Fantasy Basketball: Who To Buy Low, Sell High On

Fantasy basketball utility can be a fragile thing for a player. If you owned a guy who was fantasy gold last year, say Evan Turner, and had to deal with the eventual trade (and fantasy demise) that happened regarding the player, it’s an easy concept to empathize with. The real life arms race certainly alters the landscape from a fantasy perspective, even if it’s ever so slightly.

In recent weeks, the Mavericks acquired point guard Rajon Rondo, the Rockets acquired forward (and want-to-be point guard) Josh Smith and forward Corey Brewer, the Suns acquired forward Brandon Wright, and now reports have forward Jeff Green going to Memphis to join the Grizzlies.

Tons of players were affected from a fantasy standpoint because of the competitive nature of the Western Conference.

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Players like Donatas Motiejuanas and Alex Len were building on breakout seasons, and certainly will be somewhat affected by their team’s decision to bring in players that will surely eat into their minutes over time.

Zach Randolph has been nursing an injury, and while he’s clearly a core piece for the team going forward, it’s unlikely they’ll push his minutes with Jeff Green able to spell him as a stretch-4. And now, because of the dominoes set off by the Rajon Rondo trade, there is a ton of potential fantasy plays coming out of Boston that were never considered before.

That’s how this game works, and is a reason why owner activity ultimately is what determines who gets to claim a fantasy basketball championship at the end of the seasons. Roles, rotations, and injuries are constant in the NBA; forward thinking is a crucial part of setting yourself up for success.

Here are a few players to “Sell High” or “Buy Low” on as you chase that elusive fantasy championship.

Sell High: Wilson Chandler, F, Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets look to be in full fire-sale mode, and just made their first move of the season by dealing starting center Timofey Mozgov to the Cavaliers. Chandler is a nice player for the Nuggets, but the race for help on the wing has been on in the Western Conference for a few weeks now.

Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers have already inquired, and the Nuggets are simply waiting for Portland to up the ante in a trade to deal him away as per Grantland’s Zach Lowe.

Even if nothing has materialized yet, Wilson Chandler switching teams is probably more likely to happen than not at this point, and owners should be trying to swap him for his current value right now. Obviously we cannot predict what his new value will look like, and what he’ll be asked to do if and when he’s traded.

However, if he’s not on the Nuggets, he’s probably suiting up for a playoff team with multiple legit scoring threats. While that eases the burden on Chandler, it certainly cuts into the opportunities to fill it up he’s gotten on the Nuggets.

It could all just be rumors swirling, and Wilson Chandler could remain a solid fantasy basketball commodity for the remainder of the season. But, with indicators pointing towards his exit from Denver, he is a solid “Sell High” candidate.

Buy Low: Ricky Rubio, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves

I raved about Ricky Rubio before the season. I was vindicated somewhat when he started out the year averaging 9.4 points, 10 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in his first five contests. Then he turned his ankle, and has missed more than 30 games (and counting).

That has been one of the knocks on Rubio. He’s a player that is certainly prone to missing time, and even though he played 82 games last season, it’s hard to trust that kind of guy with a high draft choice. He was going in the fifth round in most leagues, meaning that whoever drafted him in yours is probably hurting considering the time that he’s missed.

And, if they haven’t either dropped or dealt him already, they are looking forward to his return to the court (the timetable has been “mid-January” but no date is imminent) in the coming days.

The probable scenario is that Rubio will play on a minutes restriction upon his return. If you feel you are in good position to make a playoff run, acquiring Rubio by offering his current owner a package of players that can contribute for their team right away could help net you a player that can contribute in a multitude of different categories.

Unless that owner either A) nailed the draft or B) has already moved on from Rubio, it’s likely they’ve been just treading water awaiting his return. That can be leverage, if you are patient, you’ll have a player that can help you win a fantasy basketball championship.

Sell High: Andrew Wiggins, G/F, Minnesota Timberwolves

There are plenty of reasons to love Andrew Wiggins this season. He’s finally figured it out scoring-wise (something he struggled with at times his lone season at Kansas) and is playing the best basketball of his extremely young career right now. So why trade him?

First, the Timberwolves have been so decimated by injuries that Wiggins has seen increased opportunity. Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic, and Ricky Rubio all should be returning shortly, and barring any trades they will all see heavy minutes. All are offensive contributors, and will take away from young players like Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad, and Gorgui Dieng.

Of course trades are possible as far as the veterans are concerned, and it’s in the best interest of the franchise to let Wiggins continue to take on as much as he can handle, but the return of these players will certainly hurt his statistical output.

And, above all things, he’s still a rookie. There will be inconsistencies in his game, and there will be stretches where he’s not lighting the world on fire like he currently is. Swapping him out for a comparable package of players that will be a bit more steady and give more depth is certainly an appealing option that will better serve any team going forward.

Buy Low: Kawhi Leonard, F, San Antonio Spurs

It wasn’t that long ago that Kawhi Leonard was hyped up as a first-round type of fantasy basketball prospect. The Finals MVP has missed the last 13 games and figures to miss a handful more as he works his way back from a hand injury that has held him back this season.

There’s still no timetable set up for Leonard’s return, and those who invested in him early in the season are likely making alternative plans regarding the budding superstar despite the fact he’s recently begun shooting inside the painted area. For fantasy basketball owners, it’s tough to sit on a player without so much as a ball park of when they should expect a return to take place.

However, looking at the way the Spurs’ season has played out, it’s likely that as soon as he’s back Leonard will be getting all the minutes he can handle.

For these reasons he is a “Buy Low” candidate. For those looking to make a big move before the fantasy basketball playoffs come around, rolling the dice on Leonard’s return to be sooner or later has potentially massive rewards. Leonard is a rebounding machine from the small forward slot, and can add in blocks, steals, and threes to boot.

His value is going to continue to rise as his workload increases inching back from an injury that has sidelined him for so long.

Look to deal for him now, as surely this will be the lowest his value will fall moving forward.

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