In the blink of an eye, we’ve reached the one-month mark of this exciting NBA campaign. There’s so much more to learn about this season as it unfolds, of course, but with teams having played about 15 games, we are beyond first impressions.
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Unfortunately, though, injuries are beginning to take some of our favorite players off the court. Each injury to a star presents challenges that fantasy managers are forced to face and hopefully overcome. Navigating these absences can make all the difference in who wins your league.
Let’s tackle the ever-changing trade market in hopes of eliminating the uncertainty around those pesky injuries.
Fantasy Basketball Trade Advice (Week 5)
Trade For
Scottie Barnes (SG, SF, PF – TOR)
Of all players currently eligible to fill a forward roster spot (per Yahoo! position designations), Scottie Barnes ranks ninth in fantasy points per game. The Raptors wing ranks ahead of Pascal Siakam, Anthony Edwards and Kevin Durant, and it just doesn’t feel like Barnes is being talked about enough.
Julius Randle was a “trade-for” candidate last week for the same reason. Name recognition and popularity go a long way, as evidenced by Ryan Rollins being rostered in just 52% of Yahoo! leagues while Jordan Poole is rostered in 87% despite averaging 10 fewer fantasy points than Rollins and having missed the last two weeks with a quad injury.
Barnes possesses a versatile offensive game that provides a high ceiling. Thanks to his steal and block numbers, his floor is pretty high, too.
Players to Trade Him For Who Are Ranked Higher: Anthony Davis (PF, C – DAL)
Trade Away
Miles Bridges (SF, PF – CHA)
With the emergence of Kon Knueppel and the looming return of Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges is a sell-high candidate.
Bridges is averaging 24.3 points, seven rebounds and 4.2 assists over his last 10 games, which include just three outings alongside LaMelo Ball, who’s been dealing with his persistent ankle injury.
There’s no telling how the foursome will look playing with one another, but it’s safe to assume that all of their numbers will take a hit.
Players to Trade Him For Who Are Ranked Lower: Trey Murphy (PF, SF, SG – NOP), Isaiah Hartenstein (C – OKC)
Trade For
Bam Adebayo (C, PF – MIA)
Bam Adebayo is just a good old-fashioned buy-low at the moment.
Adebayo returned to play on Wednesday night and put up an efficient 20 points in 29 minutes of action. The big man hadn’t played in two weeks due to a toe injury, making way for second-year center Kel’el Ware to start in his place.
Where things get intriguing with Adebayo is his field goal rate and three-point attempts. He’s currently shooting 7.5% lower than his career average from the field while scoring at his highest rate in three years (19.9 points per game). Maybe it has something to do with the 19 threes he’s made through nine games after hitting just 23 during his first seven seasons. He’s on pace to shatter his total of 79 last year, as well.
There’s reason to think Adebayo has yet to hit his fantasy ceiling in this new-look Miami offense.
Players to Trade Him For Who Are Ranked Higher: LeBron James (SF, PF – LAL), Zion Williamson (C, PF, SF – NOP)
Trade Away
DeMar DeRozan (PF, SF – SAC)
Sacramento’s 41-point loss to the Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.-less Grizzlies on Thursday already seems like the final straw for this Kings team. They’re toast.
Perhaps DeMar DeRozan is toast, too. The 36-year-old forward is trending towards scoring fewer than 20 points per game for the first time in over a decade. Plus, his average of 32.9 minutes per game is the lowest since his rookie season in 2010.
Grayson Allen, Ajay Mitchell and Tre Jones are some of the names currently outscoring DeRozan in fantasy points per game.
Players to Trade Him For Who Are Ranked Lower: Onyeka Okongwu (C, PF – ATL), Keyonte George (PG, SG – UTA), Bennedict Mathurin (SG, SF – IND)
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