Buy Low:
Ben Gordon has two things working in his favor: Tracy McGrady‘s health and Richard Hamilton‘s chances of being dealt out of Motown. While McGrady is starting for now, his body is guaranteed to give out on him for a spell sooner or later. Hamilton is disgruntled and didn’t even see the court in the Pistons’ last game, and all signs are pointing to his departure from Detroit before long. These two factors (especially Hamilton’s troublesome situation) seem to paint a favorable future for Gordon’s fantasy value.
J.R. Smith is in a contract year, and with Carmelo Anthony on his way out of Denver, the chances of minutes opening up for Smith are decent. While he’ll still battle his trademark inconsistency, Smith is the type of player to take no prisoners in order to get paid next season. Expect him to take advantage of every opportunity he gets, whether he stays in Denver or is dealt.
Carmelo Anthony has checked out of Denver. That much is clear. Wherever he lands will be a breeze of fresh air for him mentally, especially if it’s in New York. He’s struggled lately, probably due to his conflicted state of mind, but new pastures will mean a revived Anthony, which should pay big dividends for owners who can buy low on him now.
Josh Smith‘s production declined across the board (save for an uptick in threes made per game) from November to December, and he’s shooting a miserable 38 percent from the field so far in January while blocking just one shot per game. He’s hit something of a rough patch but an injury is the only thing in his way of getting back on track sooner than later.
Stephen Curry has been downright mediocre since returning on Christmas from his ankle injury. He’s dealing with minor hip pain, but is denying that it’s affecting his play. His fantasy owners would love another explanation. Curry’s ceiling remains high, and as he gets healthier and finds his groove again, he’ll recover much of the value and trust he’s lost lately.
Dirk Nowitzki, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Garnett and any other productive fantasy players who are injured should be considered buy-low candidates.
Sell High:
Antawn Jamison has looked great since the middle of December and is averaging 22.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.2 threes in six games so far in January. The main threat to his fantasy value is the chance that he’ll be dealt before the trade deadline. Just like he was last season, Jamison seems to be a good candidate to shore up the rotation of a contending squad. But if he is traded to a decent team, his role and stats will diminish.
Baron Davis looks like a new man lately, 14.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.1 steals and a three per game since Dec. 26. Call me pessimistic, but once the Clippers hit a tougher part of their schedule and once Davis’ body starts to ache again, it will be back to frustrating times for his fantasy owners. See what you can fetch for him now.
Francisco Garcia has played great ball in January, averaging 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.7 threes in seven games. Don’t mind the fact that three of these games were without Tyreke Evans – the Kings’ rotation has proven too fickle to make any of their players reliable for more than a short spell. Once Evans returns and coach Paul Westphal has another change of heart, expect Garcia to become waiver-wire fodder again.
Trevor Ariza is shooting 52.2 percent from the field through six games in January. He averaged 39.4 percent from the field last season and is averaging that same mark this season so far. Call it a crazy hunch, but I have a feeling Ariza’s shooting woes are about to make a comeback.
Shawn Marion has started the last five games for the Mavs and has averaged 17 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 59.4 percent from the field during that stretch. He’s also set to start for the rest of the season. Good news, but don’t forget that Dirk Nowitzki has yet to return to the lineup. When he does, Marion will be knocked down a peg or two.
Throughout the season, be sure to leave your questions, comments, concerns, trade offers, roster problems and more in the comments below.
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