🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Buy, Sell or Hold: Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo?

Hello our dear readers and welcome to our Week 9 fantasy basketball buy low and sell high column right here at RotoBaller.

Today, we will be changing it up a bit. Although there are several buy low players playing below their realistic levels like Paul George and Rudy Gobert, two guys have really lit the NBA on fire with their recent performances and they warrant our attention. So instead of having one buy low and one sell high options, we will advise you to capitalize on two investments while their stock is at an all time high.

Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic have been cruising lately and while they will probably stick around in the top-30, it is possible that their superstar-like run could net you a player more likely to help you win your league. Here we go!

Holiday Special! Save 50% on any Premium Pass using discount code THANKS. Win more with our DFS, Betting and Season-Long Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! GAIN ACCESS

 

Sell High, Sell Higher Advice for Week 9

Are You for Real, Victor Oladipo?

Victor Oladipo is on fire! The young stud has finally come into his own since arriving in Indiana and he is relishing the opportunity put in front of him. The proof of that is easy to find in his season averages of 24.5 PTS with 2.7 3PM on 48.5 FG% and 77.3 FT%, 5.3 REB, 4.0 AST, 1.8 STL, 1.1 BLK and 3.3 TO in 34 mintes per outing. That is flirting with top-20 value on the year.

But what's more, Dipo has been smashing these "puny" averages and returning a mid top-10 value in the last two weeks by hitting an insane 54.3% of his field goals including 3.9 three-pointers for 29.1 points along with grabbing 6.3 boards, dishing out 4.7 assists and a league leading combination of defensive stats - with 2.4 steals and 1.7 blocks in just under 37 minutes a game. If he managed to hold his turnovers in check (3.7) and hit his free throws (71.1%), his fantasy game would have been near perfect.

Oladipo is a great talent, and he is starting to reach his full potential as an NBA player and a fantasy asset, but it's just not realistic for him to keep THIS up. For one, Darren Collison, Indiana's primary ball handler has missed their last game and was limited to a maximum of 26 minutes over the previous three. That directly led to more touches for Oladipo. Furthermore, Myles Turner who is expected to be Indiana's leader in the future and the face of the franchise has been struggling offensively this season. So when Collison is back and Turner gets his confidence up, it might lead to Vic taking a slight dip.

But that's not the real reason we should expect him to stop being incredible. He can co-exist with Collison, who is sort of a pass-first PG. And he is a bigger offensive threat now than Myles can hope to be in the next year or two. The real reason we can expect his value to drop is pure statistics.

Over the past 14 days he is shooting better than Stephen Curry. He has neither averaged over two three-pointers a game, nor more than 44.2% from the field in his career before. Over that same period he is getting more combined steals and blocks than Giannis Antetokounmpo or Draymond Green. His season best is under two steals and under one block.

Don't get me wrong, Dipo has impressed and you should by no means sell him at a discount. The point I'm making here is that this kind of performance is golden for a good negotiator to profit on a player's hot streak. If a mate of yours is holding a top-10 or 15 asset and is looking to get burned by Dipo's hot streak who are you to deny him? A Russell Westbrook owner fed up with his disastrous shooting or a Karl-Anthony Towns owner who doesn't think much of his new role in a star filled team are hard to come by. But if you find a rare butterfly, at least try and take a picture.

Baller Move: Sell high

 

How High Can You Go, Nikola Vucevic?

Remember when Orlando traded Oladipo and some other assets (including the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis) to acquire Serge Ibaka from Oklahoma City? And then they signed Bismack Biyombo to a four-year, $72 million contract just a few weeks later? It seemed that the Magic were giving up on Nikola Vucevic and looking to change direction. Boy would that have been a mistake!

Luckily for Orlando, they ended up letting Ibaka go instead and Vooch is making them smile about that decision. Let's stick to the same time frame we were using for estimating Oladipo's performances and look at Nik's last 14 days stats. With 19.4 PTS with 1.3 3PM on 54.0 FG% and 91.7 FT%, 11.5 REB, 4.5 AST, 0.8 STL, 2.0 BLK and 1.8 TO he is worthy of the #3 spot in my head-to-head 10-cat (counting all the standard categories plus double-doubles) Yahoo league. Yup! Vooch has more value in my league lately than The Greek Freak, Russ or Kevin Durant.

And he topped it all off with his first career triple-double on Dec 9 against the Hawks, dropping 31 points, vacuuming in 13 rebounds and handing out 10 dimes in that one. He topped it all off with a steal, a block, four three pointers on 72.2% from the field, a lone make from the line and just two turnovers in 37 and a half minutes. Now that's one of the stat lines of the year so far and it has catapulted Nikola into a fantasy value furnace.

But it came with both Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, Orlando's best offensive options next to Vucevic, sidelined. Meanwhile, their primary ball handler Elfrid Payton is in a bit of a slump. Once they're all back to their best, it's difficult to imagine Nikola having such a big usage and impact on the offense.

If you are able to cash in your hot'n'spicy chips with Nikola Vucevic for a top-20 fantasy asset, I wouldn't wait around too much. Jimmy ButlerKyle Lowry or Damian Lillard are all guys who should be worth more than the Montenegrin center the rest of the way. Unless your league is counting double-doubles too. Than I would double-double check the math just in case.

Baller Move: Sell them while they're hot

 

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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Joel Kiviranta

Hurt in Thursday's Win
Lars Eller

Departs Early Versus Blue Jackets
Viktor Arvidsson

Makes Early Exit Against Jets
Bo Horvat

Suffers Lower-Body Injury in Thursday's Win
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Sustains Lower-Body Injury
Roope Hintz

Exits Loss With Injury
Logan Cooley

to Miss at Least Eight Weeks
Mike Evans

Wastes No Time Making a Big Impact in Return
Bijan Robinson

Dismantles Buccaneers Defense in Week 15 Upset
Kirk Cousins

Tosses Three Touchdowns in Primetime Victory
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Explodes for Best Outing of Career on TNF
Mike Conley

Unavailable Friday
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Downgraded to Out Thursday
Anthony Edwards

Iffy to Face Warriors
Davante Adams

Remains Absent From Practice Thursday
Kris Murray

Makes Third Start of the Campaign Thursday
Gary Trent Jr.

Replaces Jericho Sims in Starting Unit Thursday
Jarrett Allen

to Remain Sidelined Friday
AJ Green

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Officially Active on Thursday Night
Jordan Poole

Cleared for Action Thursday
Ja Morant

Listed as Questionable for Friday's Tilt
Mike Evans

Officially Active on Thursday Night
Miles McBride

to be Re-Evaluated in One Week
Robert Williams III

Yang Hansen Out Thursday
Lauri Markkanen

Available Friday Night
LaMelo Ball

Sidelined for Friday
Tyrese Maxey

Dealing With Illness But Expected to Play Friday
Nique Clifford

to Start Thursday
Kristaps Porzingis

Out of Action Versus Pistons Friday
Joel Embiid

Probable Ahead of Friday's Matchup With Pacers
Ryan Leonard

to Miss 3-4 Weeks
Mats Zuccarello

Lands on Injured Reserve
Timo Meier

Takes Leave of Absence
Draymond Green

Ruled Out for Friday Versus Timberwolves
Thatcher Demko

Back in Canucks Crease Thursday
Josh Norris

Out on Thursday
Boone Jenner

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Thursday
Stephen Curry

Off Injury Report for Friday's Matchup With Minnesota
Victor Hedman

Placed on Injured Reserve
Charlie McAvoy

Set to Return Thursday
Philip Rivers

Colts Prepping Philip Rivers to Start in Week 15?
John Konchar

Will Undergo Thumb Surgery
Zach Edey

Out at Least Four Weeks
CFB

Bryce Underwood Could Leave Michigan Without Buyout
Mike Evans

Expected to Play Thursday, But Only on Key Downs?
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Padres Not Considering Trading Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tarik Skubal

Tigers Engaged in "Serious Talks" Around Trading Tarik Skubal at the Winter Meetings
Josh Jacobs

Calling Himself Day-to-Day
CFB

Chris Brazzell II Declaring for NFL Draft
CeeDee Lamb

on Track to Play on Sunday Night
CFB

Fernando Mendoza Named AP College Football Player of the Year
Raisel Iglesias

to Remain the Braves Closer
Robert Suarez

Agrees on Three-Year Deal With Braves
T.J. Watt

Could Miss Monday's Game With a Lung Issue
Trey Hendrickson

Moved to Injured Reserve
Josh Jacobs

Likely to Miss a Second Straight Practice
De'Von Achane

to Start the Week as Limited in Practice
CFB

Sherrone Moore Remains in Police Custody
CFB

Joe Klanderman Joining Baylor Coaching Staff
Alex DeBrincat

Extends Scoring Streak With Three-Point Effort
Dylan Guenther

Lights the Lamp Twice Wednesday
CFB

Kentucky Hiring Jay Bateman as Next Defensive Coordinator
Sam Bennett

Tallies Three Points Against Mammoth
Vince Dunn

Caps Off Three-Point Performance With Overtime Winner
Spencer Knight

Stops Rangers From Scoring Wednesday
Simon Edvinsson

Makes Early Exit Wednesday
Si Woo Kim

Closes 2025 With Strong Finish Among Putting Woes
Akshay Bhatia

Looks to Rebound in 2026 After Down Year Off the Tee
Brian Harman

2025 Season a Step Back Despite Spring Win
Sam Burns

' Elite Putting Headlines a Solid 2025 Season
Sepp Straka

Ends Stellar 2025 Campaign on a High Note
Robert MacIntyre

Closes Out a Steady 2025 Campaign
CFB

Chip Kelly Interviews for Georgia Tech Offensive Coordinator Job
CFB

Louisville Receiver Chris Bell has a Torn ACL
Davante Adams

in Good Spot for Week 15 Despite Hamstring Soreness
Min Woo Lee

Breaks Through to Win in Texas This Year
PGA

Alex Noren Wins Twice on European Tour This Year
Wyndham Clark

has Up-and-Down 2025 Golf Season
CFB

Michigan Fires Head Coach Sherrone Moore
Corey Conners

Comes Close to Winning Again in Very Good 2025
Justin Rose

Turns Back the Clock in 2025
Mike Evans

Officially Questionable for Thursday Night Game
Geno Smith

Unlikely to Play in Week 15
CFB

Jim Knowles Expected to be Hired as Tennessee's Defensive Coordinator
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

"Good to Go" for Week 15
Harris English

Enjoys Solid Finish at Hero World Challenge
CeeDee Lamb

has "One or Two" Things Left to the Clear Concussion Protocol
Jayden Daniels

Commanders Not Shutting Down Jayden Daniels for the Year
CFB

Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles Not Being Retained at Penn State
CFB

Indiana's Stephen Daley Done for Season After Post-Game Injury
Pete Alonso

Orioles Finalizing Five-Year Deal
Kyle Finnegan

Tigers, Kyle Finnegan Agree on Two-Year Deal
Bo Bichette

Red Sox Out on Bo Bichette For Now
Philadelphia Phillies

Phillies Extend Manager Rob Thomson Through 2027 Season
Michael King

the Mets' Top Rotation Target?
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Could Move Back to Leadoff Spot
CFB

Florida, Wisconsin Among Suitors for QB Transfer Kenny Minchey
CFB

Bryan Harsin, Justin Wilcox Candidates for Washington State Head Coach Job?
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Agrees to Deal With the Dodgers
Kyle Schwarber

Returning to Phillies on Five-Year Deal
CFB

Ole Miss Hiring John David Baker as Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Ty Howle the Top Target for Virginia Tech Offensive Coordinator Job
Shohei Ohtani

to be Used More as Traditional Starting Pitcher Next Year
Yordan Alvarez

to Become Full-Time DH in 2026?
Mason Miller

Padres Plan to Keep Mason Miller in the Bullpen
Ranger Suárez

Orioles Interested in Signing Ranger Suarez
Anthony Volpe

Yankees Don't Expect Anthony Volpe to be Ready in April
Gerrit Cole

Targeting a Return in May/June
CFB

Heisman Trophy Finalists Announced on Monday
CFB

Anthony Hill Jr. Declaring for 2026 NFL Draft
CFB

Ryan Walters a Candidate for Tennessee Defensive Coordinator Job?
Rory McIlroy

Ends 2025 as the Year's Most Unburdened Player
Aaron Rai

Needs to Figure Out Putting Woes This Offseason
Jordan Spieth

Plays Better on Paper in 2025 Than Results Show
PGA

Chris Gotterup Needs to Find Better Touch and Consistency This Offseason
Hideki Matsuyama

Ends 2025 Season With a Bookend Victory
CFB

Tennessee Fires Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks
Scottie Scheffler

Comes Up Just Shy of Hero World Challenge Victory
Merab Dvalishvili

Drops A Decision At UFC 323
Petr Yan

Reclaims Bantamweight Title
Alexandre Pantoja

Era Ends With Gruesome Injury
Joshua Van

Becomes Second-Youngest UFC Champion
Brandon Moreno

Suffers His First TKO Loss
Brandon Moreno

Tatsuro Taira Becomes First Fighter To Finish Brandon Moreno
Henry Cejudo

Payton Talbott Retires Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo

Retires After UFC 323 Loss
Jan Blachowicz

Bogdan Guskov Vs. Jan Blachowicz Ends In A Majority Draw
Jan Blachowicz

And Bogdan Guskov Fight To Majority Draw
CFB

Texas RB CJ Baxter Entering Transfer Portal
San Francisco Giants

Jeff Kent Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Ketel Marte

Red Sox Interested in Trading for Ketel Marte
Kyle Schwarber

Pirates Make Four-Year Offer to Kyle Schwarber

RANKINGS

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