Here are some players worth buying and selling ahead of Week 17
2 min read
The back half of Week 16 is here, and six games are set to take place on Thursday. The All-Star break is a mere two weeks away, and quite a few fantasy assets have raised their value thanks to timely injuries. Not every player is built for the long haul when thrust into the spotlight, but we’ve picked out a few who stand out as idea targets ahead of Week 17 and a pair managers should look to pass up.
So who should managers try to buy and sell? Here are five options to consider trading for or getting rid of:
Three to buy
- Kevin Love: It appeared like Love would be an afterthought again when 2021-22 began, but injuries to Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio have helped him become a crucial player for the Cavs and one of the best bench players in the league. No player in the NBA is providing more rebounding support off the bench, and his consistent outside shooting has been just as impressive. Love’s averaged 15.9 points and 7.4 rebounds and shot 41.7 percent from deep since December of 2021.
- Jusuf Nurkic: Anfernee Simons has gotten plenty of attention for what he’s done for the Damian Lillard-less Trail Blazers, but Nurkic has also been very impressive. Portland’s starting center averaged 17.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in January. He also kicked off February with 16 points and 14 rebounds against Anthony Davis. He has little to no support from his team’s other bigs and should continue to carry a heavy workload while all his legitimate backups are injured.
- Luguentz Dort: Dort made a name for himself with his defensive prowess, but he’s shined as a scorer with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recovering from an ankle injury. The Oklahoma City wing averages 19 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game when SGA doesn’t play. He scored 30 points to help lift the Thunder past the Mavericks on Wednesday, and his shot volume won’t go down until after the All-Star break.
Two to sell
- Ivica Zubac: Zubac’s calf injury won’t make it easy for him to maintain a sizeable role in the Clippers‘ rotation. Serge Ibaka is on the way out while Isaiah Hartenstein and small-ball centers are gaining steam. Zubac is the starter but has averaged just 5.8 points and 6.3 rebounds over his last four games. Ty Lue’s new rotations don’t favor the big man, and fantasy managers can find others sources for rebounds.
- Cam Reddish: Reddish isn’t off to a good start in New York. The former Duke standout and lottery pick has played in just three games since the Hawks sent him to the Knicks and is averaging 4.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in the Big Apple. Tom Thibodeau is comfortable with his current rotation, and Reddish is logging DNPs behind a heap of other wings. There’s a chance Reddish will turn things around, but he probably won’t be instrumental while getting seven minutes per game this season.
