It’s time we delve into the stock charts of Fantasy Basketball for the Week of November 6! From Boston and Denver showing the league they’re here to compete for championships, to Washington and Detroit showing the league they want to draft first overall. There are plenty of surprises this year, and surprises often bring about opportunity.
My favorite difference between the NBA and the NFL is that there is a game every single night. You have a rough night in fantasy basketball? Ok, that’s fine. Get over it! Tonight is a new night! That said, it can be tough to stay up to date on the entire league’s dealings, injuries, role changes, and performances.
That’s where our NBA Fantasy Basketball Hype Report comes in! Every Sunday, we’ll give you two players you should be buying low on (either via trade or waiver wire), and two players you should be selling high on (dropping, trading, or benching). When it comes to fantasy sports, FantraxHQ will always have your back! Let’s get into NBA Week 3’s Hype Report.
Fantasy Basketball Buy Low, Sell High
Buy Low
Grayson Allen, Phoenix Suns, SG
The Phoenix Suns are currently 10th in the West with a 3-4 record on the year. That’s not something many of us anticipated with their new “Big 3” of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Brad Beal. However, the reason they’re losing is because Beal hasn’t played a game yet, and Devin Booker will be out for an undetermined amount of time. That said, the Suns are much better than their record. They have the 5th best net rating in the league, and a top-ten rank in offense and defense.
Kevin Durant can’t prop up this team all by himself. Well…he can, but he’ll be out of gas by the time the playoffs come around (or worse…he could get hurt). It’s the responsibility of players like Grayson Allen to eat Beal and Booker minutes, and make those minutes productive. So far, so good, on that front. Allen has averaged 31 minutes per game, 3 3PMs per game, 4 boards, 3 assists, and 11 points per game. That’s good enough to rank 15th for his position, and he’s only 9% rostered. Quite frankly, he should be at least 50% owned for the immediate future. Get in now!
Max Strus, Cleveland Cavaliers, SG/SF
Sticking with the theme of teams that are better than their record….I bring you the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’re currently 3-4, but top ten in net ranking, and top five in defense. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen had been battling the injury bug, but they’re healthy now, and I expect their offense to skyrocket because of that. One cog in the machine that this Cavs offense will become is Max Strus.
He’s 50% rostered at the moment, but that number should be much higher. Particularly for categories leagues, over points leagues. Strus provides a steady stream of stats across the board. Mainly because he’s averaging an astounding 36 minutes per game. His days of providing threes and size for the Heat are no more. He’s a bonafide contributor for this offense, averaging 14/6/3, with 2.5 3PMs per game. With Garland back in the mix, I expect the Cavs to improve their pace ranking from 19th to top 10 within the month. More possessions means higher stats for a player who’s going to be on the floor for 36 minutes per game. Strus can be of great value to whoever rosters him.
Sell High
Grant Williams, Dallas Mavericks, PF
Ok. I need to come clean. When the Mavs signed Grant Williams, I thought to myself: “Wow. That’s a great signing for any team. The Celtics are really going to miss him. A true three-and-D player that can guard two through five.” Then, I saw he signed for 4-years, $54M, and understood why Boston let him go. However, the way Williams is playing right now….he might just be a “max” player. I’m kidding, but he’s been incredible.
He’s currently averaging 15/5, with 4 3PMs per game. On 30+ minutes per game. WHILE SHOOTING 53% FROM THE THREE POINT LINE! WHAT’S GOING ON?! He shoots 38.5% from three for his career. I’m not saying he couldn’t have gotten better, but from a statistical standpoint, this is an outlier. The reason I want to sell high on Williams is that I refuse to believe that Williams is the best shooter on the planet. Even if he keeps this up, I don’t anticipate that Williams’ value will be any higher than it is right now. He’s only 12% rostered, so chances are you don’t own him, but if you do, I’m begging you to SELL!
Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets, SG
The man is a bucket. He always has been, and he always will be. But similar to Grant Williams, I don’t think this level is sustainable from a statistical standpoint. He’s finally getting the minutes that all of us wanted him to get (averaging 30+ mpg this year, up from 16.6 last year), but his efficiency/field goal percentage is up, which isn’t to be expected with an added workload. He’s a volume shooter, not a sniper. His 3P% is down considerably from last year, which makes more sense, and also leads me to believe a regression is coming. On top of that, Cam Johnson has been out, and likely will be out for the next two weeks. When Johnson returns, what happens to Thomas’ minutes? Will they stay the same? Unlikely. Even if they do, Thomas’ usage will surely drop from the 30% he’s getting right now. The time to move on from Thomas is now, while he’s a fantasy darling.