🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE NEW
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

Changing Tides: A Look Into Surprising NBA Playoff Performances

The playoffs are in full swing but it's not too early to look forward to next year's fantasy season.

With teams going all out and putting out their strongest rotations, we can see how teams truly value each of their pieces, so big performances and surprising turns can be taken with more validity than during the last few months of the regular season.

Let's take a look at some of the more surprising performances so far this postseason, and try to analyze what it could mean for their stock in next year's fantasy season.

Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and 3 free months of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW

 

Changing Tides: A Look Into Surprising NBA Playoff Performances

Rajon Rondo, PG, New Orleans Pelicans

So the myth of playoff Rondo is real, and a locked-in Rondo looked fantastic on both ends of the floor in the Pelicans evisceration of the Portland Trail Blazers. He's nearly averaged a triple double this postseason with 11.3/13.3/7.5 splits in the popcorn stats to go with 0.8 steals and 3-pointers apiece, in 35 minutes a game. Rondo showed flashes of this form last season in the 2 games before he got hurt as the Bulls stole the first 2 games from the 1 seed Boston Celtics, and he has played a huge part in the Pelicans success so far this postseason, taking primary ball-handling duties and unlocking Jrue Holiday as a potent off-ball threat.

Outlook: Doesn't move the needle on his value much

Rondo's contract situation does put a question mark on his value next season, as he is an unrestricted free agent and it's unclear whether one good postseason can make up for a few years of regular season track record suggesting that he is not consistently a good player. His effort level wanes during the regular season, and his value next season will depend a lot on his situation more so than his talent and productivity. If he finds himself in a situation where he can consistently get more than 25 minutes a game, he will still be a strong option in punt points leagues, and a great source of steals, assists and out of position boards.

 

Jrue Holiday, PG/SG, New Orleans Pelicans

All Holiday's performance this postseason has done is narrow the still incomprehensible gap between his value and performance and the public perception of Jrue as a player. Holiday has been excellent for quite some time now, yet doesn't get the recognition as a star that many other players worse than him receive. With averages of 27.8/6.5/4.0 in the spotlight of the postseason, it looks like the gap between how good Holiday is and how good people think he is will finally narrow. Unfortunately, this means he will probably be drafted a little more appropriately next year.

Outlook: Won't inexplicably fall as far in drafts next season as he has in the past

Jrue Holiday is a dynamic 2-way guard who can play both on and off ball, and his extremely high steal rate makes him an elite fantasy guard that has been consistently undervalued over the years due to overblown injury concerns and lack of name recognition. The fact that he has racked up 6.5 assists per game this post season playing off the ball shows that even as a 2, he can get dimes, and the elite steal rate won't be going away any time soon. One thing that makes Holiday unique is his out of position FG%, which makes him very easy to slot into a number of builds. Jrue should be valued around where Mike Conley has been the past few seasons ( in the 20s), and next year looks to be the year he will get finally get his due.

 

Derrick Rose, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves

Derrick Rose has been surprisingly productive for the Wolves in their playoff series against the 1-seed Rockets, providing a much needed spark off the bench. Reunited with his old coach Tom Thibodeau from his glory days in Chicago, Rose has gotten a green light to run the offense and he's responded with 14.8 ppg in 24 minutes per game this series. He's also hit 1.3 3s per game, a part of his game that has been severely lacking for him all career.

Outlook: This is a mirage

You can dismiss this as fast as you can because nothing about this performance is sustainable. The 3-point shooting and 52.0 FG% is being buoyed but a ridiculous 71.4% 3-point shooting percentage and Rose has still been as anemic as ever in assists and steals with 2.8 and 0.5 respectively over the 4 game series so far. While this makes for a pretty cool story (Rose performing for his old coach), there is nothing here to suggest that he has turned a corner, and he is still undraftable in most formats next season.

 

Carmelo Anthony, SF/PF, Oklahoma City Thunder

While playoff Rondo has been a thing, Olympic Melo has been proven again and again to be a myth and his performance in the Thunder's first round series against Utah has been an abomination to put it lightly. Melo has averaged just 12.8 points per game on 36.9% shooting and only 1.2 3s per game on a putrid 21.4% 3-point rate. This is Melo we're talking about, so if he's not scoring anymore, then what use does he have?

Outlook: Undraftable

Someone will still take Melo because of the name value, just make sure that someone isn't you. It's telling that in the Thunder's frantic game 5 comeback,  the run was ignited when Melo went to the bench, and he didn't come in until the Thunder had completed the comeback and taken the lead. Melo is a very bad player now, who doesn't contribute in the defensive categories and can't even score much anymore, and he should not be drafted at all next year.

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis

that




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

George Kittle

Suffered Torn Achilles on Sunday
Aaron Holiday

is Moving into Starting Five
Aaron Gordon

is Available on Sunday
Christian Braun

is Downgraded to Out
Jamal Murray

is Unavailable on Sunday
Omarion Hampton

Active for Wild-Card Round Against Patriots
Kristaps Porzingis

Won't Play on Sunday
Kevin Porter Jr.

is Available to Play on Sunday
Christian Braun

Downgraded to Questionable on Sunday
Tyler Herro

to Suit Up on Sunday
Norman Powell

Ruled Out for Sunday's Game
Victor Wembanyama

Cleared for Sunday
George Kittle

Ruled Out After Non-Contact Achilles Injury
Cole Perfetti

Contributes Two Assists in Sunday's Win
Carl Grundstrom

Misses Sunday's Practice
Jrue Holiday

Cleared to Suit Up Versus New York
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Request Interview With Ejiro Evero
Josh Hart

Returning on Sunday Night
Travis Konecny

Hurt at Sunday's Practice
Thatcher Demko

Lands on Injured Reserve
Colin Miller

Injured Versus Devils
Bryan Rust

Remains Out Sunday
Morgan Geekie

Won't Play Sunday
Los Angeles Rams

Mike LaFleur to Interview With Raiders and Cardinals
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Open to Re-Signing Aaron Rodgers?
Matthew Stafford

X-Rays Come Back Negative
Mark Stone

Extends Goal Streak With Empty-Netter
Nikita Kucherov

Has Four-Point Outing Saturday
David Pastrnak

Records Six Assists in Big Win
Stefan Noesen

to Have Knee Surgery
Carter Hart

Out Week-to-Week
Thatcher Demko

Exits With Injury Saturday
MacKenzie Gore

Yankees Pursuing Trade for MacKenzie Gore
Philip Broberg

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Alex Bregman

Cubs Sign Alex Bregman to Five-Year, $175 Millon Contract
Chet Holmgren

Available Sunday
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Suspended for Three Games for Attempting to Strike Another Player
Kristaps Porzingis

May Return Sunday
Zaccharie Risacher

to Miss Second Consecutive Game Sunday
Kevin Porter Jr.

Considered Probable for Sunday
Aaron Gordon

Likely to Play Sunday
Christian Braun

Considered Probable for Sunday
Spencer Jones

May Miss Another Game Sunday
Jamal Murray

Iffy for Sunday's Action
Freddie Freeman

Withdraws from World Baseball Classic
Chandler Stephenson

Jaden Schwartz Replaces Chandler Stephenson in Kraken Lineup
Brandon Saad

Won't Play This Weekend
Shea Theodore

Returns to Golden Knights Lineup Saturday
Jaccob Slavin

Returns Against Kraken
Travis Konecny

Ruled Out Saturday
Brad Marchand

Misses Saturday's Game
Corey Perry

Available Saturday
Max Kepler

Receives 80-Game PED Suspension
CFB

Cam Coleman Visiting Alabama on Friday
Omarion Hampton

Expects to Play Sunday Night
CFB

Eric Singleton Jr. Enters Transfer Portal, Trending to Land at Florida
CFB

NCAA Denies Trinidad Chambliss a Sixth Year of Eligibility
Omarion Hampton

Questionable for Wild-Card Weekend
Kyle Tucker

Mets Remain in Mix for Kyle Tucker
Ketel Marte

Will Remain With Diamondbacks
Rashee Rice

to be Reviewed Under League's Conduct Policy
Daniel Jones

Colts Plan to Re-Sign Daniel Jones
Davante Adams

Off the Injury Report, Will Play Against Carolina
Bo Bichette

Phillies to Meet With Bo Bichette
Rome Odunze

Will Return for Wild-Card Game on Saturday
CFB

DJ Lagway Commits to Baylor
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Fire Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Sam LaPorta

Plans to be Back for Training Camp
Owen Caissie

Shipped to Miami as Centerpiece of Trade
Edward Cabrera

Cubs Officially Acquire Edward Cabrera From Marlins
Rome Odunze

Plans to Play on Saturday
Edward Cabrera

Cubs Finalizing Deal to Acquire Edward Cabrera From Marlins
New York Giants

Giants "All-In" on Hiring John Harbaugh
CFB

Jackson Arnold Signs with UNLV
CFB

Sam Leavitt Scheduled to Visit Tennessee
New York Giants

John Harbaugh Expected to be Favorite to Become New Giants Head Coach
Baltimore Ravens

John Harbaugh Won't Return as Ravens Head Coach
Bo Bichette

Unlikely to Return to Toronto?
Jordan Love

Ready to Start in Wild-Card Game Against Bears
CFB

Jadan Baugh Staying with Florida for Junior Season
Washington Commanders

Commanders "Mutually" Parting Ways With OC Kliff Kingsbury
CFB

Byrum Brown Officially Commits to Auburn
CFB

Austin Simmons Signing with Missouri

RANKINGS

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