This is it. The last weekend of the fantasy basketball regular season (for most leagues). This is the last chance to earn a spot in the postseason or fight for better seeding, so it is crucial to take advantage of every piece of intel you can find over these next few days. With that in mind, we have another weekly Fantasy Basketball Stock Report, where we identify a handful of players who could have a significant impact across your matchups, hopefully helping your team do just enough to survive and advance into the postseason. So let’s dive right in and take a look at some guys who might just prove to be difference-makers down this final stretch.
Fantasy Basketball Stock Report
Stock on the Rise
Caleb Martin, SF/PF, Miami Heat
After becoming the clear sixth man for the Heat, Caleb Martin is now seeing super consistent minutes, and it appears he is finding his rhythm within the role just in time for the fantasy basketball playoffs. Martin has topped 25 minutes in five straight contests, and he has put up three strong scoring efforts in each of his last three. With 14, 15, and 21 points in those games, along with a combined 11 rebounds and 6 three-pointers, Martin is starting to look like a solid option in fantasy down the stretch. Obviously, he won’t continue to shoot 60% or better from the floor in every game like he has across this impressive span, but you might as well ride the hot hand while you can. He could be a serious difference-maker when it matters the most.
Tim Hardaway Jr., SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks
“Don’t let him get hot!” Tim Hardaway Jr. has chosen the perfect time of the year to go nuclear from beyond the arc, as the veteran has knocked down a whopping 29 threes in his last six games. That’s nearly 5 triples a night for the streaky shooter, who is averaging an impressive 18 points per game during this stretch. We never know when Hardaway will come crashing back to reality, but these are the type of shooting performances that could single-handedly win you a category, or even an entire matchup if he is able to keep it up just a little bit longer. With the fourth-most threes in the league over the past two weeks, finding himself behind only Klay Thompson, Julius Randle, and Damian Lillard, his stock is sky-high at just the right time of year.
Al Horford, PF/C, Boston Celtics
Believe it or not, it seems Al Horford still has a lot left in the tank at the ripe age of 36. In his last three games played, the veteran big man has averaged 16.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, chipping in 1.3 blocks and an astounding 4.7 threes in nearly 38 minutes per game. Robert Williams is out with a hamstring injury, so Horford is going to soak up as many minutes as he is physically capable of playing at this point, which means more lines like this down the stretch is entirely in the realm of possibility. You probably wouldn’t have expected Al Horford to be winning you fantasy basketball leagues in 2023, but here we are! His stock is quickly on the rise, so enjoy the ride while you can.
Stock on the Decline
Cam Thomas, SG/SF, Brooklyn Nets
After making headlines with some wildly impressive performances after the Nets traded away Durant and Irving at the deadline, Cam Thomas has quickly gone from a solid rotation player with minutes in the mid-20s to being almost entirely removed from the rotation. Despite flashing the ability to score with ease, Thomas has been benched due to his lack of defense and “team basketball”. The 21-year-old has played just 14 minutes total across Brooklyn’s last three games, and the result has been three straight wins for the team after previously losing four straight. I’m not here to say the Nets are winning now because they have decided to bench Thomas, but this correlation certainly won’t help his chances of returning to the rotation. His stock has plummeted, and there is no need to roster him in fantasy basketball with every game carrying so much weight.