NBA Stock Watch: Rudy Gobert is rising while Patrick Beverley is falling
STOCK UP
Rudy Gobert: He’s averaged 10.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 4.0 blocks over two games since Enes Kanter was traded to the Thunder. Gobert has been the No. 63 ranked player this season despite averaging a paltry 6.8 ppg and 21:55 mpg. The upside here is through the roof for the 22-year-old, as Gobert has averaged 4.0 blocks over nine starts, a role in which he’s now locked into in Utah as the future of the franchise. He’s been the No. 27 fantasy player on a per-36 minute basis this season and will only continue to improve. Gobert is going to be a fantasy monster.
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Reggie Jackson: He’s averaged 20.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.3 3pt while shooting 85.7 percent from the line over 14 starts this season. Jackson will be starting over the rest of the year after getting traded to the Pistons, as his fantasy value has arguably taken the biggest leap among all players over the past week. Turnovers are likely to be a problem, but Jackson is clearly being handed the keys to the Pistons’ offense. Meanwhile, Brandon Jennings’ long-term role in Detroit is now cloudy, whereas D.J. Augustin’s recent run as a valuable fantasy contributor comes to an end.
Goran Dragic: After ranking as a top-30 player last season, Dragic checks in at No. 64 so far this year, including being outside the top-150 over the past month. He’s moving from a Phoenix team that ranked second in PACE to a Miami squad that ranks last, but it’s safe to expect a big increase in Usage Rate for Dragic. He’s gone from sharing a backcourt with Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas (who has the fourth highest Usage Rate in the NBA) to a Miami team badly in need of scoring, especially with Chris Bosh out for the season (not to mention Dwyane Wade constantly missing games). The trade to Miami should lead to Dragic going back to being an elite fantasy point guard, whereas Mario Chalmers (who’s quietly been a top-100 player over the past month) gets a downgrade.
Luol Deng: He’s played well over the last two weeks, getting 16.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.8 bpg and 1.8 3pt while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 88.9 percent from the line, a span in which he’s been a top-50 player. Deng could easily hold that value over the rest of the season, as Chris Bosh is out for the year and Dwyane Wade continues to battle injuries. Deng’s True Shooting Percentage (58.2) is a career high.
Terrence Jones: He got off to a fantastic start this year before suffering a leg injury, and then he found himself battling Josh Smith (among others) for playing time when he returned. But Jones has averaged 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks over the past three games, and he moved back into the starting lineup Monday. Houston has the third highest PACE this season, and Dwight Howard is sidelined indefinitely, so Jones has a nice opportunity to make a major impact. He’s still available in more than 30 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Here’s DeMarcus Cousins throwing down a monster dunk on poor Jae Crowder.
Here’s a JaVale McGee sighting!
Here’s a sick dunk by old man Richard Jefferson that was somehow called an offensive foul.
STOCK DOWN
Patrick Beverley: He pulled off an upset and won the “Skills Competition” as a last minute replacement during All-Star Weekend, but Beverley is in the midst of an epic shooting slump. He’s shooting 28.6 percent from the floor over the past month, resulting in him being the No. 213 ranked player. Beverley looks like a nice buy low candidate, but it’s safe to say his owners have to be losing patience, as he’s shot 2-for-15 from the field over two games since the All-Star break.
DeAndre Jordan: He’s been the No. 42 ranked player so far this year, and with Blake Griffin out with an injury, Jordan has averaged 18.4 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.0 blocks while shooting 67.4 percent from the field and committing just 0.6 tpg over the past five games. Despite those ridiculous numbers, Jordan has been the No. 146 player over that span, thanks to him shooting 43.5 percent from the line on 13.8 attempts per game. Not every team will employ the strategy in which the Spurs did (sending DJ to the charity stripe 28 times), but Jordan’s FTA have increased every month this year, a trend that’s worrisome for his owners.
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Evan Turner: He’s owned in every league I’m in despite shooting an ugly 30.8 percent from the floor while committing 3.5 turnovers per game over the past two weeks, when he’s been the No. 188 player. Isaiah Thomas (who currently sports a higher Usage Rate than LeBron James, James Harden, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant) is now a teammate, so feel free to drop Turner.
Jordan Clarkson: He looked like a must-add once he became the Lakers’ starting point guard, but Clarkson hasn’t recorded a single steal or block over the past four games, a span in which he’s shot 43.9 percent from the field. Clarkson has been the No. 180 player on a per-36 minute basis, so even if he continues to start, there’s not much upside here.
Chandler Parsons: He’s missing time with a sprained ankle, but the downgrade here has more to do with his performance on the court than a minor injury. Parsons has been in a shooting slump, as he sports an ugly 28.1 FG% over the last two weeks. That’s a small sample, but his FGA (11.8) have been down ever since Rajon Rondo joined Dallas, a 28-game span in which Parsons hasn’t been a top-80 fantasy player.
