Another fantasy and NBA year have started, so every Wednesday will bring advice on all the players that you fine folks should “Buy” or “Sell”, to ensure greatness for your fantasy teams. I don’t know why, but this year I was more excited than usual for the start of the season and I have been watching way more games than my timezone permits. Maybe it’s because of the whole 2020 thing, maybe it’s because quarantine hasn’t allowed me to play actual basketball for over 3 months, or maybe I started enjoying the little things in life more. Like sitting on your couch with a hot cup of coffee or a fine glass of whiskey and watching the top-level talents compete against each other…
This Rockets-Nuggets sequence is tough to watch 😭 @shaqtin pic.twitter.com/gHvYPX4lXr
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 29, 2020
Ok, maybe the teams need a little extra time to get back to pre-COVID form but I am sure we will get there eventually. Before moving on to the suggestions, I want to wish all of you a happy New Year, with health, happiness, and success. Thank you for continuing to read my rumblings for the fourth straight year and let’s win some fantasy gold!
Buy
Kelly Oubre Jr: Oubre’s start with the Warriors has been anything but smooth sailing, shooting 1-for-21 from beyond the arc with a meagreer 7.8 points per game on 26% shooting. It is the perfect buy-low opportunity, as the defensive stats are there (2.0 steals) and it’s only a matter of time before his shot starts falling again. The return of Draymond Green will only help him in that regard, so I suggest floating some offers to see if his owner has grown impatient.
Keldon Johnson: I have been hyping him up since the summer, drafted him wherever I had the chance, and even included him in my preseason projections at no 126, but even this seems too low for his play at the beginning of the season. The sample size of three games is small but he has looked impressive on both sides of the floor with 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals. It’s your last call to grab him from the wire if he is still available (51% owned).
Luguentz Dort: We knew that OKC’s rotation would produce some fantasy contributors, but most preseason hype was centered around Al Horford and Darius Bazley. Bazley is performing at a top 100 level but he is also owned in more than 65% of Yahoo leagues. Dort on the other hand is owned in only 36% of Yahoo leagues and looks ready for a great sophomore year with his increased opportunity with the Thunder. There will be ups and downs, particularly with his efficiency, but he is worth a long look for his defensive stats and guaranteed playing time.
Tyus Jones: Whenever Ja Morant is unavailable, it is always a good time to give Tyus Jones a look in fantasy. Morant will be sidelined for the next 3-5 weeks due to an ankle sprain, so if you need cheap guard stats, Jones can be your man for the short-run (11% owned).
Sell
Hassan Whiteside: After a dominant season last year with the Trail Blazers, Whiteside landed in Sacramento with a presumed timeshare at center with Richaun Holmes. Even the 20 minutes per game he was supposed to earn would still keep his value afloat, but lately, Marvin Bagley is also spending some time at center. The result is that Whiteside is playing only 14 minutes per game and barring an injury, I can’t see how he could greatly increase those numbers. The fact that he is on a one-year deal is not helping his case either, so maybe it’s a good time to try and trade him to a more optimistic owner in your league.
Terry Rozier: Scary Terry has started the season in explosive fashion, averaging 26.7 points with 4.3 triples per game. He is also shooting an uncharacteristic 52% from the field and it is only a matter of time before this gets normalized closer to his career average of 40%. Furthermore, LaMelo Ball is the future PG in Charlotte so he will start getting more and more minutes as the season progresses. Rozier won’t end the fantasy season ranked n o20, a position he currently occupies, so it would be a good time to gauge the market interest for him in exchange for a more established or currently underperforming player.
Jeff Teague: With Kemba Walker sidelined to start the season, the majority of the playmaker minutes where Teagues’s to lose in Boston. And lo and behold, he lost many of them to promising rookie Payton Pritchard, who is averaging more minutes (22 mpg) than him (20 mpg). There is no reason to expect greater things from Teague as Kemba’s return is getting closer and I would most likely stream his spot for some more immediate production (46% owned).
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.
