With the NBA season now officially past the halfway point, it’s time to start thinking about the postseason in fantasy basketball. Maybe your team is locked into a playoff spot and you’re simply fighting for seeding at this point, or maybe you’re fighting for your life with each matchup the rest of the way. Either way, the moves you make between now and then will be critical to propelling your fantasy basketball team into the playoffs. To help with this, we are back with another weekly Fantasy Basketball Stock Report, where we examine a handful of players whose stock is quickly on the move, trying to find value before the rest of your league-mates, while also potentially cutting bait on guys whose value is on the downturn. So let’s dive right in and take a look at this week’s biggest market movers.
Fantasy Basketball Stock Report
Stock on the Rise
Kyle Anderson, SF/PF, Minnesota Timberwolves
Despite not putting up the flashiest lines in the league, Kyle Anderson has been playing over 30 minutes per game since December, and he is producing solid across-the-board numbers of late, fueling Minnesota’s recent hot stretch. Slo-Mo put up a 13-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double on Monday with a three, a steal, and a block, showing exactly the kind of all-around production he is capable of producing. With the ability to help you in every category, he is turning into a solid fantasy basketball asset with his hot play of late. Anderson’s stock should continue to rise with Karl-Anthony Towns still sitting out for the foreseeable future.
Monte Morris, PG, Washington Wizards
Also not known for putting up the flashiest stat lines, Monte Morris has been playing some very efficient basketball of late, making him a solid addition to most fantasy basketball teams in the immediate future. Morris has posted 9 or more assists twice in the past ten days, also scoring double-digit points in five straight on 50% or better from the floor in four of them. Knocking down 3 triples in each of his past two games, it appears that the former Iowa St. standout is finding his rhythm on the offensive side of the floor. Consistently known for having one of the better assist-to-turnover ratios in the NBA, Morris should continue to provide fantasy value moving forward, and he could become a strong point guard option the rest of the way if his assists and threes remain high.
Jalen McDaniels, SF/PF, Charlotte Hornets
With the Hornets’ season quickly going down the drain, one of the few bright spots for the team is the emergence of Jalen McDaniels. The 24-year-old has had a breakout year of sorts, and he is only getting better as the season progresses. Now seeing over 30 minutes per game since the start of January, McDaniels seems to have gained some increased confidence in recent games on the offensive end. Over his last two games, he has averaged 19.0 points and 2.5 threes, adding in an exceptional 3.5 steals to increase his overall value to fantasy basketball rosters. With Charlotte seemingly already tanking for a top draft pick, they have absolutely no reason not to let McDaniels continue to play major minutes and control a larger share of the offensive workload. His stock is quickly on the rise, and this might be just the beginning.
Stock on the Decline
Robert Covington, SF/PF, Los Angeles Clippers
Now a 32-year-old veteran, Robert Covington, the one-time fantasy basketball asset is now a liability for fantasy purposes. The versatile stretch four is playing inconsistent minutes at best for the Clippers, and he has failed to reach double figures in scoring in each of his past five contests. His defensive stats are lackluster compared to where they have been in the past, and he is not doing a whole lot across the board either. For a while now, Covington has been someone who carries more value for his actual NBA team than he does for our fantasy basketball teams, but this has reached a new extreme now, to the point where he is no longer a viable option. His stock is bottoming out, and I’m not confident that it will ever rise back up again.