As the calendar flips to December, we are back with another weekly Fantasy Basketball Stock Report. This week, a handful of players, mainly guards, have seen their stock sky-rocket due to a number of injuries to key starters on their respective rosters. This has created some new opportunities for these players, and they seem to be taking full advantage of the extra minutes and playmaking opportunities. So let’s dive right in and take a look at whose stock is quickly on the rise.
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Fantasy Basketball Stock Report
Stock on the Rise
Patty Mills, PG/SG, Brooklyn Nets
With Joe Harris undergoing ankle surgery, Patty Mills has stepped into a larger role for the Brooklyn Nets, and he has not disappointed. Playing 30 or more minutes in seven of his last eight games, Mills has looked like one of the most prolific three-point shooters in the league. The veteran guard has drilled 38 threes in his last eight games, knocking down at least two in all of them, and as many as nine in a game two weeks ago against the Thunder. With that, Mills has scored in double figures in six of those contests, topping 20 points in four of them. While he doesn’t contribute a whole lot in other areas, he’s shooting a ridiculous 56.9% from the floor over the past two weeks, hasn’t missed a free throw in that span, and he’s averaging just 0.7 turnovers per game. As a result, Mills looks to be a consistent overall option, who has a legitimate chance at leading the NBA in three-pointers made for as long as Harris remains out of the lineup.
Alec Burks, SG/SF, New York Knicks
With Kemba Walker out of the Knicks rotation moving forward, Alec Burks has taken on the starting point guard role in New York, and he has looked nothing short of tremendous thus far. In his last two games, Burks has been remarkably consistent in both minutes and production. Seeing 39 minutes in each contest, the veteran guard has averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 4 threes per game. He has seemingly taken control of the offense with a 26.7% usage rate, more than a full point higher than that of Julius Randle, the team’s number one scoring option. Burks has always been a capable scorer, but now he is seeing the minutes and opportunity to make him a valuable asset moving forward. His stock is sky-high right now.
Tyus Jones, PG, Memphis Grizzlies
Tyus Jones definitely falls into the category of unexciting yet fully serviceable NBA role players who are way more valuable to their actual team than to anyone’s fantasy team. But due to the injury suffered by Ja Morant, the steady point guard out of Duke now carries a fair amount of fantasy value as well. Jones quietly has put up per-36 minute averages of 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.0 threes per game this season, and now he is poised to actually see minutes in the 30s on a regular basis. After playing just 16 minutes per game thus far, Jones has topped 20 minutes in each of his past three games, seeing the floor for 34 minutes in a hard-fought victory over the Raptors last night. Jones racked up 6 assists and 3 steals while putting up 8 assists the game before in a blowout win over the Kings. He’s not super flashy, but he gets the job done, and the major boost in playing time means his stock is very much on the rise.
DeAndre’ Bembry, SF/PF, Brooklyn Nets
Heading back to Brooklyn with another one, DeAndre’ Bembry is another veteran who has recently entered the starting five for the Nets and has contributed in a major way with the additional minutes. Across the last week, Bembry is seeing around 30 minutes per game, putting up solid averages of 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals per game on a wildly efficient 84.2% from the floor. While certainly not the most offensively talented player in the lineup, Bembry brings a much-needed level of defense, energy, and grit that the Brooklyn Nets have otherwise been missing. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make a major impact on the court, and the presence of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and others such as Patty Mills has given Bembry a lot of easy looks around the rim. As long as his minutes stay in the mid-20s or higher, his value and stock will continue to increase as he further settles into Brooklyn’s starting rotation.
Otto Porter Jr., SF/PF, Golden State Warriors
Once a promising young star who never quite lived up to the hype, Otto Porter Jr. has seemingly found a nice home in Golden State after bouncing around the league over the past few seasons. The veteran forward has made for a nice role player on the 18-3 Warriors, and he has seen a nice bump in minutes and production of late with the injury to Andre Iguodala. Outside of a dud against Portland a few nights ago, Porter has averaged 15.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 4.0 threes per game over the past ten days. Porter’s minutes have sat in the mid-20s over this time, as opposed to the mid-teens, and there is no reason for the minutes to trend back down any time soon, given the way he has performed of late. And after seeing his highest minutes total, 30, in last night’s crucial game against the Suns, it is clear that Steve Kerr already trusts him in big moments. Porter’s stock is on the rise, as he continues to resurrect his career with arguably the best team in the NBA this season.
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