Knowing which players are on the rise each week, or going the opposite way, is an important step to making sure you’re starting the best lineups every day. Every Friday, we’ll take stock of the league to find the players to add, trade for or trade away.
Value is value, and we’re looking for way way we can find it, whether you’re playing in a points or category-based league.
This week, a couple of Memphis Grizzlies, some defensive centers, and the No. 2 overall NBA Draft pick are on the rise. On the flip side, let’s monitor a few players losing their current opportunity or dealing with a shooting slump. Good luck out there as the NBA gets close to an intriguing Christmas week schedule.
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Risers
Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors (100% rostered in ESPN leagues)
Curry came into Thursday night’s game on fire, scoring 48 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 14 and going off for 39 points on Dec. 12. Over that two-game stretch he averaged 43.5 points and 9.0 3-pointers on 56% shooting to go along with 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals. He fell back to earth on Thursday with 15 points on 3-of-13 shooting, but still added nine rebounds, seven assists, two 3-pointers and a steal. Curry has the occasional off night, but he’s already scored 42, 46, 48 and 49 points in games this season, and has hit the 30-point mark in five other games. And he’s due for another explosion against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C, Memphis Grizzlies (90% rostered)
After getting off to a slow start and not showing a lot of life for the Grizzlies this season, Jackson has come back in his past two games. He went off for 28 and 31 points in them while averaging 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 4.0 blocks and 3.0 3-pointers. This either means he’s finally found his groove and is going to continue to play well going forward, or this is the ultimate time to trade him. I tend to think he’s going to keep it going and he has a tasty matchup against the Wizards coming up on Saturday. The steals, blocks and threes of late have been fantasy gold.
Kon Knueppel, SG, Charlotte Hornets (79% rostered)
Kneuppel might end up winning the Rookie of the Year Award and torched the Hawks for 28 points and six 3-pointers to go along with five rebounds, seven assists and three steals on Thursday night in an unlikely win. He’s now scored at least 28 points in three straight games and is also racking up 3-pointers, rebounds and assists in December. Kneuppel has doubled his December steals number with the three he got against the Hawks.
Dylan Harper, PG/SG, San Antonio Spurs (33% rostered)
Harper has suddenly caught fire in his last two games and is nailing 3-pointers after not being much of a deep threat for most of the season. In fact, he had hit just 10 triples this season until going off for 21 points, seven rebounds and five threes against the Knicks on Tuesday, and then backing it up with 24 points and three more 3-pointers against the Wizards on Thursday, nearly doubling his totals from beyond the arc. Over those two games his averages of 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 3-pointers on 59% shooting make him one of the hottest players in the league. He’s not going to get managers a ton of steals or blocks, but if he keeps hitting 3-pointers and shooting it well, he’s going to have a big second half.
0:16
Jay Huff connects on alley-oop slam
Jay Huff connects on alley-oop slam
Jay Huff, C, Indiana Pacers (27% rostered)
Most of Huff’s fantasy value comes from blocked shots and 3-pointers, while he’s also a modest scorer and rebounder. He’s been a top-15 fantasy performer over the last two weeks thanks to hitting 1.6 3-pointers per game and blocking a ridiculous 3.6 shots over his last five. The 10 points, six rebounds and two assists he gets are not eye opening, but when you consider the threes, blocks and nearly one steal he adds per game, he’s become a very nice fantasy center. If nothing else, he should be rostered in more leagues simply for the threes, steals and blocks he provides.
Cam Spencer, SG, Grizzlies (19% rostered)
Spencer is on fire, hitting 68% of his shots in December and dropping 15 of his last 19 shots over his last two games. He’s scored at least 20 points in three of his last five and is averaging 19.4 points, 5.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 4.0 3-pointers over that stretch. With Ja Morant in and out of the lineup all year, Spencer looks like he’s found a solid role in Memphis.
Jordan Walsh, SF, Boston Celtics (19% rostered)
Josh Minott was getting fantasy attention for the Celtics earlier this season but never really materialized, while Walsh has overtaken the spotlight and has played at a high level over the past few weeks. Walsh has scored between 17-22 points in three of his past five games and is also hitting threes, getting rebounds and stealing the ball. In addition, he’s shooting 80% from the floor and 91% from the free throw line over his last six games, making him a low-key fantasy monster this month. If you need steals, he’s had at least two in three straight games and at least one in nine straight.
Jock Landale, C, Grizzlies (9% rostered)
Landale’s not exactly on fire, with averages of 11 points and six rebounds in December, but he went off for 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block and four triples against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Zach Edey is out indefinitely with an ankle injury, so both Santi Aldama and Landale are going to fill in at center. Landale’s ability to score, rebound, hit threes and block shots make him an attractive option as long as Edey is out. Just expect some inconsistency along the way.
Fallers
Darius Garland, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers (82% rostered)
Garland is going through a rough patch right now and is mired in a December shooting slump, hitting just 35% of his shots this month. His scoring has also been down after scoring 18 or fewer points in four of his last five games. Remarkably, Garland still hasn’t hit 50% of his shots in any single game this season and if his current stat line holds up the rest of the way, he’ll finish with his worst season since his rookie year in 2019-20. His scoring is down five points from last year (15.4 ppg) and his 3-pointers, steals and assists are also down. He was injured to start the season and has only played in 12 games, so he may be trying to figure things out.
Nikola Vucevic, C, Chicago Bulls (96% rostered)
Vuc had scored 16 or fewer points in five straight games before finally bouncing back with 20 points, nine boards, two steals, a block and two 3-pointers on 9-of-14 shooting in Wednesday’s unlikely win over the Cavaliers. His name is constantly in trade rumors and the Bulls are reeling after a hot start to the season, but Vucevic has a chance of being a solid fantasy option regardless of who he’s playing for. All the uncertainty surrounding his future makes me nervous, while he’s also involved in a timeshare in Chicago with Jalen Smith and Zach Collins now getting minutes. But Wednesday was at least a step in the right direction.
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Nikola Vucevic gets up for the rejection
Nikola Vucevic gets up for the rejection
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Atlanta Hawks (72% rostered)
Alexander-Walker has been one of the more pleasant fantasy surprises this season but Trae Young is finally back from his knee injury. Young started over Alexander-Walker on Thursday night but it didn’t phase him, as Alexander-Walker racked up 28 points, eight rebounds and four 3-pointers in 34 minutes off the bench in a tough loss to Charlotte. I’m not suggesting managers flat out drop Alexander-Walker, but with Young back in action, his minutes are surely going to take a hit at some point. Be prepared for it.
Ajay Mitchell, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder (45% rostered)
Mitchell was a fun fantasy pickup when Jalen Williams was out for the start of the season, but Williams is back and Mitchell is becoming lost in one of the deepest rotations in the league. The list of names he has to compete with is daunting: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, just to name a few.
Mitchell really cooled off upon Williams’ return to action and scored in single figures in four straight games before getting loose for 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in Thursday’s win over the Clippers, but with Williams back, I bet you can find a better option on your league’s waiver wire. Prior to Thursday’s mini-explosion, Mitchell was averaging just 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals in December.
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Ajay Mitchell leaks out for a Thunder dunk
Ajay Mitchell deflects a pass which leads to a steal and dunk for the Thunder.
Jalen Duren, C, Detroit Pistons (93% rostered)
Duren was on fire for the first month of the season but he’s in a bit of a funk this month. After racking up 21.5 points, 12.6 rebounds and a block in November, he’s averaged just 14.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in his seven December games. It’s not like any other centers are challenging him for minutes or touches, although Isaiah Stewart is always lurking in the background. Duren is going through a slump and I’m not sure he’ll be able to get back to the level he was at earlier this season. The Pistons probably don’t care one way or the other, as they’re winning games and are currently leading the Eastern Conference. I expect Duren to bounce back, but it’s possible that he may not be able to repeat his November again this season.
Matas Buzelis, SF/PF, Chicago Bulls (49% rostered)
I was expecting big things from Buzelis this season, but it just hasn’t happened. His minutes are all over the place, along with his production, but when he does have a big game the stat lines are pretty fat, with him contributing in nearly every category. He’s played 24 or fewer minutes in three straight games and he hasn’t scored more than 10 points in any of those. In December, he’s at just 14 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.1 blocks and 0.9 3-pointers. His percentages are fine and the stat lines are serviceable, but I was simply expecting more — a lot more.
I’m still under the belief that Buzelis is going to have a big second half and the Bulls are still actively involved in trade talks. He’s the future of the team and I fully support making a low-ball trade offer to try to get him on your team. His minutes are down over his last three games, but they’ll be back over 30 soon enough. Go get him while the price tag is so low.
