Robert Fung is an avid basketball fan, a 10+ year fantasy NBA veteran, and the Basketball Team Lead on Rotokingdom.net. Chicago born and raised, he grew up with the Michael Jordan era and continues to root for the Bulls.
If you’re near the bottom of the standings, you should look to start moving for players producing now. You may need to buy high and hope to ride the wave for as long as you can. If you can wait a bit, I’ve added a short note on expected returns to help you decide when to buy low.
Buy Low
Jose Calderon –
I know I mentioned him before, but with the indefinite timeline for return, owners may be more anxious to move him as the weeks go by. There’s no guarantee for health or production, because he’s struggled with injuries in years’ past and because the system has changed with a ball-handling swingman (Turkoglu).
Timeframe: long-term
Amare Stoudemire –
While STAT’s boards and steals were slightly up this past month, his blocks and FG% were down. When healthy, he generally hits above 50% from the field. In Nov, he hit almost 59%, but in Dec, he hit almost 52%. With less hustle and more TOs, you may be able to coax a small discount out. PHO is playing better than they ever have in recent years, and Amare is leading that charge.
Timeframe: immediate
Al Jefferson –
His hustle was down last month, but, otherwise, AlJeff is starting to round into form. His FG%, boards, and points have been on the rise for 3 consecutive months, but are still below the bar set during the previous 3 years. Expect him to get a little better as he gets more healthy and the team starts to gel with their new PG and other frontcourt star.
Timeframe: short-term
Devin Harris –
Harris’ point and steal totals hide his low FG% and high TOs. His FG% and 3PT% are career lows, and can really hurt you with 14 attempts and nearly 4 attempts per game, respectively. Also, his APG have fallen nearly below his DAL days. These could all be attributed to team failures, as the Nets are worst in the league in PPG and FG%.
Timeframe: short-term
Spencer Hawes –
Hawes was demoted to the bench for a few games. He’s been recently re-inserted into the starting lineup, but hasn’t been any more consistent or productive. However, at 10-5-2-steal-block (rounding up) over the past month, and just a smidgeon better over the whole season, his value is near bottom. The Kings’ frontcourt is the most shallow and weak spot in their roster, and the FO can’t really lean on Brockman, a rookie, or Kenny Thomas, a 10 year vet.
Timeframe: immediate
TJ Ford –
Ford’s low points have generally been correlated to injuries. This year is a significant regression from last year without injuries. His per minute averages are way down, his minutes and PPG are reaching career lows, and his APG and SPG have already hit career lows. The only significant difference is +Dunleavy, -Granger. Once they start playing better as a team, in a fast-paced system where only Earl Watson, who couldn’t beat out Luke Ridnour, can contend for his position, Ford should turn it around.
Timeframe: short-term
Sell High
Raymond Felton –
Wow. 54% from the field in the past month, averaging 15.5 PPG on nearly 12 FGA/gm? 54% FG is the best from any guard. From a chucker with a career FG% average just a hair above 40, that’s a shocker that is bound to drop. SJax may be commanding some defensive pressure, but Felton can’t keep this up. Felton has also hit 19 straight FTs, pushing his monthly average to 10% above his season.
Yi Jianlian –
This might be the one time when Yi fits this category. He’s struggled with inconsistency and indecision his whole career, but has just recovered from an injury and regained his starting gig. In his past 2 games, he’s been the #2 scorer each time, averaging about 50% FG with 7 RPG. This year was supposed to be his breakout year – no competition, a solid international showing, and added bulk. However, last year was supposed to be a breakout too, and he went on hot/cold streaks through every month.
Kendrick Perkins –
Perk is quiet and underrated, so you should probably add a comment with your trade offer, but his 68% FG shooting, and 13-9-2 blocks line are outstanding. With Big Baby back in the lineup and the addition of Sheed in the offseason, Perk should be able to rest up for a nice playoff push. While that helps BOS, that hurts your fantasy playoffs. Like a few other Celtics and Spurs, look to ship Perk off before the final few months, when a few mpg drop should not be a surprise.
Beno Udrih –
You won’t get much for him, but if you need to throw in a little extra value, Udrih is a good candidate. He doesn’t hurt anywhere and helps almost everywhere. However, his playing time and shot attempts will drop off when KevMart rejoins the backcourt. Use him for an upgrade on some other player that you’re shopping.
