Hassan Whiteside has averaged a double-double since Jan. 4
An 82-game NBA season makes it inevitable for players to go through hot and cold stretches. As fantasy owners, we try to exploit these fluctuations in player value. Knowing where players stand is half the battle. With that said, here are a number of players who have seen their stock rise or fall in the last few weeks.
Risers
Hassan Whiteside, C, Miami Heat: Who saw this one coming? After playing just over 100 minutes in his NBA career and spending the last two years playing in the D-league, China and Lebanon, Whiteside seemed like the most unlikely candidate to make it back to the NBA. But just like Jeremy Lin three years ago, the Miami center has taken the league and the fantasy world by storm. Due to injuries in the Miami front court, Whiteside found his way into the rotation and started playing double-digit minutes on Dec. 27. In the nine games since, Whiteside has averaged over 22 minutes per game. With three double-doubles in his last five games, Whiteside is averaging 13.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game since Jan. 4. Ranking as the 17th best player in fantasy over the last week, the sell high window has officially opened on the former Marshall University player.
Victor Oladipo, PG/SG, Orlando Magic: Poised for a breakout sophomore season, Oladipo could not have had a worse start. He was unable to play in any preseason games due to an MCL injury, but matters got worse as he suffered a facial fracture in practice that caused him to miss the first nine games of the season. His early-season injuries caused his game to suffer early on as well. He shot just 41 percent and scored only 13.3 points per game in his first 10 games. As the season progressed, Oladipo has steadily improved, culminating with an explosive January. The former Hoosier currently ranks seventh in the NBA with 22.1 points per game for the month. Oladipo also recently led the Magic to consecutive upsets over Chicago and Houston by posting 33 and 32 points per game, respectively. While no one expects Oladipo to maintain his lofty scoring run, he has forced the fantasy world and the NBA to take notice.
Trevor Ariza, SF, Houston Rockets: A tremendous multi-category value in all leagues, Ariza has posted career highs in steals and three-pointers so far this season. He is out-earning his eighth-round draft value, despite shooting a horrific 37 percent from the field this year. While the top 50 rank on the season is nice, the top 10 ranking in the past two weeks is extraordinary. To say January has been a great month for Ariza would be an understatement. He has posted an average line of 14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 3.0 three-pointers while shooting 50 percent in his last six games. In the last 15 days, Ariza has been the best small forward in all of fantasy. The Houston forward has quietly become a valuable piece to the Rockets and to those contending for fantasy titles.
Alex Len, C, Phoenix Suns: The fifth-overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, Len has finally showed his promise, and is a top 30 fantasy player over the past seven days. In his last five games, the sophomore center is averaging 9.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. After logging less than nine minutes per game in his rookie season, the former Terrapin has earned every minute of the 25.7 per game he is playing in January. He is shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and over 80 percent from the line this month. With the Suns averaging over 107 points per game, the scoring chances will be there for Len.
Jeff Teague, PG, Atlanta Hawks: After missing three games and averaging only 15.5 points and 6.8 assists in the month of December, Teague has taken his game to another level in 2015. In the seven games played in January so far, the point guard is averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 assists, and 2.4 steals per game while shooting over 50 percent and posting a 4.7 assist/turnover ratio. Teague has been the No. 2 ranked point guard in fantasy over the past two weeks, just behind Stephen Curry.
Fallers
Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder: After missing all but three games in October and November due to a hand injury, Westbrook exploded in December. He averaged 29.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.5 assists while shooting 48 percent between Dec. 2 and 27. But in the seven games since Dec. 28, Westbrook has been mired in a horrific shooting slump. Shooting 33 percent on over 18 attempts per game is tanking the percentages of any fantasy team he is on. Once leading the league in scoring average, the Thunder point guard is posting just 19 points per game in those last seven contests. His assists are down and turnovers are up in that span. In the last two weeks, Westbrook is even ranked outside of the top 100 in fantasy. That will just not do for someone taken on average eighth overall in fantasy drafts. With such a high name value, you should be able to sell Westbrook and get back a top 50 player in return, which Westbrook has not been all season long.
Dwight Howard, PF/C, Houston Rockets: With an average of 13.2 rebounds per game, Howard has ranked in the top four of the NBA in rebounding for each of the last nine seasons. He finished first five times in that span as well. Even with an average of 11.1 rpg this season, which is the lowest since his rookie season, Howard is still in the top 10. After coming back from a knee injury a month ago, his numbers have taken a disturbing turn for the worse. In the past two weeks, the Rockets center has averaged only 9.4 rpg and only 7.3 rpg in his last four games. And it’s not just the rebounds, Howard’s numbers are down across the board as he has averaged only 13.9 points and 0.7 blocks per game since Dec. 29. Solid numbers from the center position, just not what you expect from the former Defensive Player of the Year and consensus top five fantasy center.
Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs: The youngest of the Spurs big three, Parker surprisingly has been the one plagued with injuries this season. Averaging 17.3 points and 5.7 assists in the first 16 games of the season, the point guard seemed well on his way to another great season. Since injuring his hamstring on Dec. 1, the 32-year-old has played in a total of 10 games and does not seem to be his same athletic self. Posting only 11.0 points and 3.0 assists in those 10 games, Parker has been useless in fantasy. In his last five games the career 49 percent shooter has made only 38 percent of his field goal attempts. Until Parker proves he is healthy, he is unusable in fantasy.
Joakim Noah, PF/C, Chicago Bulls: Hobbled all year with various leg injuries, Noah is about to add to his missed-game total after spraining his ankle Wednesday against Washington. While we wait to find out the extent of his current injury, we know that the Bulls center has been underperforming in recent weeks. In the eight games Noah has played in January, he is averaging 4.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Those are well below the 12.2 point and 11.2 rebound average he has posted the last two seasons. Drafted in the top 30 overall, Noah has failed to earn his lofty draft status. With fantasy ranks of 115th for the season and 190th in the past week, Noah is near the top of the list of the biggest busts this year.
Luol Deng, SF, Miami Heat: Signed by Miami to help replace LeBron James, Deng has posted low numbers not seen since his rookie season. Averaging 13.9 points, 4.9 rebounds,and 1.8 assists per game, the former Duke Blue Devil is not earning his $10 million per year contract or his eighth-round pick cost in fantasy. Especially in January, as Deng is the 180th ranked player in fantasy over the last 15 days. As the third option on a Heat team that ranks 28th in the NBA with 93.5 ppg, there is not enough points available for Deng to be counted in fantasy.
Dale Redman is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Dale, check out his archive and follow him @fantasytool.