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

Buy, Sell or Hold: Evan Fournier and Jimmy Butler?

Milos Zvekic's buy low, sell high trade advice for Week 3 of fantasy NBA. His buy/hold/sell recommendations for Evan Fournier and Jimmy Butler in fantasy basketball leagues.

Week 2 is behind us and there's been so many surprise results that it seems the NBA Gods are having a laugh. If the playoffs were to begin today Cleveland wouldn't participate, Golden State would be the number six seed in the West and the Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons would be crowned regular season West and East Conference champions.

Among these out-of-the-ordinary team performances, there are also several individual player performance anomalies. A change of scenery hasn't agreed well with one of our heroes of today's article yet, but he is starting to turn it around. On the other end, one younger role player has been stepping it up and grabbing more responsibilities. A part of the reason is an injury of a teammate, and it's not likely that he can keep it up for the duration of the entire season.

Let's take a look at who has been lighting it up and who has his owners disappointed this early in the season in our Week 3 fantasy basketball buy low and sell high column right here at RotoBaller.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

Buy Low, Sell High Advice for Week 3

Are You for Real, Evan Fournier?

First of all, kudos to all of you who drafted Fournier at around 100 or lower. He is currently smashing his ADP of 97 by returning top-15, 20 value over his first six games of the season. He is rewarding his owners with 22.3 points with 2.7 threes on 53.9% from the field and 95.7% from the charity stripe, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.3 blocks and 1.7 turnovers in 33 minutes per game. Those are career highs across the board if he were to keep it up. But it's unrealistic to expect that he will.

Believe it or not, these insane stats are only enough for him to be the third best fantasy contributor on a per game basis on the Orlando roster with both Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon being rated higher by Yahoo. Their good performances are paying off outside of the fantasy world as well, as Orlando is 4-2 to start the season. And all that without without their primary ball handler Elfrid Payton, who went down after having played just one and a half games.

Elfrid's absence is most likely a part of the reason that Fournier is performing above expectations. He saw a similar rise in numbers when Payton missed time last season and he is repeating it now. Furthermore, it is difficult to imagine Evan remaining this efficient a shooter and valuable a fantasy-contributor. If we take a look at his last season averages we will see why: 17.2 PTS with 1.9 3PM on 43.9 FG% and 80.5 FT%, 3.1 REB, 3.0 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.1 BLK and 2.1 TO in the same amount of playing time had him just outside the top-100.

It is encouraging however, that Fournier hasn't had one freakishly good performance that would bump his averages. Instead he is very consistent. He scored between 22 and 28 points on all but one of his games. He had at least one steal, between 2 and 5 assists and turned the ball over 1 to 3 times in all six. He didn't hit all of his free throws and didn't have at least 3 rebounds only once and shot under 50% only twice.

I do believe that Evan could keep playing well and I can see him clinging to top-50, top-75 value over the course of the season, but if you can get a good deal while he is hot, I would take it.

These stats from the Frenchman do warrant a high return on any trade, so a solid top-50 player would do the trick in my book. I would swap him in re-draft leagues for the likes of Goran Dragic, Dennis Schroder, Ricky Rubio, or even Serge Ibaka or DeAndre Jordan, depending on your league build. Of course, don't be too eager to get rid of Fournier and take a low ball offer just because he will probably lose some value. He won't lose all of it and will still remain a useful fantasy asset, especially for those looking for threes, points, and steals.

Baller Move: Sell high

 

Time to Panic on Jimmy Butler?

Jimmy Butler doesn't feel quite at home yet since his move to Minnesota this summer. Sharing the ball with Karl-Anthony TownsAndrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague has resulted in him taking just 13.3 field goals and just 4.0 free throws per game. That is third and fourth most on his team. Furthermore, those numbers are down from 16.5 FGA and 8.9 FTA from his last season's campaign in Chicago.

Now with such talent around Jimmy Buckets, it is normal for his attacking numbers to take a hit. But his defense isn't on par either. He hasn't blocked a shot yet this year, and has 1.5 steals per game. The steals are at a respectable level, but not for Jimmy's standards as he averaged more steals than that in each of his last four seasons. In addition to his defensive stats taking a drop, he is also down in rebounds (from 6.2 to 5.5) and assists (from 5.5 to 4.8). His shooting percentages are around the same, but his lack of usage has seen his points plummet from 23.9 to 16.3. All of this is even weirder when we factor in that Butler is playing one minute more per outing than he did last season.

Now we do have to be fair to Jimmy, he did sit out 2 games due to illness, so that probably affected him a bit too. But that also could be the reason his current owner values him less than Jimmy is really worth. Moreover, Jimmy played a decent game in his return from the illness with 25 points, five boards, seven assists and just one turnover. He didn't steal the ball or block a shot, but he did shoot 7-of-10 from the field and 11-of-13 from the line so it could mean that Jimmy B is finally feeling comfortable in the Timberwolves uniform.

If Butler's owner is thrown off by him returning only top-75 value so far you could try to pry him away with an offer of a guy at around the top-50. All the guys mentioned above in the swap for Fournier apply here as well, as I would gladly give any one of them for Butler. Do check however how Minnesota's fantasy playoffs schedule fits your team as they have either just 9 or 10 games in those three weeks, depending on when your playoffs take place.

Baller Move: Hold or buy low

 

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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
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
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
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
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF