RADIO
Alex Fischbein takes a look at which players have added to the value or lost some value in Dynasty leagues for Fantasy basketball.
What's up, Rotoballers! We are officially into the second week of the NBA season and Halloween gets replaced by the anticipation of huge turkey dinners. In the meantime, there's plenty of basketball to be played!
As Fantasy Basketball's popularity continues to grow, so do dynasty formats. Dynasty leagues in both fantasy baseball and football have taken off and that's flowed over to the basketball world. Each fantasy manager has to weigh their options and decide who is worth buying or selling so that they can actually upgrade their roster outside of just the rookie draft.
What we're aiming to do each week is show which players are losing value and those that are gaining value. Hopefully, this will help some of you buy low, sell high, or just brag to your league mates that you chose the right players from day one. So, let's get into the thick of it after a week of basketball!
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Risers For Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Leagues
Dereck Lively II (C, DAL)
During the first two nights of the season, everyone was anticipating the debut games of two rookie centers. Neither of those centers was Dereck Lively II, but after his first game, there was a big amount of hype. 16 points and 10 rebounds on 7-for-8 shooting hasn't been done by a rookie in the season opener for over 40 seasons!
The next two games may have been a bit lackluster in comparison to the opening game, but this is a rookie that we're talking about. He doesn't turn 20 years old for a couple more months and he proved that he can put together an efficient double-double while becoming a defensive threat at the same time. He's also averaging one block per game, by the way.
In 12-team dynasty formats, Lively should definitely be rostered whether that's on the active roster or on a taxi squad. He's currently working alongside one of the best playmakers in the game Luka Doncic. Plus, when Kyrie Irving is on the floor, it opens up more space for Lively while allowing for even more rebound chances.
Jalen Johnson (PF, ATL)
If Jalen Johnson is somehow on your waiver wire, sprint to the waivers and make a claim. If FAAB is used in this league, then use as much of your budget as possible to get him. Okay, maybe not triple digits, but he's looked so good that fantasy managers will want to make sure he's on their team.
The soon-to-be 22-year-old has seen an increase in minutes and production in each of his three seasons so far. Through four games this season, Johnson averages 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks across 29.5 minutes per game. In the first two games of the season, Johnson came off of the bench, and now he's already found his way to the starting lineup.
Mixing an explosive play style with top-notch ball handling and passing IQ is exactly what every fantasy manager salivates over. Especially when that's coming from a 6'9 wing player who plays alongside Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and a lob threat like Clint Capela. Give us all the shares of Jalen Johnson!
De'Anthony Melton (PG/SG, PHI)
In case anyone hasn't heard by now, James Harden was finally traded away to the Los Angeles Clippers. The players that came back in that deal happened to all be forwards. So do you know who that doesn't affect? If you guessed Tyrese Maxey and De'Anthony Melton, then you're correct!
Melton is still just 25 years old and is considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Despite a shorter frame at 6'2, he's strong enough to guard bigger wings while fast enough to keep up with the smaller guards. Since Harden is out of the picture, his defense isn't the only thing on display anymore.
He's currently averaging career-high marks in assists (5.3 per game), steals (1.7), and minutes (29.0) while tied for a career-low in turnovers (1.3). His shooting numbers haven't been too great just yet (.308/.250/1.000), but those will likely return to the mean after getting comfortable in Nick Nurse's new system. Melton should remain in fantasy lineups of all formats, even if the 76ers end up bringing in another guard.
Fallers For Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Leagues
Collin Sexton (PG/SG, UTA)
What is there to say about Collin Sexton, at this stage, that hasn't been said already? He's seen some extreme highs with Cleveland and some extreme lows with Utah. That may sound like the start of a riddle because that's the best way to describe Sexton and his fantasy output so far in his career.
He went from 24.3 points, 4.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game in Cleveland to just 12.0, 1.5, 1.5, and zero. There are some flashes here and there that may excite his fantasy managers just so they could possibly get something useful in a trade. Other than that, all we've seen is a promising start to a young career go through a free-fall.
To make matters worse, the Utah Jazz have a logjam situation in their backcourt. If Sexton isn't playing well, they have no reason to endure the ugly basketball because they can throw any combination of Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kris Dunn, Ochai Agbaji, or Keyonte George on the floor. Before it gets any uglier, cut any dynasty ties with Sexton so you can at least extract more value than a bag of Doritos.
Obi Toppin (SF/PF, IND)
Gone are the days of New York Knicks fans pleading with Tom Thibodeau over social media to give Obi Toppin more minutes off of the bench. Now, Toppin's minutes are the concern of Indiana Pacers fans, and it doesn't seem to be working out in their favor. The 25-year-old is seeing the court for five more minutes per game and has only improved in rebounds and slightly in steals.
Toppin was on everyone's list for Most Improved Player of the Year and his dunk highlights are shared at least once per game. If only the rest of his traditional stats were as good as his highlights!
Instead of boring everyone just like his 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game bore everyone watching on TV, I'll just keep this one short and let you all know that it's okay to move on from him.
Rui Hachimura (SF/PF, LAL)
Does anyone else remember when Rui Hachimura was almost every person's pick to win a Most Improved Player of the Year award and eventually become some sort of star player when he was on the Washington Wizards? Is it only me? Wow, how times have changed from pre-pandemic until now.
Just last season, the basketball world watched Hachimura play some very meaningful minutes both in the final stretch of the regular season and the postseason for the Los Angeles Lakers. Every national media outlet was singing his praises while every fan was ready to move him up their draft board this season because he was surely going to play more often.
Well, here's a not-so-fun fact: Hachimura is actually playing fewer minutes than he did last season! Not just that, he's actually playing the lowest amount of minutes per game in his five-year career so far. 8.0 points and 3.0 rebounds across 14.7 minutes per contest isn't going to win anyone a fantasy title. The youth, flashes of talent, and size are all still there, but the output has yet to match the expectations. When you're in the fifth year of unfulfilled potential, push has to come to shove at some point.
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