Whenever people talk about buy lows or sell highs in fantasy basketball, they do so with the expectation that things will eventually even out. The random nobody who puts up great stats isn’t going to do that forever because they’re still just a random nobody, and the great player who puts up bad numbers is going to play great again soon because he’s still a great player. That kind of thing. But sometimes it’s important to recognize that just because a player with a great resume isn’t having a great season doesn’t mean that will change anytime soon. Sometimes it’s good to hit the eject button on a player while there’s still time to get something of equal or better value in return, and to illustrate this, there are a few struggling big men in the NBA right now who I think should be traded to fantasy leagues if you can get anything resembling their draft status this season.
The first is Joel Embidwhich for me is in no way worth the headache. It’s not just that his averages (18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.3 blocks) are virtually half of what he put up in his glory days, but that he’s missing almost every other game these days and is a clear injury risk in the future. This means that even if you can get good lines out of him (emphasis on the “good” because his minutes limit limits his ability to be even better), the fact that he will potentially miss a game or two every week when it comes to the fantasy basketball playoffs means he will be an absolute nightmare to own.
Then there is Jaren Jackson Jr. For years, Jackson Jr.’s calling card was a blocking factor, and even if the rest of his numbers were lacking (especially on rebounding), you could at least rely on him to get you two or three hits per play. But that’s just not the case anymore. In 2025-26, Jackson Jr. averaged just one block per game, and before blocking two shots against Portland this weekend, he had just one block in his previous seven games. combined. Not only is that not a small sample size, the rise of Zach Edey makes it believable that Jackson Jr. just won’t be much of a shot blocker from here on out, which stinks because he’s also a poor rebounder. And while the score is serviceable (17 per game), it’s only fun; he averaged almost 23 per game for consecutive years not too long ago and now can’t even take advantage of that Yes Morant be out.
Both Jackson Jr. like Embiid are obviously worth including, and so on could get better with them, buy, you just won’t get your money’s worth with them and the season is young enough that there’s still a chance you can parlay their pedigree into an even better player in a trade, and that’s what I’d recommend trying. Jackson Jr. and Embiid both have enormous name power; these are player people want to to believe in. And that’s why you don’t even have to sell them just to sell them. Instead, you can just see what’s available to them. But if you could get something close to pre-season value, I would trade them without hesitation, because you simply don’t get elite production from either of them these days.
Other notes:
Anthony Black a total of 14-11-4 on Sunday. The scoring can be inconsistent for him at times, but his ability to perform in every category has been incredibly encouraging, especially in the rebounding department. Black has 35 rebounds in his last four games, which is crazy for a point guard coming off the bench. As long as he gets about 30 minutes a night, he’s worth being on the list.
Nehemiah Queta has 11-11-4-1-2 against the Raptors. Queta’s numbers may not be as explosive, but he’s currently underutilized in fantasy leagues considering he’s putting up slightly better numbers than Jakob Poeltl this season.
Cedric Coward collected 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists against Portland. His numbers have dipped lately, but the playing time should be there all season long. I’d try to hold on to him unless there’s someone on the waiver wire who blows your mind.
Pat Spencer scored 12 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in Steph Curry’s absence against Chicago. He’s a great streamer while Curry is out.
Matas Buzelis produced 16-3-1-3-1 against Golden State. Buzelis has had a pretty disappointing season, but he is averaging 17.5 points over his last four games and the blocks have been a constant for him all season. As long as you don’t expect him to be the 20-point scorer some people expected him to be, he’s a worthy player to make a low buy offer on.
Danny Wolf had 7 points and 4 rebounds against New Orleans, which is absolutely terrible. HOWEVER, Wolf played quite well leading up to that game – not that you should add him as good, but he’s worth our attention. The complete lack of defensive numbers means he’ll be a tough player even when his time comes, but there’s a good chance he’ll be fantasy relevant by the end of the year.
Ryan Nembhard had 11 points and 7 assists against the Rockets. His production could evaporate at this point Kyrie Irving will be back, but Nembhard has been pretty good since moving into the Mavs’ starting five and isn’t a bad investment at all if you need help with assists. (Especially since it’s not a complete guarantee that Irving will play this season.)
Egor Demin is 8-7-4 against the Pels. The playing time was there, but he was honestly quite weak at the beginning of the season. It’s probably not worth owning right now, even if you’re desperate for assistance.
Jaylon Tyson scored 11 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday. His numbers have been helped by some injuries, but he has been extremely efficient as a starter in Cleveland and is worth taking as long as he continues to get consistent playing time like this.
Kyle Kuzma had 15 points and 4 rebounds on Saturday. Even Giannis Antetokounmpo being out won’t change what an inconsistent player Kuzma has become over the years. He is capable of giving you great nights out of nowhere, but if you have any illusions that he can return to the 20-point scorer he was in Washington, those dreams need to be shattered.
Maxime Raynaud had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks against the Heat and looks like a solid streamer until Domantas Sabonis returns.
Of Tyler Herro out, Kel’el Ware got a start in Miami, but managed only 5 points and 6 rebounds. Ware’s rebounding is the anchor that makes him worth adding to the roster, but his scoring will be difficult to rely on if the Heat are healthy. He’s not a bad player to sell high if you’re already good at blocks and rebounds.
#Bet #Anthony #Black