Buy Low:
Deron Williams hasn’t exactly been his normal reliable self so far this month. While he’s dishing out 11 assists per game, he’s also averaging four turnovers a game, while shooting just 43 percent from the field. That said, he’s still D-Will, and with the reported tension between him and ex-coach Jerry Sloan in his rearview mirror, fantasy owners can bank on Williams bouncing back for the rest of the season. Also, the All-Star break is near, which means extra time to rest that bum wrist of his.
Darren Collison hasn’t exactly thrived under coach Frank Vogel’s reign the way, say, Roy Hibbert has, but there’s still a lot to like. He’s getting a steady 32+ minutes a game lately and is running plenty of pick-and-rolls. His assists are at a season-high 6.6 per game so far this month, but his turnovers have followed suit (three per game). Collison should get the hang of things sooner than later and is a prime buy-low guy right now.
Aaron Brooks‘ disappointing season took a turn for the worse last weekend, and his 1-for-8 performance in his return game after serving a one-game suspension did little to calm fears about his seeming demise. That said, Brooks has said all the right things since walking off the court early last Saturday, and if he is eventually dealt before the trade deadline, his fantasy value will almost certainly take a turn for the better. Even if he doesn’t, Brooks is worth spending a lower-rung fantasy player on. Buy low with modest expectations and you’ll be happy with the investment.
Devin Harris has been pretty mediocre so far in February, averaging 10 points, 1.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 4.3 turnovers through four games. There’s no indication of any health issues at the moment, so this is nothing more than a slump. He’s not the most desirable point guard for your fantasy squad, but if you need extra depth at that position, you could do worse than buying Harris on the cheap.
Jrue Holiday rounds out the point guard edition of “Buy Low, Sell High.” Holiday has looked downright awful since Jan. 30. Part of the reason for his recent struggles is Andre Iguodala‘s role as a ball distributor. Another part could be Lou Williams‘ strong play off the bench. All that said, Holiday is too important and too talented to remain this bad (7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists through five games this month) for too much longer.
Marcus Camby, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon and any other productive fantasy players who are injured should be considered buy-low candidates.
Sell High:
Ramon Sessions has absolutely owned February so far, averaging 19.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 10.4 assists, two steals, along with 59.7 percent shooting from the field and 88.6 percent shooting from the charity stripe. He’s probably captured the affections of many a fantasy owner at this point, but Mo Williams is getting closer and closer to returning to crowd that Cavs backcourt once again. The fact that the Cavs haven’t won since Sessions has been the starting point guard (let’s not talk about anything beyond that) doesn’t bode well for his minutes once Williams returns. Expect unreliable minutes and production in the near future for Sessions.
Channing Frye was averaging 15.3 points, 2.7 threes, 11 rebounds and 1.7 blocks through three games in February (as of Thursday). Two of those numbers are somewhat sustainable, two aren’t. Frye has never been a particularly good rebounder or shot-blocker, which means those two averages are guaranteed to drop at any moment. He might be able to fetch you a pretty penny on the market right now.
Wesley Matthews remains a feel-good story this season, but let’s face reality for a second. With Brandon Roy set to return shortly, Matthews’ days of playing 38+ minutes a game are likely over. While it’s true that Roy’s comeback could very well be derailed again before the season’s over, in leagues with trade deadlines, there might not be a better time to sell high on Matthews than now.
Manu Ginobili has looked pedestrian so far this month, partly thanks to some easy victories. He’s been a solid sell-high guy all season long, and once he strings together a couple strong lines, Ginobili should be definitely a sell-high consideration – again. His minutes are only going to decline as the season wears on, while the possibilities of DNPs for him will rise. As with Matthews, the last chance to sell high on Ginobili could be coming very soon.
Randy Foye has done a fine job filling in for the injured Gordon during the past nine games. He’s averaged 16 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.1 threes during that stretch, not to mention 93.1 percent from the free-throw line. With Gordon’s return date getting closer, Foye’s owners should cut any emotional ties they’ve grown for him and do all they can to sell high on him.
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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