The mega trade between the Nets and the Sixers that swapped James Harden and Ben Simmons obviously had and will have major implications for both teams and for the NBA in general. However, it also immediately affected Joel Embiid albeit not in the way you would expect.
This was clearly a result of a discussion with Harden, as this is an obvious but unsuccessful attempt to copy Harden’s famous stepback triple. They even practiced this together, but that is better kept for the training ground for the time being.
What makes this even funnier is the fact that old man Al managed to even block the shot, before it was called for a travel. Hopefully Embiid continues his inside dominance this season and does not resort to this kind of shot selection, funny as it may be. And just so you don’t think I’m negatively biased towards Joel, here is the best dunk of this past week, as he obliterated an excellent rim protector in Jarrett Allen.
Regarding last week’s suggestions, it was not a great week because Nickeil Alexander-Walker didn’t stay in Portland and was moved to Utah, obliterating his fantasy value in the process, while Jeremy Lamb had one great game but promptly injured himself and is currently sidelined. The same happened to Isaiah Jackson and only Goga Bitadge was left to carry the Kostas suggestions flag with a good but unspectacular week. On the Sell front, Chris Duarte was also sidelined with a sore big toe, so he can be a drop but unfortunately not a sell currently.
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Buy
Patrick Beverley: I was scrolling through the ownership percentages for players in order to find suggestions for this article and I was stunned to see that Patrick Beverley is owned in just 37% of Yahoo leagues. A top 100 player for the season, there is no reason for Beverley to be floating at your waiver, as his defensive contributions (1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks), triples, and assists make him a valuable addition to any fantasy team (37% owned).
Danilo Gallinari: With John Collins out through the All-Star break, Gallinari becomes an obvious pickup. He played 33 minutes in his last game with 3 triples and 25 points. His contributions are mainly those two categories and also his excellent free throw percentage, with some rebounds mixed in there and he is an option for owners in need of those stats (20% owned).
Maxi Kleber: Kristaps Porzingis is no longer a Maverick, in one of the most underwhelming trades in terms of return I can personally remember, and this leaves a glaring hole at the center spot for Dallas. This will be covered in part by Dwight Powell but also by Kleber, who is the preferred fantasy option. With 1.5 triples, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, he is ranked 82nd during the last month and only stands to gain from the trade, so go get him while you still have the chance (16% owned).
Sell
Tyrese Maxey: Maxey is enjoying a breakout season in Philadelphia, increasing his minutes from 15.3 last year to 32 this year and ranking inside the top 60 in per game value. However, the arrival of James Harden and his patented iso game will certainly have an impact on Maxey’s usage and consequently assist numbers. Harden will not play for the Sixers until after the All-Star break but now is the time to act proactively and try to move Maxey for a contributor with more stable outlook moving into the fantasy playoffs.
De’Andre Hunter: It feels weird to include Hunter in the “Sell” portion of the article, but despite his obvious potential and his electric start last season, he simply hasn’t produced in terms of fantasy. He is ranked just outside the top 250 in per game value and his only positive contributions are points and triples. Of course try and see what you can get in a trade, but if you are battling for a playoff spot I wouldn’t hesitate dropping him and streaming his spot.
