X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2023-24 Fantasy Basketball Buy or Sell: Friday, December 8

Jabari-Smith-Jr. - NBA-DFS-Picks-Daily-Fantasy-Basketball-Rankings-Injury-News

Adam King discusses what to do with several NBA players in Fantasy Basketball Leagues this week. (December 8)

G'day RotoBallers! With about a third of the fantasy season under our belts, now is the time to start looking at your strengths and weaknesses. Trading players is a great way to lean into what your team is good at, affording both managers a chance to walk away feeling validated.

However, executing a trade can be harder said than done. Not all managers love the idea of a trade, especially if they believe they will be the attempted target of a fantasy heist. Ensure you know your league and who might be willing to consider a player swap. While the option does exist, I recommend not having a league veto system. Ensure your commissioner is knowledgeable and transparent, and allow them to dictate trade decisions.

With all that out of the way, here are our current sell-high and buy-low candidates as you prepare for Week 8 of the fantasy basketball season.

 

Jalen Williams, F - Oklahoma City Thunder

Baller Move: Buy Low

After a breakout rookie campaign, Williams came into the season viewed as a potential top-50 player. Despite the fact the Thunder were adding Chet Holmgren, Williams' ability on the defensive end was seen as reason enough to grab him in the fifth round of drafts. After seven weeks of action, things have certainly not gone to plan. Williams is outside the top 100 in standard leagues, averaging 17.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 combined steals and blocks.

His scoring has picked up when compared to last season, as have his assists numbers. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for his defensive numbers. In fact, his productivity has almost halved on that end of the floor, dragging down his overall value. This alone is a great example of why it can be hard to trust players whose value is built around low-volume categories like steals or blocks.

Projecting forward, it's somewhat safe to assume that he will get back to at least 1.2 steals per game. Add to that a slight bump in efficiency, and he could be back in the discussion as a top-50 player. However, with the Thunder playing very well, managers may have concerns that this is who he is now. If you sense that might be the case in your league, throwing out a top-80 player as trade bait isn't a bad idea.

 

Walker Kessler, C - Utah Jazz

Baller Move: Buy Low

After suffering an elbow injury in the first game of the season, Kessler attempted to stay on the court for the next couple of weeks. Little was known about the extent of the injury, meaning managers were simply left thinking he had lost his mojo. The medical staff eventually caved, resulting in Kessler missing seven games. Upon his return, he has looked much better, yet he is still outside the top 100 in nine-category leagues, averaging 8.9 points to go with 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

Since returning from his injury layoff, Kessler has looked noticeably better on both ends of the floor. With that said, he has only recorded double-digit rebounds once in the past six games, scoring double-digits three times. He continues to come off the bench behind Omer Yurtseven, a questionable decision in itself. How long that sticks is anyone's guess.

Given his inconsistent play and the fact managers likely had to reach out to secure him in drafts, a sense of woe is possible. It feels highly likely that he will re-enter the starting lineup at some point soon, providing him with an opportunity to right the ship. He should be much closer to averaging a double-double with 2.5 blocks, numbers that should come with the impending promotion. Now is the time to strike in an attempt to snatch him away before the Jazz coaching staff come to their senses.

 

Desmond Bane, G - Memphis Grizzlies

Baller Move: Sell High

Coming off a career-high 49 points against the Pistons on Wednesday, Bane is living up to the preseason hype. Taken in the second round of a lot of drafts, he was seen as the only reliable offensive threat on a Grizzlies team slated to be without Ja Morant for the first 25 games. While the team has been far less successful, Bane has been able to turn himself into one of the best pure scorers in the league, with the ability to score from all over the court.

He is inside the top 20 in nine-category leagues, averaging 25.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 3.3 three-pointers. He has scored at least 27 points in three straight games, putting together a stretch of top-10 value. He has also led the Grizzles to three victories in their past four games, albeit over some woeful opposition. If you are rostering Bane, you have to be thrilled with what has been able to deliver from a productivity standpoint.

However, this is where it gets interesting. Morant is due back in just over a week. Upon his return, Bane likely becomes the second option on offense. Add to that the fact Marcus Smart is also nearing a return, and we have two guys who will be playing with the ball in their hands. While Bane is obviously a key piece for Memphis moving forward, his numbers are almost certainly going to take a hit. If I had to guess, I would have him ending the season as a top-35 player. If you have some concerns over his current production like me, now is the time to try and offload him. With that said, I would only entertain offers in which you are getting a second-round talent back.

 

Jabari Smith Jr., F - Houston Rockets

Baller Move: Sell High

Smith was coming off a disappointing rookie season, ending as the 145th-ranked player in standard formats. On the surface, his numbers were serviceable, averaging 12.8 points to go with 7.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks. However, he shot just 40.8 percent from the field, highly inefficient for a power forward. Following his indifferent season, Smith appeared to have worked on a few things, showing out during the preseason. This gave managers hope that he might be ready to become the player we expected last year.

He started the regular season by building some momentum thanks to an improved offensive repertoire. However, he then had a run of single-digit performances, a worrying sign for those holding out hope. Since then, he has played arguably the best basketball of his career, putting up borderline top-50 value over the past two weeks. He has shot the ball much better, going at 55.6 percent from the floor on 9.0 attempts per game. He is also coming off a career-high 18 rebounds against the Thunder, another sign of growth.

Although it does appear as though he is beginning to find his footing in the NBA, the top 50 does feel unsustainable. He is an interesting case when it comes to selling high, simply because he is not someone you would have invested a lot of stock into coming into the season. Attempting to trade him for another top-50 player would be a viable strategy, but not one that will be easy given the small sample size. Throw your offers out there to see if anything sticks, and if not, just be happy with what you've got.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Colston Loveland

Shoulder "Good" After Surgery
New York Jets

Jets Pushing Sauce Gardner to Strive for Perfection
Xavier Worthy

Chiefs to Open Up Offense in 2025
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Lars Nootbaar

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jake Burger

Scratched on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF