If you’re anything like me, you love to trade — it’s the best part of playing fantasy sports. Trading really allows you to dig in as the general manager of your imaginary squad and improve your team. In my friends and family points league, it seems like there’s a trade at least every other day (if not every single day), and I can’t see either of my brothers-in-law without talking trade and trying to strike a deal. The trade market is a funny thing, though. It’s fluid and constantly changing, week-by-week and sometimes, game-by-game.
The values listed below come in a handy table that places a direct numerical value on each player so you can make trades simply by comparing values and without having to dig through a bunch of numbers. Obviously, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all list of trade values, as league size, available roster spots, and team needs all come into play when evaluating a potential trade. If you can fill a roster spot that needs attention or improve in some weak categories, then making the deal makes sense, even if you feel like you’re overpaying.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk trade! Here are the current trade values as we make our way through Week 14 of the NBA season:
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Guard
Kyrie Irving gets an enormous boost this week. After missing 26 games with no return in sight, he came back and hit the ground running, playing incredibly in four games before a tight hammy cost him Monday’s matchup. Irving is an early-round fantasy stud when on the court, but his health remains a huge red flag. Lonzo Ball has been on a tear as of late and seems to have found his groove in New Orleans. He ascends in this week’s trade chart thanks to his strong play. Shabazz Napier gets a big boost, thanks to the Jeff Teague-to-Atlanta trade that leaves the former in the driver’s seat of Minnesota’s offense. He’s quietly put together a strong stretch of games recently and should be an even bigger value with more minutes at point guard. Ben Simmons moves up into even more elite territory thanks to some huge games as of late. He gets a huge bump in value here.
The Pacers’ backcourt sees a healthy amount of movement this week. Victor Oladipo will take the court before we talk trade again in Week 16, Malcolm Brogdon returned from his absence and has been playing solid basketball, and Jeremy Lamb has been a pretty big disappointment this season, so his value takes a hit. Zach LaVine is the biggest mover outside of Irving and Oladipo, as he’s been a top-five fantasy player since we last discussed trade values. As the clear leader of a floundering Chicago team, it’s unlikely he slows down any time soon. Injuries to Jamal Murray and C.J. McCollum account for a dip in value, while declining play explains the lessening value of Bradley Beal and Andrew Wiggins.
Forward
The return of Zion Williamson has to be the biggest story of the week, as he’s expected to debut against San Antonio on Jan. 22. This year’s No. 1 overall pick obviously has a ton of upside, but the Pels will play it safe with their franchise superstar and likely monitor his playing time. His value rises to a modest 20 simply because of the unknowns surrounding his minutes. Name value alone will likely net you more value in a real-life trade scenario than what I’m assigning him, but realistically, you’ll want to be cautious with Williamson in your lineups as well. Brandon Ingram has been playing out of his mind as of late, including posting a career-high 49-point outing within the last week. His value continues to rise, as does Mikal Bridges. The second-year man has played well with Kelly Oubre Jr. out of action, and he’s likely done enough over the last week or two to carve out a more consistent role moving forward.
Will Barton has been a strong fantasy play all season, though he’s been even better lately, as Denver has caught the injury bug in recent weeks. Pascal Siakam is back in the lineup, so his value naturally rises this week. Julius Randle has played big minutes for New York as the clear leader of the Knicks’ frontcourt, and his value rises in Week 14. Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Aaron Gordon are other notable movers thanks to some quality play over the last two weeks. Draymond Green is failing to live up to expectations this season, and his value continues to drop. Paul George’s recent string of absences decreases his value too, and fantasy owners should be concerned about his health moving forward.
Center
Player | Current Value | Previous Value | +/- |
Nikola Jokic | 48 | 46 | 2 |
Andre Drummond | 47 | 48 | -1 |
Karl-Anthony Towns | 45 | 44 | 1 |
Hassan Whiteside | 44 | 39 | 5 |
Joel Embiid | 42 | 45 | -3 |
Bam Adebayo | 42 | 42 | – |
Clint Capela | 36 | 34 | 2 |
Deandre Ayton | 35 | 33 | 2 |
Rudy Gobert | 34 | 30 | 4 |
Nikola Vucevic | 32 | 30 | 2 |
Jonas Valanciunas | 30 | 29 | 1 |
Montrezl Harrell | 29 | 32 | -3 |
Mitchell Robinson | 21 | 22 | -1 |
Brook Lopez | 21 | 18 | 3 |
Steven Adams | 20 | 21 | -1 |
Tristan Thompson | 20 | 20 | – |
Jarrett Allen | 20 | 17 | 3 |
Richaun Holmes | 20 | 24 | -4 |
Myles Turner | 20 | 17 | 3 |
Marc Gasol | 16 | N/A | N/A |
Derrick Favors | 15 | N/A | N/A |
JaVale McGee | 12 | N/A | N/A |
Nerlens Noel | 12 | 8 | 4 |
Jakob Poeltl | 11 | N/A | N/A |
Thomas Bryant | 10 | 13 | -3 |
Bobby Portis | 10 | 10 | – |
Wendell Carter Jr. | 10 | 17 | -7 |
Willie Cauley-Stein | 10 | 10 | – |
Cody Zeller | 6 | 8 | -2 |
DeAndre Jordan | 6 | 11 | -5 |
Injuries are the theme at the center position this week, as Karl-Anthony Towns finally got back on the court following a long absence. His elite value is dampened only by health concerns and short-term questions about his minutes. Nikola Jokic continues to do Joker-like things, and he rises to the top here, supplanting Andre Drummond as the most valuable center. Yet another injury has surfaced for Joel Embiid, and the Sixers’ center takes a small hit as a result. Health concerns for Wendell Carter, DeAndre Jordan, and Richaun Holmes cause a negative impact on value, while Willie Cauley-Stein’s move to the bench certainly caps his upside. DeAndre Ayton continues his upward trajectory and should push for top-five value at the center position the rest of the way.
Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.