As we ease into March we’re starting to see the first teams who qualify as championship contenders under Phil Jackson’s proposed 40/20 rule, which legitimizes teams who reach at least 40 wins before losing 20. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule, but rather a rough estimate to see which teams we could be taking seriously. There are only four teams who have achieved this feat this season: the OKC Thunder, CLE Cavaliers, BOS Celtics, and NY Knicks. Throughout the NBA, only four teams have won a championship despite not qualifying for the 40/20.
But it’s tough to look at teams like the DEN Nuggets and think that they aren’t contenders, especially when they’re anchored by the current most dominant force in all of basketball in Nikola Jokic. The same sentiment can be applied to other teams such as the Bucks or Warriors, who house a game-breaking superstar but don’t have the standout record as one of the four teams listed above.
We’re shooting the Three Lists of Threes today for your weekly dose of fantasy tips: Buy-lows, sell-highs, and streams.
Here are some buy-lows we can consider.
Buy ’em
Tyrese Maxey, PG, Philadelphia 76ers
As the 81st ranked player in the last two weeks, Maxey has been cold from the floor, shooting a woeful 37.1% alongside averages of 19 PPG and 6 APG. His efficiency is typically predicated upon Joel Embiid’s gravity on the floor, but as we know that’s no longer possible this season, Maxey may continue his sub-par shooting for the rest of the stretch. The good news is that he’s good enough all-around for us to largely ignore the poor shooting as his contributions in other categories will be more than enough. I don’t foresee Maxey as a huge shut-down risk due to his age.
Jimmy Butler, SF/PF, Golden State Warriors
To the relief of all Butler fantasy owners, his arrival in Golden State has been spectacular. Well maybe not his numbers individually, but the Warriors are cruising to a 7-3 record in their past ten games and Steph Curry has been unleashed with the interior pressure that Butler has been able to provide. Individually, Butler’s been averaging only 11.5 PPG in his past four games without a single made three, which drags his value down substantially. I’m confident in Butler playing many games down the stretch as the Warriors continue to jostle for a better playoff seed.
Darius Garland, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers
Over the past four games, Darius Garland has averaged a dreadful 33.3% from the field. His minutes are also down due to the Cavaliers being so dominant this season – as we can also see with Donovan Mitchell’s minutes – and thus his stats suffer slightly. He’s having a better season than last year and is shooting a career high 48.6% from the field. The Cavs have won ten straight and will be looking to lock up the first seed soon. Until that happens, Darius Garland will continue to get plenty of run and could be acquired cheaply while his value is low and owners are worried about Cleveland resting him for a playoff run.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information
