RADIO
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to the 15th edition of my weekly fantasy basketball risers and fallers for the 2023-2024 season!
With January now in the books, we will only have two and a half more months of regular season action. If things haven't gone your way yet in your fantasy leagues, don't lose hope! I'm here to help you assess the value of some players who are seeing major production swings during the year.
With that being said, let's look at the risers and fallers from Week 15 of the NBA season.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received five total writing awards and 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, tops in the industry! Congrats to all the award winners and nominees including NBA Writer of the Year, Best NFL Series, MLB Series, PGA Writer and Player Notes writer of the year. Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!
Fantasy Basketball Risers: Week 15
Vince Williams Jr. - G, Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are still fighting hard despite their current injury crisis, and although their defense has been the main reason why they've managed to stay competitive, the offensive production of players like Vince Williams Jr. has been a key factor as well. Williams didn't get much of a chance as a rookie last season but he did put up very efficient stats in the G League, as he had a ridiculously high true shooting percentage of 84.9% with the Memphis Hustle.
Vince Williams Jr in January:
14.8 PPG
6.5 RPG
3.3 APG
2.0 STL + BLK
2.5 3PM
67.4% TSThe Grizzlies went 7-5 this month in games that he played. pic.twitter.com/yLEtBvqzJa
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) January 31, 2024
And now that the Grizzlies have been hampered by injuries, Williams has gotten a chance and he has been making the most of it. He has averaged 18.5 points and seven rebounds a night while playing great defense and shooting 61.9% from the field and 57.1% from three over his last four games. Williams did suffer a minor injury, but it won't keep him out of action for long, and he should pick up right where he left off when he comes back.
Daniel Gafford - C, Washington Wizards
Daniel Gafford improved instantly when he was traded from Chicago to Washington as a sophomore, but then his production plateaued over the next two seasons. But now he's having his best season yet and things are going to get even better now that Brian Keefe is in charge. Keefe is a huge fan of Gafford, which is evident by the way he talks about him in the media.
"I don't think [Gafford] gets enough credit on our team," Keefe said. "I think he's been doing this all year." The Wizards have now won two consecutive games for the first time since February 2023, and Gafford has been a huge reason for their success, averaging 14.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game on 76% shooting during Keefe's three games as the head coach.
Aaron Nesmith - F, Indiana Pacers
Imagine if the Celtics had somehow held on to Aaron Nesmith. Nesmith only played a total of 1243 regular season minutes with the 17-time NBA champions, but he has finally shown what he's capable of ever since he arrived in Indiana. He showed that he was a valuable starting-caliber player last season, but now he's showing that he can lead an offense when needed.
"Aaron Nesmith is a player that every team in the NBA wants."
Tyrese Haliburton on Aaron's impact after his career night in Boston. pic.twitter.com/NmPm5VMbhm
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 31, 2024
During his last four games in which Pacers star man Tyrese Haliburton only played in 22 total minutes, Nesmith averaged 20 points, 4.8 assists, and 8.3 rebounds a night while having the highest true shooting percentage in the league among players who took at least 40 shots in that period (76.2%). He also led his squad to a 3-1 record, so these weren't just empty stats.
Fantasy Basketball Fallers: Week 15
Naz Reid - C, Minnesota Timberwolves
Naz Reid's consistent play off the bench for the Timberwolves was finally rewarded with a three-year, $42 million extension in the offseason, and he has continued to play well, averaging career-highs in points per game (12.4) and three-point percentage (41.3%). However, Reid is going through a slump right now, which comes as a surprise considering that he scored 20 and 18 points in his last two games before the slump, respectively.
Over his last five games, Reid has averaged 7.4 points on just 32.6% shooting from the field. However, we can expect him to bounce back due to his three-point percentage still being very high (40% during this stretch), so he still has his shooting touch.
Terry Rozier - G, Miami Heat
Terry Rozier's tenure with the Miami Heat hasn't gotten off to the best of starts. The former Celtics playoff hero scored points for fun when he was in Charlotte, as he had five different games with 34+ points, including a 42-point outing against Phoenix in his last game of 2023. We all expected Rozier's scoring to take a dip when he "took his talents to South Beach" but his efficiency has also dropped as well.
Terry Rozier says losing in Miami is the "complete opposite" 😅
The Heat are on a 7 game losing streak pic.twitter.com/Kn1aQa6qox
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 30, 2024
In his first three games with the team, Rozier averaged 8.7 points while shooting 30.3% from the floor and 18.2% from deep. He did have a nice game against the Suns in his fourth game with the Heat, so maybe we're just overreacting.
Luguentz Dort - G/F, Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are no longer messing around. Luguentz Dort's rise was a nice story for them in the 2020 playoffs and the next two seasons, but now he's no longer an integral part of their success and has to be at his absolute best at all times if he wants to stay with this team. The Thunder have built their roster patiently so far, but with the race for the first seed getting tighter by the day, they could potentially trade Dort.
His current slump certainly isn't helping his case to stay in OKC, as he has been averaging just four points a night while shooting 20% from the field and 12.5% from three over his last five games. That gives him the lowest true shooting percentage among all NBA players who took 20+ shots in that period (27.2%).
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