Every year some players will have a hot start to the season. This is your opportunity to sell high on those players that you feel might not be able to sustain their current production. There are plenty of sell-high players. The following is a list of players that may give you a high return on investment in category leagues.
Fantasy Basketball Sell-High Players
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the number one fantasy player in 9-cat leagues on a per-game basis. It’s hard to question his talent or that he’s in a fantastic fantasy situation. However, what he is doing statistically just isn’t sustainable. SGA isn’t going to continue to shoot 100% from the free-throw line. It’s doubtful he continues to average over a block a game. And it’s unlikely that he’ll average almost 2.5 steals. If I were to sell high on a player like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander I would want someone back who I think can deliver first-round value.
Lauri Markkanen
Lauri Markkanen is in a good situation for maybe the second time in his career. What probably isn’t sustainable for him is his field goal percentage and block rate. Markkanen’s FG% is currently over 6% above his career stats. His blocks per game are twice his career numbers. If I can flip Lauri Markkanen for a reliable top-40 player, I’m doing it today.
Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell was severely underrated around the league this summer. He’s an elite talent no question about it. As of writing this article, Darius Garland has played 13 minutes this season. Mitchell’s points and assists will likely decrease when Garland returns. On top of that, he’s currently shooting 45.5% from three which is driving up his overall field goal percentage. Expect regression to the mean there. I would be comfortable selling high on a player like Donovan Mitchell if I could return a rock-solid second-round asset.
Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins has turned around his career in Golden State, but he’s a strong sell-high candidate for me. What’s driving up Wiggins’ fantasy value is his free-throw percentage, steals, and lack of turnovers. Andrew shooting 19% better from the charity stripe this season really feels like fool’s gold. Target a top 50 talent when shopping Andrew Wiggins in fantasy.
Bojan Bogdanovic
Bojan Bogdanovic just got a contract extension. He earned it. His shooting splits are currently absurd. When those crash back down to reality so will his value in fantasy. If you are offered a top 50 player for Bojan Bogdanovic smash the accept button.
Trey Murphy
Trey Murphy is a fun young player I enjoy watching. He’s going to stay fantasy relevant this season but probably not to his current extent. Murphy is currently shooting over 50% on threes and threes made happen to be his strongest category. Maybe that only drops by 10% but when this Pelicans team is healthy again it will negatively impact his playing time or at the very least involvement in the offense. Ideally, I’d like to get a top 60 player back if I’m moving Trey Murphy.
Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield has been given the green light in Indiana and is hitting four triples a game. It’s no secret the Pacers are shopping him and you should be too. If traded he’ll likely end up in a less favorable situation. That probably would result in fewer ball-handling duties which could bring down his assists. Look to grab a top 60 talent when moving off Buddy Hield.
Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez is currently delivering first-round value in 9-cat leagues because he’s averaging 3.3 blocks per game. He has never averaged 2.5 blocks in a given season. Two years ago, the last time he was healthy, Lopez averaged 1.5 blocks per game. He is 34 years old with a lot of miles on him. It’s time to cash out. I would attempt to steal a top 40 player when shopping Brook Lopez.
What players have you been able to sell high this season?