for this week’s showcased players.
