We are back. Both the Christmas and New Year’s holidays fell on the days this article posts, so there was a two-week sabbatical. Everything is back on track now. It is officially 2020. The NBA season is heating up. There is less than a month until the NBA trade deadline. It is going to be a fun rest of the season.
Fantasy basketball is heating up too. Managers should be looking to solidify their roster for the stretch run. Making a shrewd trade is a fantastic way to accomplish that goal.
Today, we will examine five players that should be traded because their value has reached a tipping point.
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Buy
Here are three players fantasy managers should buy right now.
Jrue Holiday (NOP – PG/SG)
Holiday’s numbers are down nearly across the board. He is still averaging 19.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 2.0 3-pointers made in 35.6 minutes per game. His percentages have dipped to 43.8 percent from the field and 70.8 percent on his free throws.
Holiday is still the 33rd ranked player on the FantasyPros Player Rater for the season, but many expected him to be pushing the top-ten. Expect him to shoot better the rest of the way.
The return of Zion Williamson should increase his assists total and allow him more room to operate. The rookie is going to be a force in the paint. That should free up some space on the perimeter for Holiday to work. Zion drawing attention could do wonders for Holiday’s numbers.
Try to buy Jrue Holiday right now at a discounted rate. Any player outside the top-25 for Holiday may look like a steal down the stretch.
Eric Bledsoe (MIL – PG/SG)
Bledsoe is a player fantasy managers should want on their teams. He is annually underrated. His across the board contributions do not stand out in any one area, but they add up to a special total.
Bledsoe’s minutes are down to 26.0 this season. That is thanks in larger part to an injury that caused him to miss eight games. The playing time should be back up to around 30 in the near future.
He is currently ranked 76th on the Player Rater. Expect him to finish close to his last season mark of 36th overall. The stats should improve across the board as the playing time increases for Bledsoe.
Now is the time to trade for him. Bledsoe can likely be had for a player ranked outside the top 50. That will look foolish in two weeks when he has fully returned.
Julius Randle (NYK – PF/C)
Randle is underperforming expectations in his first season with the Knicks. He is shooting just 45.3 percent from the field after two straight seasons of over 52. Randle’s scoring is also down to 18.6 per after averaging 21.4 last season in New Orleans. It all looks bad until fantasy managers dive deeper.
Since coach David Fizdale was fired and replaced by Mike Miller, Randle has taken off. Over those 14 games, he is averaging 21.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.7 3-pointers made in 32.4 minutes per game. Randle is shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 76.1 percent on his free throws.
Expect those numbers to continue. Randle has proven he is capable of producing them. He finished 49th on the Player Rater a season ago but ranks at 102 right now. Try to trade for him while his value is at a low point. The 25-year-old should be a top 50 player down the stretch.
Sell
Selling at the peak of a player’s value is a stellar avenue to move up the fantasy standings. Here are two players that cannot keep up their current pace.
Brandon Ingram (NOP – SG/SF)
Ingram has taken a massive leap this season. He is playing more minutes and taking on a larger role in his first season in New Orleans. Ingram is averaging 25.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.8 blocks, and 2.4 3-pointers made per game while 48.0 percent from the field and 86.7 percent on his free throws.
Ingram is currently tenth on the FantasyPros Player Rater for the season. He is making a positive contribution in every category. Now may be your last chance to sell extremely high on the 22-year-old, though.
Zion Williamson did 5-on-5 work in practice for the first time on Jan. 7. There is no set return date, but it is approaching quickly. Williamson will take shot attempts and rebounds away from Ingram.
The impressive run from the 22-year-old is about to end. Sell him for any top 40 player and reap the rewards down the stretch as Ingram tails off.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (PHO – SF)
Oubre Jr. has taken a leap in his first full season with the Suns. He is averaging 18.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.8 3-pointers made in 33.7 minutes per game. The 24-year-old is shooting a career-high 46.0 percent from the field. That number is likely to regress slightly.
Oubre Jr. ranks 36th on the Player Rater for the season. That is unlikely to last. The Suns forward likely falls outside the top 50 for the season. Small regressions across the board will see him slip. Now is the time to trade him, though. Grab another top 40 option and ride that player to fantasy glory.
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Tyler Watts is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Tyler, follow him @tylerpwatts.