Back up in the heezy, baby!
Week One is in the ledger and we have a small sample size to work with, but there is still opportunity to land an underperforming player to help boost your team in the standings. Let me remind everyone the type of player that qualifies to be considered as underperforming by my standards. I will be looking for players who are playing below their rank who have shown consistency in the past to be better than what they are at that moment. I will also be looking for players who may not have the history but possess incredible upside with a path to minutes and production.
This week, upside and opportunity is what we are hoping for with this player who I believe, can be an absolute difference maker on your fantasy team.
It’s Isaiah, Isaiah Jackson, if you’re nasty.
When we talk about preseason buzz, it did not get much buzzier than for Jackson, and it is so easy to see why. 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 bodacious blocks in an ultra-trim 15 min was more than enough to have fantasy mangers from coast to coast salivating over what could be. It was not lofty to expect Jackson to average 15 points, 9 rebounds and north of two blocks per contest this season. Coupled with the inevitable and, likely, overdue trade of Myles Turner to clear the minute’s path, the ceiling for Jackson seemed to require a telescope to be seen.
However, here we are seven days into the season and Jackson is averaging nearly identical numbers to last season across the board while also playing 16, 22, and 18 minutes through his first three contests. Even more concerning is the fact that, after stepping on a ball boys foot during warmups in game one, Myles Turner has not played a second of basketball this season.
This has created a massive buy low window for any manager out there willing to make an offer for Jackson. You are going to have people out there who are frustrated with the low minutes and the fact that players named Goga and Terry are playing similar minutes.
To this, I say “perfect”.
It is exactly the type of scenario you are hoping for in an opportunity to land a player who, almost on his own, wins you a scarce category such as blocks. Jackson already has a five-block game this season and I imagine it will not be long before the flood gates open and he is blocking over two every night.
If you have a player such as JV or Zubac, I would be offering them up for Jackson as they do not possess the blocks upside he has but who are racking up rebounds and playing well enough at the moment to entice. Do not be surprised when Jackson is ranked higher than both of them sooner rather than later.
Go get him.
As always, good luck out there.
Peace.
