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G'day RotoBallers! With the All-Star break now behind us, our focus shifts to the fantasy playoffs. If you are still able to make trades in your league, now is the time to try and make a move. Given players have had a week to recover, it could make trading based on performance a little tricky. However, getting ahead of players being rested or 'shut down' could be a viable trade strategy. If you can execute a trade at this time of the season, both managers can walk away feeling validated and in a better spot ahead of the playoffs.
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 18 of the fantasy basketball season.
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Anfernee Simons, G - Portland Trail Blazers
Baller Move: Sell High
Simons could be a tricky player to move given the impending end-of-season shenanigans. Couple that with the fact he has missed multiple games due to injury this season, and we have a situation where managers may have to take a hit when trying to move him. However, if he can string together a few strong performances, you might be able to convince others in your league that he is going to thrive come March.
Before the All-Star break, Simons has scored at least 20 points in five of the past six games. He also had at least five assists in five of the six games, adding a combined 23 three-pointers. High-volume scorers are hard to come by and as we know, a lot of managers tend to gravitate towards players who possess a flashy offensive game. The Trail Blazers are not blessed with multiple scoring threats, meaning as long as he is on the court, Simons should continue to do what he does best.
Although the threat of missed games is very real, Portland is also just a really bad team, even when Simons is on the floor. There is a small chance he closes out the season, making this a trade decision that comes with a small amount of risk. Subsequently, managers should be looking to move him for a top-50 asset, likely following a stretch of productive performances.
Precious Achiuwa, F - New York Knicks
Baller Move: Sell High
Since being acquired by the Knicks before the trade deadline, Achiuwa has been able to produce arguably the best basketball of his career. Over the past six games, he is the 39th-ranked player in standard formats, averaging 14.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.3 combined steals and blocks in 41.6 minutes per game. As the Knicks continue to deal with multiple injuries, Achiuwa could very well find himself in a sizeable role for the foreseeable future.
However, while injuries to other players have opened up an opportunity for Achiuwa to thrive, they are likely to be the cause of his decline. Isaiah Hartenstein will return from his injury on Thursday, as will Donte DiVincenzo. More hands on deck could see Achiuwa's minutes take a small hit, as will his offensive opportunities. Both OG Anunoby and Julius Randle remain sidelined but will no doubt be back on the floor in the coming weeks.
Given his recent production, parting ways with Achiuwa is going to be hard. No one should have anything invested in Achiuwa other than a waiver wire move, meaning if you can shift him for a top-90 player, you should walk away feeling pretty good about things. If you are in a position to be able to take a short-term hit, the long-term rewards should start to hit home by the time the fantasy playoffs roll around.
Jusuf Nurkic, C - Phoenix Suns
Baller Move: Buy Low
Despite putting together a serviceable season, Nurkic had been struggling heading into the break. He was outside the top 120 over the past seven games, averaging 11.9 points to go with 9.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks. He has scored no more than 10 points in four of the past five games, often seeing fewer than 28 minutes per game. Those rostering him could start to get frustrated should he continue down this path.
However, if you are someone who studies the trends, you should know that Nurkic often goes through periods like this, only to then turn things around with a run of top-50 performances. He offers obvious upside when it comes to rebounds, but it is his assist numbers that make him valuable in category formats. While he isn't at the level of players like Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis, it is not uncommon to see Nurkic handing out upwards of five assists on any given night. Add to that his ability to tally close to two defensive counters, and you have yourself a relatively safe fantasy option.
Time heals all wounds, as they say, making this a tough time to float out a trade offer. Although he was struggling ahead of the break, managers will likely be heading into the remainder of the season with renewed optimism. However, if Nurkic continues to produce passively, especially on the offensive end, his manager's opinions could change very quickly. Give it a game or two, then strike while the iron is hot.
Aaron Nesmith, F - Indiana Pacers
Baller Move: Buy Low
A top-90 player for the season, Nesmith has been one of the more surprising fantasy assets thus far this season. He has been able to carve out a meaningful role for himself, serving as the Pacers' defensive stopper. In 27.1 minutes per night, he is averaging 12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 0.7 blocks and 2.1 three-pointers. While his defensive abilities typically keep him on the floor, the fact he is shooting a career-best 45.2 percent from the perimeter should not be overlooked.
All things considered, it's hard to pin Nesmith as a potential buy-low candidate, given managers have nothing invested in him in terms of draft stock. However, that could very well be the reason some managers are okay with moving off him despite him being a top-90 player. Although he should be viewed as a must-roster player, he still doesn't have the name value of a lot of other top 90 players. Add in the fact he is currently dealing with an ankle injury, and we have a situation where short-sighted managers may simply be willing to move on.
His ceiling is not going to blow anyone away, but as we have seen this season, he can contribute across multiple categories. If you can offer a player who has been performing above expectations for the past few games, that might be enough to secure Nesmith. If Nesmith misses additional time, it should make your job a little easier. It wouldn't be surprising to see him land on a few waiver wires if his injury causes him to miss even one or two more games.
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