The trade deadline for the NBA is upon us, as it is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. ET and it always affects fantasy suggestions each year. It’s a weird week to discuss about adds before the trade deadline, as rotations and fantasy values change so much from a trade, so I would encourage you to save 1-2 adds to try and quickly capitalize on the news of a trade during deadline day. It is not expected to be a huge one, with no superstars available to be moved, but we had the same reports last year and then Kyrie Irving was traded, so you can never be sure in this league.
Bonus clip for this week, this pump fake from Nikola Jokic which sent DeAndre Ayton to an alternate dimension.
In all fairness the pump fake was not that great, the reaction or lack of it from Ayton is legendary. DominAyton is failing to live up to his self proclaimed nickname, not doing a lot of domination this season…
Regarding last week’s suggestions, Tyler Herro continues to be an excellent buy low option, as his shooting continues to be subpar, while it has been a very mediocre week for Paul Reed. He has his excuses though as he was playing sick so I would hold onto him with the news that Joel Embiid will miss all of the remaining fantasy season. Finally, Ayo Dosunmo had a great week and despite not starting yesterday, I think it was more due to the matchup and he is very useful at least until Patrick Williams returns.
Buy
Scottie Barnes: Despite getting some solid value back, the Toronto Raptors are on a bad funk after the OG Anunoby trade and have a 5 – 13 record since. The loss of Anunoby and subsequently Paskal Siakam are not the only ones to blame, as Scottie Barnes is having a bad statistical month, with 0.8 triples and 1.6 points less than his season averages. Combine this with an increase of 0.5 turnovers with no spike in his assists and we can safely say that he is in a cold part of his fantasy season, ranking 88th in per game value for that span. This presents a great buy low window for him, as despite the shutdown risk, Barnes is bound to improve (21st in per game value for the season), so moving any top50 player for him would be good value currently.
Amen Thompson That was a monster performance last night from Amen, getting huge minutes in the absence of Fred VanVleet and delivering 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks. The guy is a fantasy beast and at least until VanVleet returns from his left adductor strain he is a must add. I have my doubts for his output when the Rockets are healthy, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it (28% owned).
Sell
Miles Bridges: LaMelo Ball has not played for almost a month, the Hornets are once again going nowhere and apart from the play of Brandon Miller there have been little for the Charlotte fans to cheer for. Even the elevated performances of Miles Bridges are doubtful to qualify as joy for them, as he is bound to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer and not looking likely to stay around. However, in fantasy terms, Bridges has been on a tear for the last month, averaging 22.4/2.8/7.4/3.4/0.9/0.7/2.2 on 45.2% and 90.5% shooting, partly due to his increased usage. The main factors that categorize him as a sell high in my book is that Charlotte has a 2-game week to start the fantasy playoffs, with zero incentive to play their best players and on top of that Bridges has a court date for the 20th of this month regarding the well known legal issues he is facing. As we move closer to fantasy playoffs I prefer safer options, so I would encourage you to check his market value and proceed accordingly.
Jaime Jaquez Jr: Jaime Jaquez Jr was one of the hottest rookies to start the season and was vital for the Heat at a period where the injuries where pilling up. A groin injury sidelined him in mid January for 2 weeks and his return to a much healthier and deeper Miami team has not been easy for his fantasy value. He has not closed any game after his return, apart from last night’s blowout win against Orlando and his minutes have dropped below 25 in that span, so a drop is in order and we can reassess the situation if/when the Heat become shorthanded again.
