The extended All-Star week is over and we’re rounding the corner into the home stretch of the fantasy basketball season. For both fantasy and real life basketball teams, the playoffs are coming soon and the hierarchy of the league is becoming established in a more concrete way. The 46-10 Thunder are having an incredible season and hold a sizable 9.5 game lead over the tied 37-20 Grizzlies and Nuggets. The latter two will battle for the privilege of running into OKC into the Western Conference Finals, if all goes to plan. The bottom half of the playoff seeds in the West is a warzone, with only a 3.5 game difference between the 11th and 7th seeds.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers have a similar record as OKC, sitting at a comfortable 47-10 with the Celtics trailing behind by six games. Despite the Celtics trailing in second, most would agree that Boston is still the gatekeeper of the East, as evidenced by their +215 odds to win the Finals on DraftKings Sportsbook (the Cavaliers sit at +650).
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
Paul George, SF/PF, Philadelphia 76ers
This is not the season most had envisioned for Paul George when the offseason news of his max contract with the 76ers broke. Optimists envisioned a similar, maybe slower, version of George that had three All-Star seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. Pessimists forecast the decline of an aging wing unlikely to extend the 76ers’ championship window. Even the pessimists wouldn’t have expected a dropoff this steep, though. George is averaging 16.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG. This is his lowest scoring output since 2011-12, when he was a sophomore in the league. George is shooting poorly and has battled injury this season. It’s not all on him; Philadelphia’s season has been a dumpster fire in almost every way.
Despite George’s poor individual form, there is some silver lining in that his price will be low. Managers may rightfully fear for George’s availability down the stretch, but he can be acquired cheaply. I know he’s been bad, but surely he’s better than the player you can flip to acquire him.
Alperen Sengun, PF/C, Houston Rockets
Sengun has continued to struggle in his last four games. He’s rank 155 due to his negative contributions in FT%, threes, and high turnover count (3.8 per game). He’s still averaging 19.5 PPG and 12.8 RPG in this stretch, so the counting stats are there, but the efficiency is not. The first time All-Star should be revitalized after the All-Star break, and the Rockets desperately need him to get back on track to seek a top seed in the West.
LaMelo Ball, PG, Charlotte Hornets
Like George, Ball’s availability down the stretch will be in the question. He’s suffered some recurring ankle issues lately, and his inability to get into rhythm has resulted in his 161 rank over the past three games. In these games, he’s shooting 35.3% from the field and only averaging 12.3 PPG. Ball is too talented for this type of shooting to continue.
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
