The action-packed NBA trade deadline created huge changes around the league. While most of the big names are expected to maintain similar fantasy value, there are a number of players who suddenly see their fantasy stock rising.
Which players were our fantasy experts most excited to add after the dust settled last week?
Here are André Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander to explain.
One player I quickly added for pure lottery ticket upside is Reddish. I had my eye on him from the time he fell out of Tom Thibodeau’s rotation in New York, waiting to see where he would end up. When I saw he was traded to the Trail Blazers, I added him immediately. Reddish has drawn a cult following of sorts because of his outstanding high school YouTube mixes, and also because Anthony Edwards (and a room full of other young soon-to-be NBA players, including Tyrese Maxey) famously called him the hardest player he’d ever faced. In the NBA, he’s shown flashes of brilliance followed by long periods of not much. But when he’s been on, it’s been noteworthy. Take last season, in seven starts for the Hawks he averaged 18.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.5 3PG, 2.1 APG and 2.1 combined steals/blocks per game in 31.8 MPG. Reddish’s game was never a fit with Thibs’ more structured offense, but it could be an excellent fit with the 3-point free-for-all that often exists with the Trail Blazers. He scored 18 points with four 3-pointers in his last game, and has the upside to play at that level if he maintains starter minutes moving forward. — Snellings
It was wise to stash Williams in anticipation of the Mason Plumlee trade, and now that it has happened, we should expect myriad double-doubles for this Duke product. Williams was a smart, mature, defensive presence in college, and it was clear his skills would translate well to the NBA. They do, and now that his minutes and role are far more secure, fantasy managers should expect big numbers, notably in rebounds and blocked shots. In fact, he should be more valuable than Plumlee from now on. Williams will develop an offensive game in time, but even now, he can obviously help fantasy managers. — Karabell
As the resident Dallas Mavericks’ hat wearer in the group, I was pretty excited to pick up Green now that Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith are in Brooklyn. Green was already in the process of arriving on the scene before the trade deadline and was averaging a solid 18.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.0 3-pointers on 60 percent shooting in his six February games prior to Monday’s game against the Timberwolves. While he’s not necessarily a fantasy monster, he looks like he could end up being the third option for the new-look Mavs, behind Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Christian Wood, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Reggie Bullock will have something to say about that, but I like Green’s chances of playing a big role for the Mavericks going forward. And his strong play was instrumental in the Mavs’ 5-2 run over their last seven games. — Alexander
My first thought is Green of the Mavericks. too; he was already scoring and defending at a high level as a reserve but now that the Kyrie Irving blockbuster cleared the rotation it’s time to roster this third-year Aussie talent. He’s likely a more valuable fantasy presence in regards to scoring and shooting pop than Dorian Finney-Smith. One more name is Thybulle, who would lead the league in steal percentage if his minutes qualified and seems to be a major part of the Portland rotation in the weeks to come. — McCormick
I’m excited about adding Collins to my fantasy teams. With Jakob Poeltl now playing for the Toronto Raptors, Collins has a clear path to 30 or more minutes per game. In two of his last three games, he has scored 38 or more fantasy points. Collins is only rostered in 7.3% of ESPN leagues. He averages 19.0 points and 11 rebounds per 40 minutes this season. Collins is worth adding in most leagues. — Moody
