Fantasy Basketball Stock Up Stock Down: Derrick White excels as Celtics surge

The NBA schedule is a little less busy this week, with the NBA In-Season Tournament on the horizon. Players won’t be on the field as often this week, which is a good time to spot some guys who are going both ways.

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Lead: Time to add Maxime “Mad Max” Raynaud

Announcement

Raynaud has emerged as a legitimate big backup and should remain in the starting lineup until Domantas Sabonis returns.

STOCK UP

Derrick White – PG/SG, Celtics

The sample size here is small, but White was exceptional in early December: Through four games, his 24.5 points per game on 51.4/ 40.8/ 80.0 shooting ranges were significantly better than his lower scoring and inefficient shooting in October and November. What stands out the most is White’s 12.3 three-point attempts per game! With him hitting threes at a high rate, the production from beyond the arc has brought incredible value from a fantasy basketball perspective, as have his recent increases in rebounds and assists. Hopefully, this type of production is here to stay, now that White may be well suited to his role as one of the Celtics’ go-to scorers. Stock up!

Kevin Porter Jr. – PG/SG, Bucks

Between the injury in Game 1 and Ryan Rollinshe immediate rise that followed, it’s likely that Porter Jr. became an afterthought to many people from a fantasy basketball perspective. Well, he’s been back for a little over a week and has already become Milwaukee’s most productive player. In the five games since his return, KPJ has averaged 24.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.4 steals on 55.6/61.3/88.0 shooting ranges, which include a pair of 30-point outings with at least five 3-pointers made. Whatever questions fantasy managers may have had about Porter Jr.’s reinstatement and fitting in alongside Rollins, they should now have answers.

Announcement

Dylan Harper – PG/SG, Spurs

It took a couple of games for Harper to find his rhythm, as well as his form off the bench, as he returned from an early-season calf injury. He has been productive in five games since then, scoring at least 15 points in four of those five contests and recording five or more assists in four consecutive games. The rookie guard recently put up a career-high 22 points against the Pelicans and capped off the night with a game-winning off-hand layup. Whether it’s his minutes, production or confidence, everything seems to be trending in a positive direction for Harper, who will likely improve with more reps under his belt. Like many Spurs players, his ceiling is high.

STOCKS RUNNING OUT

Myles Turner – C, dollars

It’s been tough for the Bucks, who are struggling to find an identity or string together victories with or without their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Regardless of the former Finals MVP’s availability, the supporting cast has been inconsistent lately, particularly Turner. The prized offseason addition hasn’t grabbed more than three rebounds in a game since Nov. 26 against the Heat, and has scored more than 12 points just once in that span. He’s also played fewer than 24 minutes per game since the start of December and finds himself in an unpredictable situation just over a quarter of the way through his debut season in Milwaukee. Things could always improve as the season progresses, but the vibes aren’t high right now, and neither is Turner’s productivity.

Announcement

De’André Hunter — SF/PF, Cavaliers

Hunter has cooled off lately as the Cavaliers have alternated wins and losses in their last five games. He failed to score in double figures in two of those five games, with a career-high 13 points. The seventh-year forward has also tallied exactly three rebounds in each of his last five games and has totaled nine assists in that span, leading to minimal fantasy production recently. Hunter could use a big game in the near future to get back on track, but until he does, his stock will remain on the decline.

Reed Sheppard – PG/SG, Rockets

Not long ago there was a 10-game stretch in which Sheppard averaged 17.1 points and 3.0 threes per game, including a 31-point masterpiece that led the Rockets to a road win over the Warriors that scored THE moment of his young career so far. And just when it looked like the sophomore guard was about to leave, Kevin Durant he returned from injury to regain his high production and make Sheppard’s contributions less necessary in the next five games. As a result, Sheppard dropped to 9.0 points per game and played fewer minutes than Aaron Holidaysthe current backup point guard, in three of the last five games. Sheppard is still having a strong second season, but it’s hard to say if he’ll reach his early-season highs anytime soon.