We’re back with more lists; in NBA week four we’re witnessing a historic 11-0 start to the season by the Cleveland Cavaliers and a first-seed Golden State team. Are we in 2016? Regardless, we still got a bunch of slumpers in this league. Let’s talk buy-lows.
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
Jalen Brunson, PG, New York Knicks
The Knicks are off to a 4-5 start and Brunson’s play this season has been lackluster. Don’t come at my neck, Knicks fans, it’s a compliment to describe 25 PPG and 6.6 APG as “lackluster”. Due to some lofty expectations based on his stellar play last season – Brunson likely cost a pretty penny during your fantasy drafts – it’s reasonable to be disappointed to see that his points, steals, blocks, assists, rebounds, free-throw percentage, field goal percentage, and field goal attempts are all down compared to last season. At least the turnovers are also, like everything else across the board, down.
This is what we’re looking for. A small, across-the-board underperforming player with a high ceiling who’s going to need to carry his team to a playoff spot this season. Thibs likes to run his starters with some massive minutes, and flipping your third or fourth-round pick for Brunson is an interesting idea.
Fred VanVleet, PG, Houston Rockets
It’s not good to be featured here two weeks in a row (is it three?). VanVleet’s still struggling with his shot and he’s averaging only 5.8 APG compared to 8.1 APG last season. His usage is down from 19.7% last season to 16.9%. He’s still ranked 16 in the league in potential assists and will likely positively regress sooner or later. VanVleet is one player who is vital to the Rockets’ success this season; we can infer that based on his immunity from Udoka’s benching. And let’s face it: VanVleet’s not a 28% three-point shooter, nor is he a 37% FG shooter. If there’s anything to worry about here, it’s simply that his assists have dipped a bit. Everything else is exactly what we expected.
Jimmy Butler, SF/PF, Miami Heat
We still don’t know the severity of Butler’s ankle injury which forced him to leave the game early against the Nuggets. Butler’s 35 and injury-riddled; this typically isn’t the type of player who belongs in the buy-low section (he belongs in the other one) but Butler’s a special case. He’s taking fewer shots than last year, getting to the line less, shooting worse from the line, and averaging the lowest minutes per game since 2013. Like VanVleet, Butler is instrumental to the Heat’s success, particularly if they want a shot at making the postseason.
Sitting at rank 132 in 9-cat leagues, Butler is dirt cheap right now. If you believe in his health (or at least 60 games of it), I’d be willing to fire offers for this long-time fantasy stud with a top-30 upside. It’s just too worth.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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