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Trade Marc Gasol while his stock is high
The injury to point guard Mike Conley sent ripple effects through the Memphis Grizzlies, no more so than when it comes to the usage and production of star big man Marc Gasol. Since losing the team's primary playmaker, Gasol has gone into overdrive, averaging 26.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.0 3-pointers, 2.0 blocks and 1.4 steals per game.
If he put those numbers up over an entire season, he'd have a case for an All-NBA First Team selection. Unfortunately, there are a couple reasons why his recent five-game outburst is unsustainable. Conley will eventually return from his back injury and take shots and passing opportunities away from the Spaniard -- and that's if Gasol is able to stay healthy himself.
Gasol missed 54 games from 2013-16, including a whopping 30 last year. As a big man with a history of lower-body injuries, increasing the workload and literal weight of responsibility on Gasol is a perilous prospect, with the potential to re-injure always looming on the horizon.
Your best bet? Find someone willing to spend up for a commodity that can only depreciate in value. Look for lightly-regarded sub-stars -- like Kevin Love in Cleveland or C.J. McCollum in Portland. Both are able to put up high-level fantasy lines without having the weight of their team's success riding entirely on their shoulders.
Take a shot on Rodney McGruder
The Heat guard has averaged nearly 34 minutes per contest over the past two weeks, averaging 8-5-2 in that span. Other than the rebounds from a guard, nothing there really stands out, but McGruder is being afforded nearly four 3-point attempts per game. If he can continue to fine-tune his timing to the pro game, his outside shooting could propel his value higher.
Downgrade LaMarcus Aldridge in your rankings
LaMarcus Aldridge is a five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA Team selection; his best years are also behind him. From his career seasons at the tail-end of his tenure in Portland, Aldridge's most-significant numbers have fallen across the board in year two with the Spurs:
| MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POR (2011-15) | 36.4 | 22.4 | 9.7 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| SA (2015-16) | 30.6 | 18.0 | 8.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| SA (2016-17) | 32.9 | 16.7 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 |
While his secondary stats -- assists, steals, blocks, 3-pointers -- have remained steady or even improved in some cases, the 11-year veteran just doesn't contribute in any of those areas at a high enough level to make up for his plummeting scoring and rebounding.
Throw in the propensity for coach Gregg Popovich to manage minutes and give the occasional game off and the chances of Aldridge getting back to 20-and-10 averages are slim. Slightly younger bigs with more ways to contribute -- Love with his 3-point shooting, Blake Griffin with his passing -- have moved past Aldridge in our rest-of-season rankings. That trend won't be reversed any time soon.
Drop Danny Green
Speaking of underperforming Spurs, Danny Green is still owned in nearly two-thirds of leagues on some sites, which doesn't make much sense. Green offers a fine 1.8 3-pointers made per game but his reputation as an ace wing defender doesn't show up in the boxscore, as he's averaging just 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game with little game-to-game consistency. Drop him.
Don't underestimate the Lakers' backcourt defense
Sure, the Lakers' defense is stretched thin with D'Angelo Russell, Nick Young and Jose Calderon hurt, but that doesn't mean that targeting their backcourt defense in daily fantasy is a cakewalk. In fact, the duo of Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams has been devastatingly effective despite their lack of size up front.
As a team, the Lakers have allowed opponents to shoot league-high 48.1% from the field, but that number drops to 45.6% when Clarkson and Williams are on the floor together. In particular, the impact of Williams has been incredibly understated. When on the floor, lineups featuring Williams allow 104.5 points per 100 possessions; that rises all the way to 114.1 when he sits.
Add John Henson for his block potential
Henson has tallied at least five points, five rebounds two blocks over his past six games -- and in many cases, much higher totals than those minimums. In that six-game span, Henson is averaging 12.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. For the blocks alone, Henson is a must-own player in category formats.
Stay clear from the Denver perimeter rotation
Over the past two weeks, Will Barton ranks eighth in the NBA with 37 minutes per game. Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari will soak up minutes on the wings too. Emmanuel Mudiay and Jameer Nelson have tied up most of the point guard duties, while rookie Jamal Murray can slide in at either guard spot as well. Gary Harris will be back from injury this month.
There are simply too many players that derive a significant portion of their value from scoring and no way to get them all enough minutes and shots to make them all viable fantasy options on a given night. Until Denver makes an inevitable trade, avoid exposure to their guard and wing rotation. No matter how the rotation shakes out, a fantasy viable player will be rendered unrosterable.
Lean on Shelvin Mack for the ailing Jazz
Shelvin Mack is a short-term option since the Jazz have injuries up and down the lineup and the backup point guard has hit double-digit scoring in four of his last five games. He's also adding five assists per game over that span. The Jazz only play three games next week but Mack has an opportunity to lock down his role over the next week if he continues his improved play.
Look at the upcoming schedule
Fifteen teams play four games and 14 teams play three games in the upcoming week. Who does that leave? The Minnesota Timberwolves, who play just two games -- at Chicago on Tuesday and versus the Rockets on Saturday.
You still have to keep Karl-Anthony Towns on your active roster in leagues with weekly locks, and the same probably goes for Andrew Wiggins with a soft matchup with Houston on the slate, but you might be better off exploring a one-week rental off the waiver wire than getting just two games out of Ricky Rubio.
