NBA Fantasy Update: All-Star Break Update
NBA All-Star Weekend is here and now is as good a time as ever to review the risers and fallers in fantasy basketball.
The trade deadline shook up a lot of the league, providing new opportunities for some, and diminishing the roles of others.
These are the top players to target or bail on during the break.
Players to target:
Mikal Bridges, F, BKN
Bridges was the core asset that the Brooklyn Nets received from Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant trade.
Defensively, Bridges is elite at the forward position, providing versatility and switchability.
Offensively, he is a bit more inconsistent, but his new role in Brooklyn will allow him to develop his scoring skills.
On the Suns, he was hidden on the offensive end behind Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
Now with the Nets, there is a whole left in the offense with no Durant or Kyrie Irving, and Bridges can step up and take over a large portion of the scoring, drastically improving his fantasy value.
Bones Hyland, G, LAC
Hyland has been solid in his second year, proving to be a heat-check player off the bench who can really light it up from deep.
However, towards the end of his time in Denver, there was some discontent between him and the coaching staff, leading him to get pushed out of the rotation.
Now on the Clippers, Bones will be the primary guard off the bench, getting more stable playing time and not really on the Nuggets system.
Some nights if the shot isn’t falling he may have a lackluster fantasy performance, but if he gets it going, he can win you a matchup.
Jae Crowder, F, MIL
Crowder has missed this whole season, sitting out until the Phoenix Suns found him a new team to play for.
Now as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, Crowder will join an immediate contender and provide much-needed depth to an already talented team.
Khris Middleton is still on a minutes restriction and coming off of the bench, which will allow Crowder to step up at that position.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has demonstrated his ability to create shots for others, and Crowder will be cemented as a 3-and-D wing on a red-hot Milwaukee team.
Players to drop:
Russell Westbrook, G, UTA
Westbrook’s up-and-down season with the Los Angeles Lakers is over, and although he is technically on the Utah Jazz roster, he is likely to be bought out.
Some of the rumored suitors for Westbrook include the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.
The Clippers seem like the best fit, having lots of shooting and forwards on the bench, which is reminiscent of Westbrook’s days in Houston playing with no traditional center.
Even if he does get signed to a new team, Westbrook’s fantasy value has been significantly damaged.
Whatever team he joins, his role will be limited compared to what it has been his whole career.
The bench unit on the Lakers gave him some more control, but ultimately Westbrook needs to have the ball in his hands and be the centerpiece of a system.
He is a hard player to fit into an already-developed team, and at this point, it is probably worth looking elsewhere for someone to put up fantasy points.
Eric Gordon, G, LAC
The Clippers also acquired Eric Gordon, but his fit with the team is more clunky than Hyland’s fit.
There are already numerous perimeter wings and forwards on the roster, providing a lot of what Gordon does.
He has postseason experience, but his statistical output will most likely decrease with fewer minutes and shots to go around compared to the Houston Rockets.
He may get some better looks and be more efficient, but ultimately there isn’t necessarily a good spot for Gordon on this lineup and his fantasy output is questionable on his new team.
Christopher Reynolds is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at clr5971@psu.edu.
