Week 4 Fantasy Basketball Trade Value Charts: Ricky Rubio & Andre Drummond Dominate With Increased Minutes
With COVID-19 striking the NBA and players heading to the IR, veterans like Andre Drummond and Ricky Rubio share the spotlight for this week's hottest trade targets. Here are this week's trade value targets to buy low or sell high.
Guards
PG Ricky Rubio, Cleveland Cavaliers
Ricky Rubio came off the bench in Sunday’s game against the Knicks to score a career-high 37 points and tally 10 assists. He shot 13-19 from the field, and finished 8-9 from deep range, only missing one shot which he took in garbage time (8-8 when it mattered). Thanks in large part to Rubio’s heroics Sunday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Knicks at MSG in a massive 126-109 road victory. Rubio’s career night was spectacular to watch, and I’m sure many people are happy for him. His trade value spiked +1.8 points largely because of that outing, and while that may be misleading, what makes him more attractive now is Collin Sexton’s injury status. Sexton was diagnosed with a meniscus tear, meaning that he will not be available for most of, if not the entire rest of the season. With Sexton out, PG Darius Garland will continue to start and Rubio will back him up or perhaps be repurposed occasionally as a starting shooting guard. If Sexton did not suffer a torn meniscus, I might suggest Rubio’s increased value makes him a good asset to trade away. Instead, fantasy owners should target him now. With Sexton likely out for the rest of the season, Rubio’s spiked value is not indicative of the increased role he will receive in the Cavaliers’ rotation for the remainder of the season. Don’t focus so much on his spectacular game on Sunday night if you trade for Rubio; consider his value moving forward with the Cavs. You could compare his current value to Mavericks PG/SG Jalen Brunson, who has been spectacular over the last five games.
PG Tyus Jones, Memphis Grizzlies
Tyus Jones saw his trade value surge by +4.2 points this week. This is because he is shooting incredibly from the field despite playing just 17.0 MPG this season. Jones is shooting 53.8% from the field and converting 50% of his shots from downtown for 6.9 PPG. With players returning from injury to the Grizzlies’ lineup such as SF/PF Brandon Clarke, who’s playing on a minutes restriction, and wing Dillon Brooks, whose season debut is imminent after recovering from surgery during the offseason, Jones’ opportunities to play more than 20 MPG seem increasingly unlikely. Despite his efficiency and impressive shooting thus far, the Grizzlies are returning to full health, meaning that Jones’ increased value makes his increased value a figure to only be observed in the short term. Jones is the perfect sell-high candidate. Once Memphis is at full strength, Jones won’t be much more than a bench warmer.
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Wings
SF Evan Fournier, New York Knicks
Evan Fournier erupted for 32 points in his Knicks debut on 13-25 shooting. He’s produced decent numbers but hasn’t been able to break 20 points scored since his season debut at Madison Square Garden. So he’s not scoring as much as Knicks fans and his owners anticipated. What makes him attractive, however, is his consistency. He’s currently shooting a respectable 42.4% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc. Moreover, he’s averaging 30.4 MPG, having played a minimum of 25 MPG in every game this season. His trade value has decreased by -0.8 points over the last week, making him an interesting target to trade for as I don’t think he will produce less than he is right now. Once he and PG Kemba Walker become more comfortable in Tom Thibbedeau’s rotation, both shooters will feel more comfortable on the floor, which will hopefully allow Fournier and Cardiac Kemba alike to shoot better than they have through their first ten games.
SF Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Tatum’s value dropped by -2.0 points on the Trade Value Chart, as he is struggling to produce this season. But it is Jayson Tatum, and he will turn things around. He’s shooting below 40% from the field and 32.1% from long-range. In comparison, Tatum shot 45.9% from the field last season and converted at a 38.6% rate from the three-point range. He’s had some awful games so far this season, two of them coming last week in back-to-back games against the Magic on November 3 and the Heat on November 4. Against the Magic, he scored 14 points on 4-16 shooting, and against the Heat, he scored 10 points while shooting 3-13. Games like this for Tatum are uncommon. On October 30, Tatum converted 10 of a whopping 32 shots taken, going 0-5 from the three-point range. He’s struggling but he’s still an invaluable talent and the core of the Celtics’ roster alongside SF Jaylen Brown. With two performances like that, I’m surprised his value didn’t drop more than it did. On Sunday night, Tatum shined, scoring 32 points on 12-19 shooting, with 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. I think Tatum starts to produce more consistently in the weeks to come, making him a strong option to trade for with his current decreased value.
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Bigs
C Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers
Andre Drummond dominated Monday night in the absence of Joel Embiid despite the Philadelphia 76ers’ loss to the Knicks. In 38 minutes, Drummond overpowered Knicks big men in the paint to grab an astonishing 25 rebounds. He also recorded 14 points on 5-9 shooting. Listed at 6’10” and 280 lbs. (although he looks at least 15-20 lbs. heavier), he can easily box players out using his weight and power to haul in those boards. In fact, he’s done so his entire career. With Embiid out, he carried the load at the center position. His value, however, decreased before Monday’s game by -3.5 points. Even when Embiid comes back, I don’t understand how Doc Rivers can’t give him 25+ minutes per game when the efficient defense is clearly something the Sixers need to improve. Regardless, his presence on the floor might be the most intimidating to opposing players. This explains why he has practically identical career averages for points (14.4 PPG) and rebounds (13.7 RPG) per game. That said, injuries and being traded have made his last few seasons very short. He’s played a total of 54 games over the last three seasons (2018-2021), but with Embiid out on COVID-19 protocol, and Drummond’s dominant performance so far this season, he needs to be targeted by owners. Having played all 10 games for Philly so far this season, Drummond looks healthier and more powerful than ever.
PF Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies aren’t a team composed of many big men. In fact, C Steven Adams and PF Jaren Jackson are the only players on the Grizzlies’ roster who are at least 6’11”. PF Brandon Clarke is 6’8”, 215 lbs., and one of the promising talents around which the Grizzlies are building their franchise. On Sunday, November 8, Clarke scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in just 24 minutes. Clarke’s minutes will be increased up to 28-30 MPG in the weeks to come. Nonetheless, Clarke’s value decreased by -0.1 over the last week, making him undervalued. He missed three games so far this season and has been working out of a minutes restriction due to right-thigh soreness. The Grizzlies are a team that ranks below average in height and in weight in comparison to the other 29 teams in the NBA. Before the season began, Memphis ranked as the 11th shortest team and 7th lightest team in the league. Clarke’s last two games for the Grizzlies this season have been very efficient. He’s played a combined 34 minutes and produced 26 points on 54.1% shooting from the field. Poised to make a comeback and have a breakout season in his third year in the NBA, if Clarke is healthy, he becomes almost as valuable as Jackson Jr. If you watched him play last season, Clarke’s role on the Grizzlies is very important, and he will produce more in the weeks to come. Frank Kaminsky and Jaden McDaniels have higher values on the Trade Value Chart right now and that’s just criminal! In two weeks’ time, Clarke’s trade value will be in the mid-teens. The Trade Analyzer currently indicates that you’d be on the losing end of a trade acquiring Clarke for Kaminsky or McDaniels, which is simply not true and will certainly no longer be the case in just a few weeks’ time. Consider getting rid of a backup big in your rotation to trade for a very undervalued Clarke.
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