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Fantasy Basketball Risers and Fallers for Week 17

Trade season has officially hit. First came Blake Griffin heading to the Pistons in a deal that seemingly came out of nowhere and doesn't make perfect sense for either team and then came the Bulls with their Nikola Mirotic drama. First he was traded to the Pelicans and then he wasn't and then other teams wanted him and then he was...a Pelican again? The Bulls get a first round pick for their troubles and three players who have zero future in Chicago--Tony Allen (already waived), Omer Asik, and Jameer Nelson. It's 2018, right?

I bring that last trade up because I was debating Mirotic's change in play now that he'll be a Pelican and if he would go on this week's risers list. The main pro is that he should be a starter, but he won't be the first or second option on the team. Ultimately, I think his production stays about the same on average, but with a little more volatility added into the mix. He's still a good player to own.

(Also, a reminder of how fast things change in the NBA: Jae Crowder was a faller last week, but the Kevin Love injury puts him back in the starting lineup for the Cavs.)

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Let's take a look at some potential risers and fallers heading into Week 17 of the NBA season. What players are improving? Which aren't? Do we know these things? Let's find out!

Note: All statistics are from games played before Friday, February 2.

 

Week 17 Fantasy Basketball Risers

RISER - Dejounte Murray (G, SAS)

I'm hesitant to include Murray on this list because his scoring has been inconsistent over the last couple of games, but assuming that works itself out you have a guard who could end up averaging double-digit rebounds per game for the rest of the season, who usually gives you between five and seven assists, and can hit low double-digits in scoring. Yes, you'd like to see more from him as a scorer and the fact that he just doesn't shoot threes is a downside, but Murray can help you dominate in rebounds and does enough other good things to keep his stock rising.

RISER - Andrew Harrison (G, MEM)

This week, the Grizzlies committed to not playing Tyreke Evans again as they explore different possible trades that would land him on a contender. This week, Andrew Harrison had four straight games with double-digit points and three consecutive games with four or more rebounds and six or more assists. He's made his last 17 free throw attempts. He's shooting over 40 percent in all of his last five games. With Evans gone, Harrison is being asked to do more work for a struggling Memphis team and he's responded by doing that work.

RISER - Bradley Beal (G, WAS)

With John Wall (knee) out for at least six weeks, Bradley Beal will take back over the reins as the undisputed top option in Washington. Beal's 27 point, six rebound, six assist line against the Raptors on Thursday and his 21 point, six rebound, nine assist game against Oklahoma City on Tuesday are great examples of what can be expected of Beal going forward. He could be a great trade target as the season for anyone looking for a boost in their hunt for the fantasy playoffs.

RISER - Nikola Jokic (F/C, DEN)

Two triple-doubles over his past four outings and an increase in scoring are enough to get Jokic on this list. Jokic has been used as a power forward approximately 28 percent of the time he's been on the floor this season, up from just 14 percent last year. That's limited some of his upside, but Jokic has been back as the starting center over the past two contests with Mason Plumlee out. He's more effective in that role and should hold it for a while as Plumlee is set to miss at least a couple of weeks. This helps with Jokic's efficiency and rebounding.

 

Week 17 Fantasy Basketball Fallers

FALLER - Tony Parker (G, SAS)

There was a brief moment after Tony Parker was moved to the bench where it looked like his new role was going to ignite something about his game. Parker scored double-digit points in three consecutive games after he was moved to the bench and kept his assist numbers solid. Since then, though? Over the past four games, Parker is averaging five points per game, 1.75 rebounds per game, and 2.75 assists per game. That is...not good.

FALLER - Brook Lopez (C, LAL)

Lopez was on this list a couple of weeks ago, but after a brief resurgence that made it look like he was back as a big piece of the Lakers roster, he played just nine minutes against Orlando on Wednesday. Lopez will keep having the occasional night with 10 or more points, but he's just as likely at this point to find himself outside of the rotation.

FALLER - Boban Marjanovic (C, LAC)

Boban will make his Clippers debut on Saturday, but don't expect big things from the efficient (i.e. the most efficient scorer in NBA history) big man as he won't have a chance to shine playing behind DeAndre Jordan. If a Jordan trade happens, Marjanovic instantly gains value, but right now he's best left alone.

 

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