The NBA docket is a bit less busy this week, with the NBA In-Season Tournament on the horizon. Players won’t be on the floor quite as much this week, which makes for a good time to pinpoint some guys that are trending in either direction.
NBA: Preseason-Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Time to add Maxime “Mad Max” Raynaud
Raynaud has emerged as a legitimate backup big, and he should remain in the starting lineup until Domantas Sabonis returns.
STOCK UP
Derrick White — PG/SG, Celtics
Small sample size here, but White’s been outstanding to begin December — in four games, his 24.5 points per game on 51.4/ 40.8/ 80.0 shooting splits have been significantly better than his lower-scoring, inefficient-shooting October and November. What’s stood out most is White’s 12.3 three-point attempts per game! With him hitting threes at a high rate, the production from beyond the arc has brought incredible value from a fantasy basketball perspective, as have his recent bumps in rebounds and assists. Hopefully, this type of production is here to stay, now that White may be adjusting well to his role as one of the Celtics’ go-to scorers. Stock way up!
Kevin Porter Jr. — PG/SG, Bucks
Between the Game 1 injury and Ryan Rollins’ immediate ascension that followed, it’s likely that Porter Jr. became an afterthought to many folks from a fantasy basketball perspective. Well, he’s been back for a bit more than one week and has already become Milwaukee’s most productive player. In the five games since his return, KPJ is averaging 24.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.4 steals on 55.6/ 61.3/ 88.0 shooting splits, which includes a couple of 30-point outings with at least five three-pointers made. Whatever questions fantasy managers may have had about Porter Jr.’s reintegration and fit alongside Rollins, they should now have answers.
Dylan Harper — PG/SG, Spurs
It took a couple of games for Harper to find his rhythm, as well as his fit off the bench, in his return from an early-season calf injury. He’s been productive in the five games since, however, tallying at least 15 points in four of those five contests, while logging five assists or more in four consecutive games. The rookie guard most recently amassed a career-high 22 points against the Pelicans and dropped in a smooth-looking game-winning layup with his off hand to end the night. Whether it be his minutes, production, or confidence, everything seems to be trending in a positive direction for Harper, who’ll likely improve with more reps under his belt. Like many of the Spurs’ players, his ceiling is high.
STOCK DOWN
Myles Turner — C, Bucks
It’s been a rough go for the Bucks, who are struggling to find an identity or put together wins with or without their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Regardless of the former Finals MVP’s availability, the supporting cast has been inconsistent lately — specifically, Turner. The prized offseason addition hasn’t secured more than three rebounds in a game since November 26 against the Heat, and has scored more than 12 points just once over that period. He’s also playing fewer than 24.0 minutes per game since the start of December and finds himself in an unpredictable spot just over a quarter of the way through his debut season in Milwaukee. Things could always get better as the season progresses, but vibes aren’t currently high, and neither is Turner’s productivity.
De’Andre Hunter — SF/PF, Cavaliers
Hunter’s gone cold of late as the Cavaliers have rotated wins and losses over their last five games. He’s failed to score in double figures in two of those five games, with his high being 13 points. The seventh-year forward has also tallied exactly three rebounds in each of the past five games and totaled nine assists over that time, leading to minimal fantasy production recently. Hunter could use a big game in the near future to get him back on track, but until he does, his stock will remain down.
Reed Sheppard — PG/SG, Rockets
There was a 10-game stretch not long ago in which Sheppard averaged 17.1 points and 3.0 threes per game, including a 31-point masterpiece to carry the Rockets to a road win over the Warriors that marked the moment of his young career thus far. And just when it looked as though the second-year guard was about to take off, Kevin Durant returned from injury to reclaim his high production and make Sheppard’s contributions less necessary in the five games since. As a result, Sheppard is down to 9.0 points per game and has played fewer minutes than Aaron Holiday, the current backup point guard, in three of the last five games. Sheppard’s still having a nice sophomore season, but it’s tough to say whether he’ll reach those early-season heights again anytime soon.
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