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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

NBA Heat Check: Surging Players in Week 10

And that’s another week of NBA basketball in the books. As teams jockey for position, players start to fall in and out of the rotation. Rookies start getting comfortable with the intensity of professional basketball and veterans flaunt their experience with consistent play. But on any given night, every player is capable of blowing up for a scintillating career high. That leaves you, a fantasy owner, wondering what to do with that player.

Here’s an analysis to help you decide. We’ll look at some surging players and try to make an educated guess on whether their recent level of play is sustainable or not. Then we’ll suggest some trades that we think offer realistic fair value in return for these hot streaks.

Let’s get started with some players that have been heating up in Week 10.

 

NBA Heat Check

Lonzo Ball, PG, Los Angeles Lakers

Manufactured or not, the hype surrounding Lonzo Ball as a draft prospect was palpable. His unconventional shooting form, along with below average athleticism, gave pause to a lot of his believers. But his Curry-like ability to pull up from range, his size, and his court vision led the Lakers to select him with the second overall pick. The hype came crashing down in the beginning of the season as he laid brick after brick, shooting an abysmal 30.9% from the field through his first 20 games. But Monday night, he posted a very respectable stat line of 16 points on 50% shooting, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. That performance capped off an impressive five game streak where he scored 12.2 points per game on 46.2% from the field, including 2 threes per game, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks.

Lonzo may have his ups and downs, but it seems like the Lakers believe he can be the next face of the franchise. They’re running him out for 33.5 minutes per game. He maintains decent fantasy value through his counting stats which have been largely consistent over the season. His rebounds and assists have hovered around seven each, and he gets more than one steal and block per game. With his shooting trending upwards, his points should also start to increase. But he only ranks eighth in usage percentage on the Lakers so his ceiling as a scorer isn’t too high. The real killer for his owners has been his percentages, which used to be so bad that he could lose those categories all by himself. But now that his shooting is improving, there’s reason to be excited. Nevertheless, owners tired from his poor start might want to trade for more consistent players like Dario Saric or Kris Dunn.

 

Mike Scott, PF, Washington Wizards

Mike Scott is a name many people probably haven’t heard outside of television shows. But he’s been able to string together a couple of good games for the Wizards. Most recently, he posted 24 points on an impressive 11 of 15 from the field, with 2 three-pointers and 4 rebounds. That game followed a five-game surge where he averaged 16.2 points per game on 69.4% shooting, with 2.0 threes, 5.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1 steal. He’s not a complete stranger to the spotlight, considering he had 21 double digit point totals during his 2015-2016 season with the Hawks, including 17 points in a playoff game. But his shooting percentages are almost certainly unsustainable. His career three-point percentage is 34.4%, compared to this season’s of 42.4%. And it’s not like he’s taking easy shots either. Only 17.8% of his shots come from within three feet of the hoop. Regardless, he’s an interesting pick up while he stays hot from the field and continues to get minutes—both of which he hasn’t been able to do consistently through his six-year career.

Most of his minutes seem to be coming at the expense of Markieff Morris, who’s been underperforming almost all season. They have similar usage rates, but Markieff’s minutes will most likely start to trend back up along with his level of play, considering he proved himself to be a valuable starter last year. Mike Scott likely doesn’t hold much trade value, but you might be able to trade him for high risk players like Mario Hezonja or Isaiah Canaan.

 

Taurean Prince, SF, Atlanta Hawks

Owners of Taurean Prince have been treated to a bit of a roller coaster ride through the season. The second-year player started off hot and his ownership quickly increased. Through his first 10 games, he averaged 14.3 points on 44.5% shooting. Then his performance dipped for the next 10 games, where he averaged only 10.9 points on 42.4% shooting. But finally, he seems to be back on track. Through his most recent ten games, he’s averaged 14.4 points on 47.6% shooting. Now that his shooting woes are over, he’s had two 24-point games within the span of his most recent four games. On Monday, he posted 24 points, 4 three-pointers, and 7 rebounds. His threes, rebounds, and steals have actually been very consistent over the season so owners should be able to continue relying on his contributions in those categories.

Taurean is a promising second-year player on a rebuilding Hawks team, which means that he’ll continue getting all the playing time he can handle. He’s averaging 31.1 minutes per game, which is second on the Hawks behind Dennis Schroder. He’s also amazingly featured in the Hawks’ top nine most played lineups. The coaching staff obviously believes he’s trending upward and the 23-year-old should only improve as the season progresses. He doesn’t have name recognition but he’s a solid pick to round out your roster, with limited downside and high upside. He’s been decently consistent outside of his shooting, but his recent play gives him value similar to Jamal Murray or John Collins, though the former might be a bit of a reach.

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis

 

NBA DFS Premium Subscription

Get a free trial of our powerful NBA Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Cheat Sheets, and NBA Lineup Optimizer & Generator with daily matchup projections.

Win more. Try the most advanced lineup optimizer in daily fantasy basketball.

Sign Up Now!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Collin Sexton

Hornets Have High Hopes for Collin Sexton
Rui Hachimura

Likely to Start Season Without Contract Extension
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Hopes to Bounce Back in 2025-26
Stephen Curry

Ready to Go for New Season
NBA

Lester Quinones Agrees to Deal With Magic
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Cleared to Play on Tuesday Night
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Pulled With Hamstring Tightness
MLB

Game 2 of Brewers-Cubs on Monday Postponed
Bryce Miller

to be Activated on Tuesday
Kyle Tucker

to Get Multiple Days Off
Shane Bieber

to Make Season Debut on Friday
Joe Mixon

Could Start Season on NFI List
Zack Wheeler

has Surgery to Remove Blood Clot
De'Von Achane

Unlikely to Practice This Week
Justin Jefferson

Returning to Practice
Chris Godwin

Bucs Chris Godwin Likely to Start Season on PUP List
Joe Flacco

Browns Name Joe Flacco as Their Week 1 Starter
Jalen McDaniels

Inks Deal With New Orleans
N'Faly Dante

Signs Deal With Hawks
Matthew Stafford

Practicing on Monday
Dru Smith

Agrees to Deal With Heat
Austin Dillon

Scores an Upset Victory at Richmond
William Byron

Clinches the Regular Season Championship Title at Richmond
Denny Hamlin

Pit-Road Struggles Impede Denny Hamlin's Chances of a Top Finish at Richmond
Joey Logano

Earns A Fourth-Place Finish at Richmond
Kyle Larson

Rallies to A Top-10 Finish at Richmond
Malik Nabers

Dealing With Back Injury
Khamzat Chimaev

Is The New UFC Middleweight Champion
Dricus Du Plessis

Gets Dominated At UFC 319
Aaron Pico

Suffers Knockout Loss In His UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Scores Stunning First-Round Knockout
Leodalis De Vries

Earns Promotion to Double-A
Nathaniel Lowe

Finalizing Deal with Boston
Geoff Neal

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Ketel Marte

Arizona Could Trade Ketel Marte in the Offseason
Carlos Prates

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Page

Dominates At UFC 319
Jared Cannonier

Gets Outclassed
Tim Elliott

Gets Submission Win
Kai Asakura

Still Winless In The UFC
Austin Cindric

has Arguably his Best Run of the Season at Richmond
Ryan Blaney

Contends for First Richmond Win but Comes Up Short
Alex Bowman

Finishes Second but Loses Ground in Playoffs
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Sets Personal Laps-Led Record at Richmond
Chris Buescher

Falls Out of Playoffs After Miserable Richmond Run
Coby White

Bulls Not Interested in Trading Coby White
Dereck Lively II

Expected to be Ready for Camp
Brian Robinson Jr.

Commanders "Shopping" Brian Robinson Jr.
John Metchie III

Texans Trade John Metchie III to Eagles
Victor Scott II

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Listening to Trade Offers for Trey Hendrickson
Marcelo Mayer

to Have Season-Ending Wrist Surgery
Samuel Basallo

Called Up From Triple-A Norfolk
J.K. Dobbins

Expected to Win Starting RB Job?
Quentin Johnston

Suffers Concussion in Preseason Loss
Jaxson Dart

Plays Well on Saturday Night
Marcus Semien

Avoids Serious Injury
Kyle Stowers

Heads to Injured List With Left-Side Strain
Zack Wheeler

Placed on Injured List With Blood Clot in Shoulder
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Optimistic Terry McLaurin Deal Can Get Done Soon
De'Von Achane

De’Von Achane Dealing With Lower-Body Injury
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Likely Avoids Serious Injury
Josh Hader

Unlikely to Return During Regular Season
Denny Hamlin

the Heavy Favorite to Win at Richmond
Christopher Bell

Has Been Great at Richmond
Kyle Stowers

Out Saturday With Left-Side Tightness
Tyrese Haliburton

No Longer Using a Scooter, Crutches
Ryan Blaney

Can Ryan Blaney Finally Break Through at Richmond?
Joey Logano

Will Start Last at Richmond After Practice Trouble
Chase Elliott

Lack of Top-Line Speed Hurts his DFS Potential
Kyle Larson

Recent String of Crashes Make Him a Big Risk at Richmond
William Byron

Probably Slightly Too Inconsistent at Richmond to Start for DFS
Ryan Preece

on Pole at Richmond as Playoff Deadline Looms Closer
Brad Keselowski

Probably the Best RFK Racing DFS Option at Richmond
Chase Briscoe

Still Figuring Out Richmond
Chris Buescher

a Solid Choice for DFS Play, but Teammates Look Faster
Jhoan Duran

Feels "100%"
Marcus Semien

Out on Saturday, Going for X-Rays on his Wrist
George Springer

Activated and Starting on Saturday
Dylan Beavers

Called Up by Orioles
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Activate Terry McLaurin From PUP List
Rashee Rice

NFL Could Reach Settlement Before Hearing
Joe Mixon

Not a Lock to be Ready For Week 1
Rashee Rice

Receives Clearance to Travel to Brazil for Week 1
Haywood Highsmith

Dealt to Brooklyn on Friday
Amir Coffey

Signs One-Year Deal With Bucks
Khamzat Chimaev

A Favorite At UFC 319
Dricus Du Plessis

Set For His Third Title Defense
Aaron Pico

Set For UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Geoff Neal

Looks For His Second Win In A Row
Travis Hunter

Dealing With Upper-Body Injury, Could be Held Out of Preseason Game
Michael Page

Set For His Second Middleweight Bout
Jared Cannonier

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kai Asakura

Looks For His First UFC Win
Tim Elliott

Set To Open Up UFC 309 Main Card
CBJ

Mikael Pyyhtia Re-Signs With Blue Jackets for One Year
UTA

Caleb Desnoyers Expected to Miss 12 Weeks After Wrist Procedure
Tyson Foerster

on Track to Be Healthy for Season Opener
NHL

Olivier Rodrigue Signs KHL Deal
NHL

Emil Bemstrom to Join Swiss Team
Payton Pritchard

Reportedly Moving Into Starting Lineup
Quinshon Judkins

Won't Face Formal Charges
Kevin Durant

Rockets Not Interested in Keeping Kevin Durant with Max Extension
NBA

Isaiah Mobley Joins Turkish Team
NBA

Cole Swider Links Up with EuroLeague Powerhouse
Ethan Thompson

Joins Heat for Training Camp
Los Angeles Clippers

Clippers Add Jason Preston for Training Camp
Akshay Bhatia

a High-Upside Play at BMW Championship
Robert MacIntyre

a Safe Play at BMW Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im a Risky Play at BMW Championship
Xander Schauffele

Chases Big Week at BMW Championship
Shane Lowry

Aims to Rebound at BMW Championship
Si Woo Kim

Looks to Build Momentum at BMW Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looking to Rebound at BMW Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Eyeing Another BMW Championship Victory