Welcome to another weekly edition of the Fantasy Basketball Stock Report! Every week, we take a look at a handful of guys who are either rising quickly up the ranks, or free-falling out of relevancy, at least for the near future. And with the holidays right around the corner, this can be a time to take advantage of some of your league-mates slacking off, as their attention shifts away from their teams for the next week or two. With that said, let’s get the edge on the competition by identifying this week’s biggest stock movers who could significantly impact the results of your fantasy basketball matchups.
Fantasy Basketball Stock Report
Stocks on the Rise
Naz Reid, C, Minnesota Timberwolves
With both Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert injured, Naz Reid has jumped into a starting role for the Timberwolves, and to say he has capitalized on the opportunity would be an understatement. Reid put up an incredible 28-point, 9-rebound performance on Thursday, only to surpass that line with 27 and 13 on Monday. The big man has also added 7 threes, 6 steals, and 2 blocks across his last three games, making him a strong across-the-board contributor while the major minutes remain. Once Gobert returns, which could be soon, Reid should still maintain value as well, as he was coming on strong with four double-digit scoring performances in his six games prior to Gobert getting hurt. No matter how you slice it, Reid’s stock is on the rise, and he could be a big difference-maker in fantasy basketball over the next few games.
Austin Rivers, SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves
Sticking with the Timberwolves, another player who has come out of nowhere to light up the boxscore is Austin Rivers. The veteran has seen 30 minutes or more in three of his last four, scoring at least 14 points in each of them. Across that four-game stretch, Rivers is averaging 17.8 points, 3.5 triples, and 2.0 steals, shooting a ridiculously efficient 73.5% from the floor. The Wolves are incredibly thin in terms of depth at the wings, and the team has won three out of four with Rivers seeing these major minutes, so there is no reason why he hasn’t earned a larger share moving forward. He is on the rise for fantasy basketball purposes, even if just for the next couple of weeks.
James Wiseman, C, Golden State Warriors
He’s back. At long last, the uber-talented James Wiseman flashed all of his potential last night, scoring 30 points with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a three in 27 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets. Yes, the game was a massive blowout, but 30 points is 30 points. Wiseman has now played 22 and 27 minutes in back-to-back games, and it seems his workload will only continue to increase as the season progresses and he works his way back to full strength. The former 2nd overall pick in the 2020 draft has the ability to be a huge difference-maker in fantasy basketball, and his stock took a major leap in the right direction after last night’s monster performance. It likely won’t be a linear ascent for the 21-year-old, but we are definitely on the verge of a breakout the rest of the season.
Stocks on the Decline
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG/SF, Utah Jazz
After a very productive stint with major minutes due to some injuries in the backcourt, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been relegated back to a bench role, and he has failed to surpass 20 minutes in each of his past three games. With Conley and Clarkson both fully healthy, his impact on the offensive end is significantly reduced, as seen by the combined 6 points he was able to muster over his last two contests. Barring another injury or trade, NAW has seen the last of his fantasy basketball value for a while. His stock is quickly trending in the wrong direction.