Fantasy Basketball 2020: Lineup Advice for NBA Week 17
NBA trade deadline action will force fantasy basketball managers to shuffle their lineups going forward. Before All-Star Weekend, make sure to pick up a few players primed for a strong finish to the 2019-20 season.
The trade deadline provides owners a golden opportunity to revamp their rosters for a late-season playoff push. Perhaps you whiffed on an early-round draft pick or came away with lesser long-term assets in a player swap. Now is the chance for redemption.
Teams headed toward a lottery pick in the upcoming draft have every reason to play young talent in preparation for the future. Those players are fantasy gems from February to April. If you stashed guys like Christian Wood and Marquese Chriss, unleash them down the stretch. They'll likely see heavy minutes.
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We can label Week 17's advice sheet "the post-trade deadline edition." Most of the tips involve players who were in some way impacted by acquisitions and subtractions. Let's take a look at start 'em, sit 'em and add 'em candidates for the upcoming slate of games.
Start 'Em
PF, C Christian Wood, Detroit Pistons
If you kept Wood for weeks in hopes the Detroit Pistons would trade center Andre Drummond, enjoy the huge fantasy returns for the remainder of the season.
The Pistons sent Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for John Henson, Brandon Knight and a second-round pick, opening the starting 5 spot for Wood, who's played at least 32 minutes in each of the last four outings.
Detroit is 11th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 19-36 record. Head coach Dwane Casey will likely go into evaluation mode, which bodes well for Wood in his fourth season.
Over the last week, Wood has averaged 2.3 triples, 20.5 points, 2.3 assists, nine rebounds, a block and a steal per contest. He's in must-start territory until further notice.
Plug him into your starting lineup and leave him there.
SG, SF Caris LeVert, Brooklyn Nets
Following surgery on his right thumb, Caris LeVert went through a rough patch, coming off the bench. He's off to an impressive start for the month of February, though, averaging 23.8 points over the previous four outings.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson never lost faith in the 25-year-old, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
"I said it when he wasn't playing well that he's going to catch his rhythm. He caught his rhythm and he's doing it consistently game-after-game," he said. "That's the All-Star Caris we saw at the beginning of last year and then in the playoffs. Great to see, great news for the Nets."
While Kyrie Irving nurses a knee injury, LeVert has emerged as a go-to playmaker. Even when the former returns, the latter should be settled into a solid role as the second- or third-best scorer with Spencer Dinwiddie also performing at a high level.
In the past, LeVert experienced some issues at the free-throw line, converting 69 percent of his attempts during the 2018-19 campaign. He's knocked down his last 18 shots at the charity stripe.
If you held on to LeVert during a down period, roll him back into your lineup while he's on a hot streak.
Sit 'Em
SF, PF Marcus Morris Sr., Los Angeles Clippers
Marcus Morris landed in a better spot in terms of playoff positioning, but his fantasy value will take a significant hit following the trade deadline.
Through 43 appearances, he led the New York Knicks in scoring (19.6). Now, he's the third offensive option behind Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the starting lineup with the Los Angeles Clippers. Don't forget Lou Williams coming off the bench as the league's Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 19.2 points per outing.
While there's no shame in playing third fiddle behind two perennial All-Stars, Morris isn't an attractive fantasy starter.
Morris will hold on to a lead forward spot. Leonard and George will probably miss more games in the coming months. However, the 30-year-old won't provide enough scoring to warrant an automatic start in fantasy leagues.
Owners may want to keep Morris for the next few games to see how his role pans out, but his days of averaging nearly 20 points per contest likely come to an end in Los Angeles.
PF, C Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tristan Thompson's fantasy value plummets with Drummond in the fold.
In a 133-92 loss to the Clippers, Thompson only played 19 minutes, logging seven points, six rebounds and two assists. Drummond opened the game alongside Kevin Love and Cedi Osman in the frontcourt.
Even with his contributions limited to rebounds, field-goal percentage and points on occasion, Thompson goes into Week 17 on 61 percent of Yahoo rosters as of Monday 6 a.m. ET.
Now, in a smaller role, the 28-year-old will eventually land on the waiver wire. Keep him on the roster for the next outing against the Atlanta Hawks. If he flops, feel free to drop the ninth-year veteran.
Assuming Drummond picks up his 28.8 million player option, per Spotrac, the Cavaliers will likely take a closer at him and Love paired together, with both players on the books through the 2020-21 term.
As Drummond soaks up big minutes at the 5, Thompson, who started in his first 48 games this season, falls into a reserve role taking the court for about 20-25 minutes per game.
Add 'Em
PG, SG Malik Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves
Malik Beasley didn't waste any time showing off his skill set in a Minnesota Timberwolves uniform. He scorched the net Saturday against the Clippers, recording 23 points, including seven triples, 10 rebounds and four assists.
From Denver to Minnesota, the 23-year-old transitioned from a backup, averaging 18.2 minutes per outing, to a starting shooting guard, which changes his fantasy outlook for the rest of the season.
Beasley isn't going to knock down seven three-pointers per night, especially with newly acquired guard D'Angelo Russell starting alongside him in the backcourt.
Russell has yet to suit up for the Timberwolves because of a quad injury. He missed 19 of the Golden State Warriors' 52 games before the trade deadline.
If Russell continues to battle ailments, expect Beasley to keep his shooting range on full display. The Timberwolves will have 31 games left to evaluate him before he becomes a restricted free agent in the summer. Owners should pick him up while he's owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.
PF, C Marquese Chriss, Golden State Warriors
The Warriors made two moves that showed faith in Chriss' short-term development.
For starters, Golden State traded forward Omari Spellman along with Russell to the Timberwolves. Secondly, the front office converted Chriss' two-way contract into a two-year deal.
This season, Chriss has started 10 out of 48 contests. He's opened with the first unit in the last seven games. The fourth-year veteran had a stellar performance after signing his new deal, logging a season-high 26 points, nine rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocks against the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday.
As the Warriors move toward a lottery pick, expect forward Draymond Green to miss more games down the stretch. The coaching staff has been careful with bringing center Kevon Looney back into the fold. He's played fewer than 19 minutes in each game since returning from an abdominal injury on February 1.
Meanwhile, Eric Paschall and Chriss should soak up minutes in the frontcourt. The latter's experience and widespread contributions make him a stronger add for the upcoming week and remainder of the season.
Over the past week, Chriss averaged 15.7 points, seven rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 67 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free-throw line. The 6'9", 240-pound forward is still available in more than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues.
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