STOCK UP
Caris LeVert, G/F Brooklyn Nets
LeVert came into Thursday’s matchup with averages of 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in his prior two contests, but he’s going to have to be ultra-efficient on a nightly basis—the Nets limit his minutes—if the rookie is going to provide sustainable fantasy value in standard formats the rest of the way.
Tyler Ulis, PG Phoenix Suns
Eric Bledsoe (knee) is done for the season, and Ulis was worth owning before his 13-point, 13-assist debut EB’s replacement. Expect Ulis to play as many minutes as he can handle for what’s left in Phoenix’s season.
Denzel Valentine, G/F Chicago Bulls
Dwyane Wade’s season-ending fractured elbow leaves a gaping hole at shooting guard and Valentine should now be the recipient of extra minutes as a result. Over his last three games, the second-round pick has averaged 11.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 3-pointers. He’s got room to do even more and has the potential to be a multi-cat contributor.
Skal Labissiere, F/C Sacramento Kings
Labissiere was on the deep league radar before Wednesday night, but he’s rightfully flying off of the waiver wire everywhere after his 32-point, 11-rebound explosion vs. the Suns. On a rebuilding Kings roster that needs to evaluate its potential future, there is no reason for Skal not to see at least 25 minutes nightly going forward.
Brandon Ingram, G/F Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers still look like a mess, but Ingram’s growth has fans feeling rightfully excited for the future. It’s clear Los Angeles is making it a point to prioritize BI getting experience through big minutes, and he’s responded in favorable fashion over his last six outings by averaging 14.5 points, 4.3 boards, 1.0 steal, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 3-pointers on 37-of-68 (54.4%) shooting.
STOCK DOWN
D’Angelo Russell, G Los Angeles Lakers
D-Lo’s stats looked good coming out of the All-Star Break, but the reality is that he’s not making the kind of progress as a player that the Lakers probably would have liked to see by now. He’s been putrid over his last three games, averaging 8.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 steals, a triple and 4.0 turnovers on a wretched 11-of-41 (26.8%) from the field.
Rodney Hood, G/F Utah Jazz
It just isn’t happening this season for Hood, who has spent (too) much time on the sidelines with recurring knee issues.
Cory Joseph, PG Toronto Raptors
Joseph has played plenty of minutes since Kyle Lowry (wrist) went down, but he’s best left for deeper leagues (14-plus teams) where fringe players have real value to fill out the back end of rosters. Those in standard leagues—even in competitive formats—should be able to find late-season waiver wire gems with higher upside.
Al-Farouq Aminu, F Portland Trail Blazers
Aminu has gone cold at the wrong time with averages of just 5.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 triples on a freezing 7-of-28 (25%) shooting.
Alex Len, C Phoenix Suns
Alan “Big Sauce” Williams has been running circles around Len, and at this point, it looks like the former could be a part of Phoenix’s future while the latter is a major question mark. And whenever Len has received an opportunity to play, he hasn’t done a whole lot with it. Leave him comfortably resting on the wire.