The NBA trade deadline has passed, and the one in your fantasy league is fast approaching. This may be your final shot to make that game-changing move. The one that vaults you from contender to champion.

Today, we will discuss five players that could make a massive difference down the stretch in your fantasy league.

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Buy

Here are three options to acquire now before your trade deadline comes.

Kemba Walker (BOS – PG)
Walker has struggled to stay in the lineup since the calendar ticked over to 2020. He has missed seven of the Celtics’ last 21 games. Kemba is back in the lineup and producing, however.

Fans should expect a strong second half. Walker currently rates 31st on the FantasyPros Player Rater, but he should be a top-24 option down the stretch. Expect him to average 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. Kemba needs to get his steal numbers back up to 1.2 a night as well.

Now is the perfect opportunity to buy low on the All-Star.

D’Angelo Russell (MIN- PG/SG)
Russell was traded to Minnesota at the deadline. That gave a massive boost to his fantasy value. The Warriors were not trying to win games and would have continued to sit players down the stretch.

Now, D-Lo is on the Wolves. The pairing with Karl-Anthony Towns could become special. The two are good friends. Towns is an elite offensive big man. Expect it to boost Russell’s assists numbers.

D’Angelo Russell finished 28th on the Player Rater last season. The Timberwolves are giving him the keys to their offense. They need another big-time scorer and primary playmaker. Russell would average 23 points, seven assists, and four rebounds per game down the stretch. If he can produce three 3-pointers and 1.2 steals, Russell could be pushing top-25 value.

The 23-year-old is currently 104 the Player Rater. Some managers may be frustrated with the young star. Buying him for any player outside the top 35 should be a boost to your fantasy squad.

Dennis Schroder (OKC – PG/SG)
Fantasy managers are not giving Schroder the respect he deserves this season. He is only owned in 79 percent of Yahoo Leagues despite ranking 47th on the Player Rater. Schroder is incredibly hot right now, as he’s pushed up to 24th over the last 30 days.

The 26-year-old is a massive reason why the Thunder are in thick of the Western Conference playoff race. He is standing out as their sixth man. Schroder averages 19.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.1 3-pointers made on sturdy percentages.

Expect him to be a top-50 player over the rest of the season. Fantasy managers could likely acquire him for someone ranked outside the top-75 players, though. That should provide a massive boost to your lineup.

Sell

Fantasy managers should be trading away these two players while they still can.

Zion Williamson (NOR – PF)
Can anyone stop Zion? He’s started his rookie season off incredibly. Williamson is averaging 21.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 57.6 percent from the field. The hype is certainly real.

Now is the time to sell, though. The Pelicans are going to be careful with their young star. They only have two back-to-backs remaining, but it would not be surprising to see Zion sit out.

The injury risk is real too. Williamson has only played nine games this season for a reason.

Fantasy managers should sell him if they can grab a top-25 player in return. It will be difficult for Zion to rank that high by virtue of missing a few games. Plus, his free throw percentage and lack of steals and blocks hurt his value in fantasy. Sell 19-year-old star high if you can.

Joel Embiid (PHI – PF/C)
It’s been a strange season for Embiid. His minutes have dipped, and his production has slipped. Embiid is averaging 22.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. That places him 34th on the Player Rater.

The bigger concern is injuries. Embiid has already missed 16 games this season. His career-high in games played is 64. He likely won’t surpass that this year. Missing a handful of games down the stretch could sink your fantasy season.

You should trade Embiid for any top-30 player. Grab Rudy Gobert and Pascal Siakam for the stretch run. Those players have a lot more safety and should still produce fantasy value.

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Tyler Watts is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Tyler, follow him @tylerpwatts.