🖥 CYBER WEEK - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE CYBER
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Buy, Sell, or Hold: Lou Williams and Eric Bledsoe?

Milos Zvekic's buy low, sell high trade advice for Week 17 of fantasy NBA. His buy/hold/sell recommendations for Lou Williams and Eric Bledsoe in fantasy basketball leagues.

Picking the right moments to buy, hold or sell your fantasy players can prove to be the difference come the end of a fantasy season. If you managed to sell your guy who was on fire just before he went cold again and get someone back who was slumping at the time, but is now back to his old valuable self, that could give you a significant advantage when fantasy playoffs start. And with the Trade Deadline looming, this is the right time to try and get away with some of those moves.

The Clippers made it clear that they are not looking to compete this year with them trading away their best player in Blake Griffin. It is quite possible that the Blake trade is just a gateway to more trades. And the players that are featured in almost all the Clippers' rumors are DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams. And while DJ should keep his value wherever he goes, as he does not need ball in his hands to be productive, and he will be utilized by any team that is willing to trade for him, it could prove difficult for Lou to hold on to this usage and therefore fantasy value on most other teams. More on what to do with Lou is coming up shortly.

The Bucks have just had two of their point guards fall victim to injury. Would you believe it, not one of them is Eric Bledsoe!? If you're interested in the probable outlook for Bledsoe for the rest of the season and my take on his value going forward, keep reading. Welcome to our Week 17, Buy Low/Sell High column right here at Rotoballer.

Cyber Week Special! Save 50% on any Premium Pass using discount code CYBER. Win more with our DFS, Betting and Season-Long Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! GAIN ACCESS

 

Buy Low, Sell High Advice for Week 17

Are You for Real, Lou Williams?

The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award winner Lou Williams found himself traded to the LA Clippers in a deal for Chriss Paul last offseason and, with Patrick Beverley, Austin Rivers and Milos Teodosic all in the team's backcourt, figured to once again be the offensive force coming off the bench, but not much more than that.

But all three of his aforementioned teammates have been having trouble with injuries. Beverley is out for the season, Rivers hasn't played yet in 2018 and Teo is healthy now, but has missed over half of the Clippers' games so far. All this has Lou riding the biggest usage % of his career at 30.1%. The increased opportunity translated very well into fantasy output with Lou averaging 23.3 PTS with 2.8 3PM on 43.9 FG% and 90.0 FT%, 2.5 REB, 5.3 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.2 BLK and 2.9 TO in 33 minutes a night. He is a top-35 fantasy asset in most formats with this contribution.

So what's to keep Sweet Lou from keeping up this magnificent form?

Well, the rumors are heating up that the Clippers are looking to get younger and are shopping their older, valuable players to accomplish their goal of competing in a few years instead of right away. Lou fits exactly into what teams that want to win now want, and what the Clippers are looking to sell. With Griffin's deal going through, it seems like there's no time like the present for Clippers to pull the trigger on a deal for Lou. And there aren't any spots where Lou can land where he can keep getting the kind of run he's been getting so far. Likely suitors for his services are quality competing teams who already have strong rosters, and who need Lou mostly as a strong bench player, not the leader of their offense, which is his role on the Clippers at the moment. So any trade away from LA would have him lose at least some of his fantasy appeal.

What if Lou stays? Even if the Clippers are unable to find a satisfying deal for Lou Will, it is still unlikely that he will be able to keep it up at this level. Griffin is out of town, but in that deal, the Clippers received a guard, Avery Bradley, who can eat up some of Lou's minutes, and a high usage guy in Tobias Harris. In the two games with them in the lineup, Lou's usage is down to 28.2. So even if Williams was to stay a Clipper, he wouldn't be guaranteed the minutes or usage to keep producing at a top-35 pace.

If you own Lou and have an owner in your league with faith in him to stay in LA, or to keep up this sort of production, it could prove a wise move to try and sell at a high price. Most players from the top-50 have safer ROS value than Lou and I would probably take a guy like Khris MiddletonDeMar DeRozan or Robert Covington if I was offered one of them.

Baller Move: Sell high

 

Time to Panic on Eric Bledsoe?

Apart from his career high 2.1 steals per game and a somewhat decent (for a guy who takes almost five threes a game) 44.3% from the field, all other fantasy-relevant stats are down from his previous years. This is expected since he's been playing "just" 30 minutes a night, which is a three-to-four minute drop off from his previous years in Phoenix. But with his biggest competitors for minutes out for a couple of weeks (Malcolm Brogdon 6-8 and Matthew Dellavedova 3-4), Bledsoe should get all the run he can handle.

Expect his 16.8 points, 1.5 threes, 3.5 boards, 4.1 dimes and also his 2.9 turnovers per game, all to rise with the increased opportunity he is bound to get. Giannis AntetokounmpoKhris Middleton, and Bledsoe will be running the offense so it's difficult to imagine that he will still be limited to 13.5 field goals per game with almost 14.5 shots being up for grabs from the injuries of Brogdon and Delly.

Do be careful though, Bledsoe is quite an injury risk. He has missed less than 15 games in just three of his seven NBA seasons so far. And with the burden of injuries to his peers falling mostly on his shoulders, and Bucks in the midst of the battle for NBA playoff seeding, Bledsoe probably won't get rested enough and his body might not endure the effort.

While I would advise caution, I still believe that Bledsoe can be a decent fantasy, and can really up his value from his current top-75 form. If you can obtain his services for a player in that same range but with less opportunity or a worse outlook for the rest of the season I would certainly advise you do so. Jonas ValanciunasHarrison Barnes, and Evan Fournier have all outperformed Bledsoe fantasy-wise this season, but all have lower ceilings and, barring any injury, should have less value the rest of the way. So if you own one of these players and Bledsoe's owner doesn't trust him, it would be a mid-risk high-reward move for you to make the swap.

Baller Move: Hold or buy low

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jaylen Wright

Runs Wild in Week 14 Win
Chase Brown

Scores Two Touchdowns in Week 14 Loss
Nico Collins

Leads Texans in Receiving in Sunday Night Win
San Francisco Giants

Jeff Kent Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Ketel Marte

Red Sox Interested in Trading for Ketel Marte
Kyle Schwarber

Pirates Make Four-Year Offer to Kyle Schwarber
Travis Etienne Jr.

Scores Two Touchdowns in Week 14
Christian Watson

Continues to Find the End Zone in Week 14
Blake Corum

Leads Rams Backfield With Phenomenal Week 14 Showing
Michael Wilson

Enjoys Heavy Involvement in Week 14
Puka Nacua

Enjoys Best Game of the Season in Rout of Cardinals
Harold Fannin Jr.

Eclipses Century Mark, Scores Touchdown Sunday
CFB

Mississippi State, Rice Accept Bowl Bids as 5-7 Teams
CFB

Auburn, Florida State, Baylor Among Teams to Decline Bowl Bids
Paul George

Available on Sunday Evening
Joel Embiid

Available Against Lakers
Lauri Markkanen

Ruled Out Versus OKC
Geno Smith

Doesn't Return to Week 14 Game Against Broncos
DK Metcalf

Totals Almost 150 Yards in Big Win Over Ravens
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active on Sunday Night
CFB

Rob Aurich Set to Become Nebraska's Defensive Coordinator
LeBron James

Available Versus Philadelphia
Geno Smith

Questionable to Return With Shoulder Injury
Joe Burrow

Throws Four Touchdowns in Snowy Conditions
Tee Higgins

Finds the End Zone Twice in Loss to Bills
Tony Pollard

Stuns Browns, Breaks Off Two Huge Touchdowns
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Scores Twice in Victory Over Falcons
Shedeur Sanders

Racks Up Four Touchdowns in Narrow Loss to Titans
Josh Allen

Totals Four Touchdowns in Win Over Bengals
MON

Samuel Montembeault Ruled Out for Sunday
Carter Hart

Available Against Rangers Sunday
Ryan Leonard

to Miss "Extended Period of Time"
De'Von Achane

Avoids a Broken Rib in Week 14
John Carlson

a Game-Time Decision Sunday
Zach Ertz

Feared to Have Torn ACL
Jordan Kyrou

Unavailable Against Canadiens
Daniel Jones

Could be Done for Season with Achilles Injury
Matt Duchene

Set to Return Against Penguins
Pyotr Kochetkov

Back for Hurricanes Sunday
Evgeni Malkin

Won't Play on Sunday
CFB

Notre Dame Opting Out of Postseason Amid College Football Playoff Exclusion
Karl-Anthony Towns

Ruled Out Against Orlando
Draymond Green

Remains on the Shelf Versus Chicago
Jimmy Butler III

Expected to Return on Sunday
Immanuel Quickley

Now Probable Versus Boston
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Will Miss First Game of the Year on Sunday
Joel Embiid

Upgraded to Probable Against Lakers
Ja Morant

Doubtful Against Portland
Robert Williams III

Now Questionable Versus Memphis
Donovan Clingan

Questionable Versus Grizzlies
CFB

Kendal Briles a Candidate for South Carolina Offensive Coordinator Job
CFB

James Madison Playoff-Bound After Duke Wins ACC Title?
CFB

Notre Dame, Miami, Alabama on College Football Playoff Bubble
CFB

Brent Pry Could Return to Virginia Tech as Defensive Coordinator
Darcy Kuemper

Ends Losing Streak With Shutout Performance
Nikolaj Ehlers

Collects Three Points in Saturday's Win
Ilya Sorokin

Ties Franchise Record With 25th Shutout
Sam Bennett

Bags Season-High Four Points Saturday
Jordan Kyrou

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Saturday
Dominic James

Hurt on Saturday
LaMelo Ball

Won't Suit Up Against Denver
Immanuel Quickley

Questionable for Sunday Afternoon
Klay Thompson

Downgraded Versus Houston
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Out Again on Saturday Evening
Tyler Herro

Will Miss Another Game on Saturday
Jimmy Butler III

Out Again on Saturday Night
Draymond Green

Ruled Out Versus Cleveland
Jose A. Ferrer

Mariners Acquire Jose A. Ferrer from the Nationals
Mason Marchment

Expected to Return Saturday
Danila Yurov

Returns From Two-Game Absence Saturday
Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Available Saturday
Harry Ford

Traded to the Nationals
Shane Pinto

to Miss Two Weeks
David Pastrnak

Misses Fifth Consecutive Game Saturday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Remains Out Saturday
Nikita Kucherov

Out on Saturday
Cody Bellinger

Drawing Interest From the Phillies
MacKenzie Gore

Will the Nationals Trade MacKenzie Gore?
Byron Buxton

Twins Not Planning to Trade Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton
Petr Yan

Looks To Reclaim Bantamweight Belt
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Fourth Title Defense
Joshua Van

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fifth Title Defense At UFC 323
Tatsuro Taira

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Brandon Moreno

Searches For His Third Win In A Row
Payton Talbott

A Favorite At UFC 323
Henry Cejudo

Set For His Retirement Fight
Jan Blachowicz

Set To Open Up UFC 323 Main Card
Bogdan Guskov

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
CFB

Emmett Johnson Leaving Nebraska for 2026 NFL Draft
CFB

Jam Miller Unlikely to Play in SEC Title Game
CFB

Penn State Expected to Hire Matt Campbell from Iowa State
CFB

Arkansas Targeting Ron Roberts for Defensive Coordinator Job
Jhostynxon Garcia

Pirates Acquire Jhostynxon Garcia From Red Sox
Cody Bellinger

Yankees Pushing Hard to Re-Sign Cody Bellinger
CFB

Penn State Eyeing Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell For Coaching Vacancy
Alex Bregman

Cubs Have Renewed Interest in Alex Bregman
CFB

Billy Napier Finalizing Deal to Become James Madison's New Head Coach
CFB

Buster Faulkner Set to Become Florida's New Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Joe Sloan Expected to be Kentucky's New Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Lane Kiffin Working to Keep Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker at LSU
CFB

Brian Daboll a Candidate for Penn State Head-Coaching Job?
Kyle Tucker

Visits With Blue Jays
Emilio Pagán

Reds Bring Back Closer Emilio Pagan on Two-Year Deal
Cedric Mullins

Rays Agree on One-Year Deal
Freddy Peralta

Brewers Considering Trading Freddy Peralta
Kyle Schwarber

Reds Serious About Adding Kyle Schwarber in Free Agency?
CFB

Brent Key Signing Five-Year Deal to Remain at Georgia Tech
CFB

Brian Hartline Expected to Land USF Head-Coaching Job
CFB

Collin Klein Expected to be Top Target for Kansas State if Head-Coach Job Opens
Kyle Schwarber

Giants Have Checked in on Kyle Schwarber
Willson Contreras

Willing to Waive his Full No-Trade Clause?

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP