February 8 is upon us. That means the NBA Trade Deadline is getting ready to shake up rosters in the league. Roster changes mean new opportunities for players who may have not had them previously. Also… opportunities for you to win your fantasy league. In the meantime, let’s act on some injury news that’s changed roles so far.
That’s where our NBA Fantasy Basketball Hype Report comes in! Every week, 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 this week’s Hype Report.
Fantasy Basketball Buy Low, Sell High
Buy Low
Mo Bamba, Philadelphia 76ers, C
He’s only 2% owned, and that’s for good reason. He was the third-string center. But since Joel Embiid is now out for at least four weeks, Mo Bamba has become the second-string center. Paul Reed is the current starter, and he’s being added to rosters as a top priority, but he has flaws. He can get in foul trouble easily, and his minutes can fluctuate. Any time Reed is in foul trouble over these next four weeks, Mo Bamba becomes a critical points-per-minute monster. Per 36 minutes, Bamba averages 15/13/2, with almost 5 stocks (steals+blocks) per game. In the event of foul trouble or injury, Bamba becomes an elite piece. You’re going to want to get in early with this one.
Jacob Gilyard, Memphis Grizzlies, PG
He’s only 2% owned as the Memphis Grizzlies have been rotating their personnel around as they take a look at their young talent in a lost season. Jacob Gilyard has been their starting point guard over the past two games, and in 32 and 36 minutes, he’s averaged 15/2/6. Whether or not Gilyard has the talent to become a fantasy asset for you, isn’t really something I have an answer to at the moment. The point is that with 30+ minutes per game, he has the opportunity to do so. And that’s how you win. You have to make bets. Gilyard is a good bet.
Sell High
Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks, PF/C
It’s trade deadline season. That means people are going to get traded. Bobby Portis’ name has been hot in the rumor mill. Does that mean he will be traded? Of course not, but once he is traded, his value changes, so I believe we should sell Portis now while he still retains his value. There are two options if Portis gets traded. He’s traded to another contender where he has to learn how to fit in with his new team. That means deferring to others. It means not getting a bump in minutes. The other option is he’s traded to a bad team that eats his salary, and Bobby Portis who has played for a championship-contending team for years now, will ask to be cut or bought out. Either way, he ends up on a contender, and option one presents itself. Get in front of it. Trade Portis for what you can.
D’Angelo Russell, LA Lakers, PG/SG
Chances are the rumors are true. Russell has been playing out of his mind lately, and I doubt it convinces the Lakers not to trade him but rather makes him even more trade-worthy. Russell is more likely to thrive on a horrendous team than Portis because he won’t be bought out. I still recommend trading him, because the risk that he goes to another team is still more future downside than present.