RADIO
Welcome to the show, RotoBallers and NBA All-Star starters! I'm sure these guys are reading this right now right after they were selected to represent their teams and fans in the ultimate exhibition game, right? Well, even if they are busy, at least all of you beautiful dynasty managers are here to talk some risers and fallers.
So, are you going to find a bunch of newly anointed All-Stars on this list because their value all of a sudden increases when they get to play in a game with zero defense? Well, no, because we all know that there are plenty of players who have delivered huge performances in the first half of the season that just didn't get the fan vote. We have seen a few trades that shook up some playoff rosters and injuries allow younger players to finally showcase their talent.
An older player hitting a week or two-week-long hot streak doesn't exactly change their value when it comes to dynasty. If a rookie goes on a tear for a month or a player in their prime moves teams to an even better situation, well that could boost their value moving forward for the foreseeable future. Maybe even a trade or buyout could affect some dynasty values. So, let's get into which players are gaining or losing value this week!
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Risers For Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Leagues
Pascal Siakam (PF/C, IND)
Now playing for his new team the Indiana Pacers, Pascal Siakam is receiving a bit of a bump in value moving to a newer team that can maximize his talent again. While playing for the Toronto Raptors, Siakam was able to play with a plethora of teammates that both fit and contradicted his play style. Either way, he was able to register multiple seasons inside of the top 45 in nine-category leagues.
So far this year, however, he's taken a step back and currently sits at 86th. The Raptors' offense wasn't doing well without a true point guard, then they made the move to bring in RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. That told everyone that the rebuild was finally coming and Siakam's days in Canada were numbered. So, why not move him to a team that not only has a true point guard in Tyrese Haliburton, but also a center that can stretch the floor for once?
His first three games may not have moved the needle for everyone, but he also got to play only one game with Haliburton. In that span, Siakam posted 17.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 turnovers per game while shooting 50% on 14.7 field goal attempts per contest.
Tre Jones (PG, SAS)
Do you know what happened with the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama when an actual point guard received more playing time? They both started looking even better! That point guard who received the extra time happened to be Tre Jones. Even though Jeremy Sochan showed a bit of promise as a point-forward, Jones has been able to distribute the ball where it needs to go and has been able to swipe the ball at a high rate in the process.
Overall, Jones has averaged four fewer minutes per contest, but he's been getting more and more opportunities over the last few weeks. In fact, across the last week, he produced enough to be ranked in the top 12 in per-game fantasy value in nine-category leagues and top 30 in the last two weeks. He just turned 24 years old recently and he's winning the trust of Gregg Popovich over the likes of Malaki Branham and Sochan.
Pair him with the incredible play of Wembanyama and the up-and-coming Devin Vassell, and you get a point guard who can provide a high amount of assists (7.9 per game over the last two weeks) and steals (2.7 per game over the last week).
GG Jackson II (PF, MEM)
The Memphis Grizzlies have been bitten by the injury bug harder than any other team this season. They've gone from a team that could be a real playoff contender to a lottery team that's giving a lot of their younger players some big minutes. One of those players who received a lot of hype in the off-season and has started to show some promise is none other than GG Jackson II.
In his first two games receiving more than 15 minutes, he posted back-to-back 20-point performances. That put him in rare air as he became the third-youngest player to do so, behind just Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Since then, he's registered two more double-digit games and two other not-so-great games. The inconsistency will be a mainstay until he gets enough time to develop.
For dynasty managers, Jackson is a great stash for competitive teams and an even better one for rebuilding teams that are looking a year or two into the future to compete.
Fallers For Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Leagues
Christian Koloko (C, TOR)
Unfortunately, the Pascal Siakam trade wasn't great for everyone involved. Christian Koloko was once considered the Raptors' savior at the center position, but a rough rookie season derailed that. Then, after the trade and getting waived, the training staff found that he was suffering from potential career-ending blood clots.
Hopefully, his health issues will be sorted out and we see him back on the basketball court. The entire situation is devastating and the silver lining is that at least it was caught so that he can be treated.
Josh Hart (SG/SF, NYK)
There was a time when New York Knicks fans thought of Josh Hart as their savior when he was first traded to the team. He was a competent role player, which the Knicks didn't have for a long time. Especially one who could play in the playoffs for extended periods. After the OG Anunoby trade, Hart hasn't seen the floor as much as he once did, since Donte DiVincenzo is also there to play on the wing.
So far this year, Hart is producing his worst per-game value in nine-category leagues. According to Basketball Monster, he comes in at 196, which is the lowest of his career with the second-worst coming in his rookie year when he was 194th. To add to that, he's averaging his fewest minutes per contest since the 2019-20 season when he played with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Hart's biggest contribution has always been his uncanny rebounding ability for an undersized wing. If he's not even receiving the opportunities to be on the court, that doesn't leave many rebound chances. In turn, that diminishes all of his fantasy value, especially in dynasty formats.
Malaki Branham (PG/SG/SF, SAS)
Just like we talked about Tre Jones bettering the offense of the San Antonio Spurs, Malaki Branham was doing the opposite. He continued to see starting opportunities even though he wasn't posting the best stat line or contributing to that many wins. Finally, Jones received more minutes while Branham took a step back.
As of right now, is outside of the top 300 in nine-category formats and he's just barely inside of the top 300 in standard points leagues. He's only 20 years old and this is just his second season in the league, which are both positives in the dynasty realm, but that doesn't matter much if he never shows enough promise to stay on the court. At this rate, his value may only be saved if he goes somewhere else that can allow him to make more mistakes without getting pulled from the game.
He's not even worth a stash right now unless your league has a development/taxi squad.
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