It’s Thursday, and you know what that means.
Buy low, sell high is one of the oldest terms in fantasy, but it’s more involved than that. You have to look at the “low” and “high” of it to make sure you’re maximizing value. We can also buy the player but question the team and role they are in when it comes to maintaining the pace they are on.
Most importantly, here, with any call you make, you have to be willing to lose the deal or accept that you made the wrong call. It happens all the time when we think we are selling at the highest value, only for that player to buck the trend and play like a stud from now on.
Now that you have an idea of what to expect for this column week to week let’s get to the players.
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Buy
Talen Horton-Tucker (LAL – SG/SF)
THT was a great story in 2020, but in 2021, he’s writing his script of a pretty damn good basketball player – well, at least in the three-game sample we have.
THT has played 27, 37, and 39 minutes in his games so far, and Coach Frank Vogel mentioned that he could remain in the starting lineup even when LeBron James returns.
He’s averaging 23 points per game right now, and while you don’t expect that level of scoring to continue, he should be scooped up and rostered in the majority of leagues. I’m buying a top 75 season from him for fantasy purposes.
Chimezie Metu (SAC – PF)
Metu was coming off of three straight solid games for the Kings, where he scored in double figures in each and recorded a double-double against the Pistons.
All signs were positive, as Coach Luke Walton kept him in the starting lineup. Well, his last game against Minnesota was one to forget, as he scored just four points on 2-8 shooting from the field.
Metu is still worth gambling on as a pickup in deeper leagues, and as long as Walton is still the coach – which could end at any point, Metu should provide value as a starter.
Dennis Smith Jr. / Dennis Schroder (BOS – PG)
Yes, Schröder cost himself when he turned down an alleged contract offer and had to settle for a one-year deal with the Celtics. But because of that, fantasy players pushed his stock down on draft day.
Poking holes through narratives can help your fantasy team, and Schröder has done just that as the sixth man for Boston.
On the season, he’s averaging 17 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.8 boards per game. While he’s technically a reserve, he’s recording starter minutes, as he’s played at least 30 minutes in every game since November 4.
I’m buying him as a top 65 player this year.
Sell
Robert Covington (POR – PF/C)
Covington started the season off slow, but he’s the 58th player on the season in Yahoo leagues.
I’m selling Covington as that, as the scoring holds him back from being a top fantasy option, and Portland seems to want to give more minutes to Nassir Little. He does enough elsewhere to be valuable in leagues, but more as a fringe top 80 player than his current value.
Buddy Hield (SAC – SG/SF)
Hield is on one this month, as he’s averaging 4.7 threes per game over the last month.
He’s a hell of a shooter, but he’s not this good of a shooter. He’s made 33 threes in his past seven games, and with that, is the 52nd-ranked player on the season.
You should float Hield out there to see what return you can get. Don’t trade him to trade him, of course, but if someone thinks they are getting the type of player he’s been over the last two weeks instead of a top 80 player, trading him makes sense.
Luguentz Dort (OKC – SG/SF)
Maybe Dort has turned a corner as a scorer. Perhaps he’s going to be a consistent, reliable fantasy option. Perhaps I’m just stubborn. Maybe all of the above is true, but I’m just not there yet with him.
Dort has scored at least 20 points in five straight games, including a 34-point performance on 14-22 shooting against the Rockets Wednesday night.
He’s the 27th-ranked player over the last week and a top-50 player during the past two weeks. For me, at least, he’s a fringe top-100 guy. I’m cautiously selling.
Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day
Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.
