Fantasy Basketball Stock Watch: Hassan Whiteside rising, Carmelo Anthony falling
STOCK UP
D’Angelo Russell/Spencer Dinwiddie/DeMarre Carroll
Caris LeVert received good news in that his devastating-looking injury isn’t season-ending, but he’ll be missing some time, leaving a big hole on offense (LeVert’s Usage Rate is tied for 30th in the NBA). Russell hit a career-high nine threes last game and sees a big bump in fantasy value. Dinwiddie could now start and is available in more than 35 percent of Yahoo leagues. Carroll, meanwhile, is back in action after missing the start of the season with an ankle injury, and he too will be asked to do more now with LeVert out. Carroll was a borderline top-100 player last year and remains widely available at more than 80 percent unowned.
Hassan Whiteside
He’s failed to live up to his massive 2015/16 fantasy season each of the past two years but has been much more active defensively and on the glass lately. He’s averaging 17.0 points, 16.3 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks over the last three games. In fact, he leads the NBA this season in BPG (3.3) and Rebound Rate (27.8), helping him carry top-40 value in 9-cat leagues despite a 57.8 FT%. Whiteside joins teammate Josh Richardson (career-high 20.5 PPG) as one of the better draft day values so far out of Miami.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
He was recently inserted into Los Angeles’ starting lineup, where he’s averaged 14.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.5 BPG over four contests. The 20-year-old guard is shooting an impressive 48.5 percent from the field and is a big part of the Clippers’ future. Basically, he’s not going back to the bench, even after Avery Bradley returns. SGA tore up Summer League and has been a top-50 fantasy player over the last week. He’s still available in nearly half of Yahoo leagues.
Deandre Ayton
Another rookie who’s impressed right out of the gate, Ayton has made an immediate impact as a top-40 player despite modest blocks (0.8). He still has a lot of work to do on the defensive end (Ayton’s Def Rating of 113.1 is among the league’s worst), but his Rebound Rate (18.4) is better than Anthony Davis’, and he has a higher PER than Ben Simmons and Paul George. Fantasy owners also appreciate having a center who can shoot from the line (77.1 FT%), a special rarity from a rookie. Ayton is a 7-1, 250-pound beast still developing, so his upside is through the roof.
Brook Lopez
He’s been on fire after a sluggish start in Milwaukee. He’s hit a whopping 14 three-pointers (with five blocks) over the last two games (he’s been the No. 11 ranked fantasy player over the last two weeks). Lopez made three three-pointers total over the first eight seasons of his career but has dramatically changed his game along with the rest of the league over the past few years. He’s embraced playing for the Bucks and Mike Budenholzer’s fast-paced system. The 7-0, 270-pound Lopez is averaging 7.2 attempts from downtown this season, which is the same as Damian Lillard and more than Kyrie Irving. He’s also seeing a modest 26:44 MPG. Remarkable.
STOCK DOWN
Carmelo Anthony
It’s only a matter of time before Anthony and the Rockets part ways, with the only surprise being it took just a dozen games to figure out just how poor of a fit he was in Houston’s system. Anthony, who debuted the same year as LeBron James, is averaging career lows in PPG, APG, SPG, and in PER. The former star has fallen outside the top-150 fantasy players this season after disappointing in Oklahoma City last year. Anthony will land somewhere, but he’s unlikely to find another team that resurrects his fantasy career at this point.
Rajon Rondo
He’s slumping lately, shooting just 20 percent from the floor and 25 percent from the line over his last three games. He’s been seeing fewer minutes off the bench, as well. In fact, Rondo saw a season-low 16 minutes during the Lakers’ last game Monday, when the team won its third straight, so expect more and more Lonzo Ball running the show in LA moving forward. Rondo, whose 45 percent shooting from downtown is also sure to regress in a big way, will in turn become droppable in standard fantasy formats.
Taj Gibson
It’s not his fault, as he’s having a fine season, but with Minnesota trading for Dario Saric in the Jimmy Butler deal, Gibson will soon likely lose his grip on the team’s starting power forward role. He’s had a resurgence in Minnesota, but it’s partly relied on volume, as he wasn’t a top-170 player on a per 36-minute basis last year with the Timberwolves. He’s a definite loser in the big Butler swap and worth considering dropping in shallower leagues.
