No team is making more fantasy basketball headlines than the Washington Wizards to ring in 2019. First, the team announced that All-Star point guard John Wall would undergo season-ending surgery. Wall had an ADP of 14, so it is obviously a massive blow to his fantasy managers and the Wizards. The injury pushes Tomas Satoransky into standard league fantasy relevance. He becomes the starting point guard in Washington. In their last three games, Satoransky is averaging 36.3 minutes per game and producing 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.0 3-pointers made. Wall being out for the year should also boost the value of Bradley Beal. Beal had an ADP of 27, but he should see more ball-handling responsibilities. Expect him to set a new career-high in assists and points per game this season. Beal could easily be a top-15 player going forward, so acquire him with confidence at his draft day price. Otto Porter Jr. also returned from injury on Jan. 2 after missing nearly a month with a knee injury. He will need a few games to ramp up, but Porter Jr. should see increased usage when fully healthy. Expect to see him set a new career-high in points per game this season as well. Porter Jr. had an ADP of 54 which was slightly inflated, but acquire him with confidence at that value with his increased role. Another lesser fantasy storyline for the Wizards is the Markieff Morris injury. He has missed two straight games, but his minutes appear to be trending down when healthy. Fantasy managers can cut him if they are rostering Morris in standard leagues.
Let us take a look at four other players to trade in your leagues.
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Buy
Here are two players to acquire in a deal to boost your position in the fantasy basketball standings.
Gary Harris (SG/SF – DEN)
Harris also just returned from injury. He missed a month because of a troublesome hip but played 20 minutes on Jan. 1. Expect him to be eased back into action over the next week or so. Harris is still only 24 years old, and managers should count on a larger uptick in production when fully healthy. His 2017-2018 season was no fluke, and he could easily take a step forward from that this year. He is shooting just 43.4 percent from the field and 32.4 percent on his 3-pointers this season despite being a 46.5 percent and 36.6 percent shooter for his career. Harris should average about 18 points and 2.5 3-pointers per game for the rest of the year. He should also produce 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and over 1.2 steals per game to make him a top-50 player. Harris had an ADP of 74, so acquiring him at that price should be a steal for the remainder of the season.
Jeff Teague (PG – MIN)
Teague has still yet to return from his ankle injury that first sidelined him on Dec. 17. He is reportedly close to playing, though. Teague is often an underrated fantasy asset, and the injury has only pushed his value down further. The lack of concrete information makes it a bit hairy, but a look at his numbers should sell managers on buying low. Teague has played poorly in his 23 games this season. He is shooting just 38.4 percent from the field despite being 44.5 percent shooter for his career. The good news for Teague is the 31.5 minutes per game. He is still getting the run meaning when his shot begins to fall the fantasy goodness will return. Teague’s ADP of 68 was too low during draft season. Now he is being dropped in some standard leagues. Acquire Teague for anyone outside the top-75 and enjoy rostering a top-50 player once he gets fully healthy.
Sell
Let us take a look at two players that fantasy managers should trade away while their value is never higher.
Kemba Walker (PG – CHA)
The 28-year-old Walker is having the best season of his career. He is well on his way to an All-Star bid, but fantasy managers should move Walker now. The Hornets point guard had an ADP of 22 but is producing top-15 value so far. Walker is taking an insane 9.2 3-pointers per game. That number likely drops by an entire shot attempt each night. The assists total likely falls to his normal 5.5 per game. The blocks and steals likely decline as well. Even if Walker can maintain his career-high in scoring, the other returns to norms push him down to his ADP value. Sell high on Walker and grab another second-round player that will give you more production going forward.
Jamal Murray (PG/SG – DEN)
Murray produced a massive stat line in the month of December. He averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 3-pointers made, 1.0 steal, and 0.4 blocks in 36.0 minutes per game. Murray also shot 45.0 percent from the field and 82.9 percent on his free throws. The 21-year-old took on a larger role with Harris out. The shot attempts will likely decrease slightly with him back in the fold. The Nuggets want Murray to play 32-33 minutes per game, so that alone will decrease his production. Expect more like 17 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game going forward. Murray had an ADP of 56 this season. That was a fair number, but plenty of managers will be able to move Murray for a top-40 player right now. Take advantage of his hot month and move the Nuggets young point guard.
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Tyler Watts is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Tyler, follow him @tylerpwatts.