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Fantasy Basketball Risers and Fallers for NBA Week 20

JT Rosales looks at fantasy basketball risers and fallers for Week 20 of the NBA season. These can be lineup sleepers and busts for your fantasy NBA teams.

Throughout the season, players get hot and see an increased role while others struggle and fight to stay relevant. Experienced fantasy players know this happens every year.

In this weekly column, we’ll showcase those who have taken important steps forward and those who have taken steps back.

These are the risers and fallers in the top-100 heading into Week 20 of the NBA season.

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Post-Week 19 Fantasy Basketball Risers

RISER - Bradley Beal (G, WAS) – Well, he’s proven me wrong this season. After struggling with injuries in his career, Beal has put together a great season in both fantasy and real hoops. He’s holding career-highs in points (22.9), assists (3.6), free throw percentage (81.8), field goal percentage (48.1) and usage (26.4). The Wizards are holding down the third playoff spot and will look to secure the top seeding with John Wall and Beal at the helm. Scott Brooks will roll with his studs until the playoff picture is locked in.

RISER - Seth Curry (G, DAL) – Seth has been matching his big bro with top-8 return since the break (Steph – 9th overall since break) with averages of 23.3 points, 3.2 boards, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.3 triples on 57.8 percent from the field on 15.0 attempts. He’s been on fire, helping the Mavs stay in the playoff picture as they sit two games from a playoff spot. With the Mavs releasing Deron Williams, it has allowed Rick Carlisle to pair Yogi Ferrell and Curry in a much quicker backcourt tandem. The Mavs are looking like they’ll be chasing a playoff spot until the last day, so Curry will be out there every night with an unquestioned path to minutes.

RISER - DeMarcus Cousins (F/C, NOP) – Boogie notched his first win with the Pelicans on Sunday with a beastly 26 and 15 line. After some speculated that a slow down was forthcoming, Cousins has posted averages of 23.0 points, 15.4 boards, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.4 triples on 46.3 percent from the field (16.4 attempts) and 82.1 percent from the line (7.8 attempts) beside Anthony Davis. That’s top-10 value since the break. Unfortunately, it hasn’t translated to the wins column, but the New Orleans fans have something to look forward to with their twin towers continuing their pace beside each other. The Pelicans are third last in the Conference, but only sit three games out of a playoff spot. If they can make a late push, then anything’s possible with a little under 20 games left on the season. Expect Alvin Gentry and company to continue to go through Boogie and AD until the playoff picture has been defined.

 

Post-Week 19 Fantasy Basketball Fallers

FALLER - Thaddeus Young (F, IND) – Thad is slumping at the wrong time. As we approach the fantasy playoffs, Young is averaging 5.6 points, 4.4 boards, 1.9 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocks on 46.7 percent from the field on 6.0 attempts since the break. He’s dealing with a wrist injury, but you can tell it’s affecting him big time. We know what he’s capable of with career averages of 1.4 steals and 5.9 rebounds, but it’s just poor timing that Thad is playing through an injury in order for the Pacers to lock up a spot in the tight Eastern Conference. If it’s crunch time and you need a win this week or next, then you’ve got some decisions to make.

FALLER - Marcin Gortat (C, WAS) – The arrival of Bojan Bogdanovic has allowed Scott Brooks to go small when needed, with Gortat the odd-man out in these situations. He still closes out games and is there for important stretches, but the minutes have trended downwards since the trade deadline. Since the break, he’s averaging 9.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks on 44.4 percent from the field in 26.4 minutes. That puts him outside the top-200 in that span. The return of Ian Mahinmi has also allowed Brooks let Gortat get extra rest after seeing a heavy minutes output to start the season.

FALLER - Jonas Valanciunas (C, TOR) – While we’re on the topic of trade deadline acquisitions, Serge Ibaka has destroyed the value of Jonas Valanciunas. He hasn’t seen 25-plus minutes since February 12. Since the break, he’s averaging 9.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.7 blocks in 19.0 minutes. That’s just bad. If you haven’t cut him yet, I would certainly do so if I’m chasing a playoff spot and if you’re securely in a spot, I’d scour the wire for something better. Dwayne Casey has stopped going to JV for answers.


By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.



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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Quentin Johnston

Scores Twice in Brazil
Justin Herbert

Spectacular in Win Over Chiefs
Marquise Brown

Sees Absurd Target Share Friday
Bobby Witt Jr.

Exits Early on Friday
Xavier Worthy

Injures Shoulder Early in Brazil, Questionable to Return
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Placed on Injured List With Quad Strain
Tyler Glasnow

Scratched on Friday With Back Tightness
Jayden Reed

Questionable to Play in Season Opener
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Questionable for Season Opener With Calf Issue
Tyreek Hill

Cleared for Week 1
Rasmus Hojgaard

Finishes Tied For Second at Omega European Masters
Tyrrell Hatton

Finishes Tied for 32nd at LIV Indianapolis
Matt Fitzpatrick

Finishes Fifth at Omega European Masters
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied For Second in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Xander Schauffele

Finishes 42nd in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Tyler Glasnow

Scratched From Friday's Start for Undisclosed Reasons
Christian Kirk

Ruled Out for Week 1
Shohei Ohtani

Returning to the Mound on Friday
Kyle Finnegan

Lands on Injured List With Adductor Strain
Aaron Judge

Returns to Right Field on Friday
De'Von Achane

Without Injury Designation Heading Into Week 1
Christian McCaffrey

Seen Working on Side Field During Friday's Practice
Malik Nabers

Cleared to Play on Sunday
Willson Contreras

' Suspension Reduced, to Start Serving it on Friday
Kodai Senga

Mets Send Kodai Senga to Triple-A to Get Right
Chris Godwin

Officially Ruled Out for Week 1
Malik Nabers

' Reps Limited Friday Due to "Tight" Back
Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card
Axel Sola

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Saquon Barkley

Scores Touchdown in Low-Yardage Outing
Jalen Hurts

Rushes for Two Touchdowns on Thursday
Javonte Williams

Salvages Inefficient Outing With Two Touchdowns
CeeDee Lamb

110-Yard Game Marred by Four Drops
Will Shipley

Questionable to Return on Thursday Night
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Expected to Return on Friday
Micah Parsons

Expected to Play in Week 1
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Exits With Knee Contusions
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Limited With Calf Injury
Justin Jefferson

Not on Week 1 Injury Report
Will Smith

Unlikely to Play This Weekend
Shohei Ohtani

to Pitch on Monday
Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups

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