Fantasy basketball – Russell Westbrook turns back the clock

Welcome to this week’s roundup of the biggest risers and fallers in fantasy basketball!

As the season unfolds, player performances continue to shake up the rankings and impact fantasy rosters. Whether it’s a breakout star making waves or a struggling veteran losing ground, staying ahead of the trends is crucial for your fantasy success.

In this weekly breakdown, we’ll highlight the top performers climbing the charts and those whose value is slipping, helping you make smarter lineup decisions.

Risers

LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets, PG (99.8% rostered in ESPN leagues)

Ball is back after suffering an ankle injury and had a monster game on Jan. 7, scoring 32 points with 10 rebounds, seven assists and five 3-pointers in a win over the Phoenix Suns. That stat line is not unique for Ball as he has proven to be one of fantasy’s most valuable players when he is on the court. The problem with Ball for the eight-win Hornets is likely just around the corner and fantasy managers have to think about getting out of the Ball business before it’s too late. The Hornets are lottery-bound, so it’s hard to envision Ball finishing the season.

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans, PF (93.2% rostered)

Williamson finally returned to the court in his first game since suffering a hamstring injury in November. He looked great dropping 22 points in 28 minutes with a vicious windmill dunk that went viral Tuesday. However, he was then held out of Wednesday’s contest and the Pelicans have won just seven of their 38 games this season. New Orleans is firmly in the Cooper Flagg race and has no incentive to win more games this season, while Williamson continues to have a hard time staying history on the court. Managers should let him have another big game or two and then try to trade him before the Pelicans decide to shut him down for good. It’s only a matter of time.

Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets PG (80.2%)

The Nuggets were reeling from the loss of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope early in the season and players like Christian Braun and Julian Strawther simply weren’t providing Mike Malone’s team with what they needed to dominate the opposition on a nightly basis. Westbrook entered the starting lineup on Dec. 16 and has been there ever since, flirting with triple-doubles in nearly every game. He has played at least 29 minutes in seven of his last eight and appears to be locked into a starting job for the rest of the season. He should provide just as much value in fantasy as he does for the Nuggets on the court and has finally found a home in Denver.

Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas Mavericks PG/SG (9.2%)

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are both currently out for the Mavericks and after a slow start, Dinwiddie has started in two straight games and averaged 18 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 6.5 APG. P.J. Washington has also stepped up his game, but Dinwiddie should be the starting point guard in Dallas until Doncic is back from his calf injury. Dinwiddie looks like a much better fantasy option than Minnesota’s Mike Conley (29.8% rostered), who was benched for Donte DiVincenzo. Pick up Dinwiddie and play him until Doncic is back in action.

Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat, SG/SF (40%)

Jaquez Jr. was finally inserted into the Heat’s starting lineup on Jan. 6 and has played very well in place of the suspended Jimmy Butler. Jaquez Jr. has played at least 29 minutes in four straight games and had a triple-double in an overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings last Monday. His numbers are popping and he could be locked into the starting five for the rest of the season. Nikola Jovic (7.4% rostered) is also worth a look, but Jaquez Jr. should be a top fantasy pickup right now.

Fallers

Deandre Ayton, Portland Trail Blazers, C (72.1%)

Ayton has been solid all season but played just 21 minutes with six points and six rebounds in Thursday’s loss to the Mavericks. Donovan Clingan (9.3% rostered), who has been limited to fewer than 15 minutes on most nights, played 24 minutes with 11 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in Thursday’s game and could be ready to make a second-half run for fantasy managers. The Blazers are likely lottery bound and need to get Clingan more reps in preparation for next year. It doesn’t seem probable that they’ll continue to run Ayton out there at center every night going forward and it could be just a matter of time before they turn to Clingan full time. Now is the time to add Clingan to your roster, while managers of Ayton have to be prepared for an eventual changing of the guard.

Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics, PG (61%)

Pritchard has been fantastic for the Celtics this season and is the front runner for Sixth Man of the Year. Maybe it’s just a slump, but Pritchard has really cooled off in December, scoring just nine or fewer points in three of his past four games. He’ll likely continue to try to hold off De’Andre Hunter for the Sixth Man of the Year award and should break out of his funk in the near future. If you’ve been thinking about making a play to acquire Pritchard, now is the time to do it, as he has scored a grand total of three points over his last two games.

De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks, SF/PF (41%)

Bogdan Bogdanovic is healthy again for the Hawks and Hunter’s production has suffered as a result. After stringing together 20-point scoring nights in six of seven games, Hunter has failed to score more than 18 points in his past four outings. Hunter has had a fantastic season and is in the hunt for Sixth Man of the Year, but the return of Bogdanovic has slowed his roll. Now is a great time to make a move for Hunter, as Bogdanovic will likely have trouble staying healthy over the rest of the season.

Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks, SF (53.4%)

Middleton finally made his season debut on Dec. 6 and after a slow start, strung together seven straight double-digit scoring outings, making him a hot fantasy pickup. However, his ankles are still a problem and he has not only struggled over his past two games, but has also been demoted to a bench role in Milwaukee. The Bucks are likely going to tread carefully with him going forward in hopes of having him healthy for the playoffs and I expect Middleton’s fantasy value to steadily decrease the rest of the way. It was a nice run for the 33-year-old, but it’s time to shop him and get him off your squad before it’s too late. He’s not going to bring back much in a trade, so dropping Middleton for a hot free agent is also something managers should consider.

Mike Conley, Minnesota Timberwolves, PG (29.8%)

Conley, whose production hasn’t been great this season, was finally benched in favor of Donte DiVincenzo on Jan. 6 and I don’t expect him to reenter the starting unit for the Wolves again as long as DiVincenzo is healthy. Conley’s fantasy arrow is pointing straight down, while DiVincenzo’s value should continue to rise as he figures out his starting role for his new team. Think about dropping Conley for DiVincenzo (or Dinwiddie) and don’t look back. Conley’s rostership number should tumble over the next few weeks, as there are simply much better options for most managers on the waiver wire.

Source: espn.com