LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Cleveland Cavaliers Guard Darius Garland (10) dribbles up the court during a NBA game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers on November 7, 2022 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)
Grayson Allen (rostered in 27.9 of leagues). He just dropped 31 points on January 5th, and his shot looks exceptional.
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The Cavaliers have multiple injured starters right now. I recommend buying low on Darius Garland, but being cautious about Evan Mobley. Knee injuries for big men are the scariest thing and right now the Cavs are rolling thanks to great performances from Jarrett Allen. This allows the Cavs not to rush back Mobley.
Darius Garland has a Broken jaw and is still out indefinitely, but he is one of the best IR spot players to hold onto right now. An ascension in fantasy playoffs could be in order for Garland owners.
Dejounte Murray could be traded this deadline to a multitude of teams, and Jalen Johnson stands to benefit and become the #2 or #3 to Trae Young and a player like Pascal Siakam, who could be on his way to Atlanta in exchange for Murray. If Siakam is then moved elsewhere, more opportunities for Johnson means more benefits for fantasy owners trying to build around the edges.
Strategy Tips
It’s also key to think about the impacts of other likely trade deadline moves. Zach LaVine being moved would leave Coby White as a top-30 fantasy option ... depending on who returns in any such deal. And any team LaVine goes will certainly have a shake-up in their usage distribution.
Fantasy managers should now target players that will have extreme usage in the second half of the season. With the new 65-game rule for players to receive All-NBA Awards and qualify for yearly awards such as MVP, DPOY, and ROTY, you will see games played down the stretch at a much higher rate than last season. However, the top teams will still rest players when they can and play players fewer minutes, so fantasy managers will need to invest in players on teams chasing playoff spots. Players in past seasons like Kyle Kuzma, R.J. Barrett, Julius Randle, and Domantas Sabonis have won leagues by never being out of the playoff race but also never being the #1 seed. Players in this situation will not sit out, and, needing to chase elite playoff positioning, will often play 36+ minutes a game.
Get aggressive fantasy managers, the time to win is now, go get your guys.
