As we look back on 2022 and look ahead to what 2023 will bring, the name of the game from a fantasy basketball perspective remains the same. You have to follow trends and take advantage of opportunities before everyone else in your league can do it. This may be easier said than done, but that’s why we’re here to help. In this weekly edition of the Fantasy Basketball Stock Report, we’ll quickly identify a handful of players whose stock is on the move, so that you can add, start, or trade for the right guys, while knowing which guys to let go or ride the bench. The fantasy basketball landscape is always changing, so here are the biggest market movers of the week.
Fantasy Basketball Stock Report
Stock on the Rise
Victor Oladipo, SG/SF, Miami Heat
We’ve been fooled by this before, but I think this time is for real. Victor Oladipo has been playing great basketball of late, and he has now topped 30 minutes in back-to-back games, putting up strong performances on both nights. The veteran averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.5 threes in this small stretch, providing solid across-the-board value that most fantasy basketball players would love to have. The Heat are loving it too, as the team has now won four of their last five, with that one loss being a game in which Oladipo didn’t play. Yes, he’s 30. Yes, he’s injury-prone. But this is a former all-star who still has plenty to offer. Outside of the occasional maintenance day, there is no reason why he won’t be seeing major minutes moving forward assuming good health. Take advantage of this bargain before his stock rises even higher.
Thomas Bryant, C, Los Angeles Lakers
Playing some fantastic basketball over the past two weeks, Thomas Bryant is still not getting nearly enough love across the fantasy basketball landscape. The big man has stepped into significant minutes with Anthony Davis out, and he has done anything but disappoint. Bryant has produced six double-doubles across his last ten games, averaging 15.5 points and 9.7 boards on an impressive 64.4% from the floor. With the struggling Lakers having won each of the last three games in which Bryant topped 30 minutes, they have no excuse to not keep feeding him minutes, and his stock should only continue to rise as he proves that this impressive stretch is no fluke.
Drew Eubanks, PF/C, Portland Trailblazers
Yeah, this is a weird one. Drew Eubanks has never been much of a fantasy basketball stud. Frankly, he still isn’t. But he’s flying under the radar and playing well enough to provide value. The big man has blocked 10 shots in his last seven games, recording at least one swat in each of them, he’s come up with 8 steals across his last five contests, and he most recently just put up a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double against Detroit. Seeing 27 or more minutes in four of his last six, he is a legitimate part of Portland’s rotation, and he can fill it up in rebounds and defensive stats. Perhaps most impressive of all is that you would have to go back to December 4th to find the last game he shot below 50% from the field, and he has shot below 60% just once in those 12 games. He certainly won’t knock your socks off, but he’s doing enough to be fantasy relevant and his stock is (slowly) on the rise.
Stock on the Decline
Gordon Hayward, SF/PF, Charlotte Hornets
Now 32 years old and seemingly always battling an injury, Gordon Hayward has fallen off and his stock is dropping quickly. Topping 10 points just once in his last five games, Hayward has been shooting with horrible inconsistency, showing poor percentages and not even knocking down a three a game in his 10 games back from injury. Now missing some time (day-to-day) with a hopefully mild hamstring injury, Hayward’s stock continues to drop as he is proving to be no more than borderline relevant for fantasy purposes. He’s still Gordon Hayward, so maybe things will get better over the course of the year, but it certainly doesn’t look like that will happen any time soon.
Bol Bol, PF/C, Orlando Magic
One of the most exciting stories across the NBA for the first couple of months of the season, Bol Bol seems to have come crashing down to earth of late, putting forth some very meager performances over the past couple of weeks. The young big man is averaging just 9.3 points across his last eight games, and he has now gone 20 straight games without a double-digit rebounding effort. And after starting off as one of the league leaders in blocked shots, he has swatted just 6 of them over that same eight-game stretch, coming up with an even worse 4 steals during that time as well. Failing to knock down a triple in eight of his last 11 contests, Bol has gone from one of the best across-the-board contributors in the league to barely contributing anywhere. It was fun while it lasted, but the ride has sadly come to end for the time being.