Angle Fantasy Basketball

Buy #1: Goga Bitadze

Season stats:

GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	3PM	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
32	21.0	.619	.703	0.1	7.5	6.3	1.7	0.7	1.7	0.8

The Magic are on a roll right now, and in no small part to Goga. Only rostered in 23% of Yahoo leagues, Goga is ranking 84th over the last 2 weeks in 9 Cat thanks to his 2 blocks per game and shooting almost 70% from the field.

Given how valuable blocks can be, I’m surprised he’s not being talked about more as a pickup. Wendell Carter Jr is banged up again, but even after he returned recently, he seemed to not be prioritized in Jamahl Mosley’s big man rotation. It’s usually impossible to find this kind of consistent blocks production on the wire in 12 teamers, so I’m saying he’s a definite grab in 12 and deeper as long as he continues to start.

In regards to his dynasty value, if he continues to play this way, he may find himself getting a nice payday this coming offseason. He’s a pickup and/or a buy if you can get him cheap from whoever owns him.

Relevancy: Borderline must own in 12+, elite streamer in 10

Buy #2: Tre Jones

Season stats:

GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	3PM	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
31	24.2	.480	.860	0.5	8.6	2.9	4.9	0.8	0.1	1.5

This is simple. If Pop does the right thing and continue to start him, he needs to be owned in most leagues. The Point Sochan experiment has been dead for a couple weeks now. He won’t pass to Wemby. Tre Jones WILL pass to Wemby. That alone should be enough to convince Pop. Here’s how his two starts this season have looked:

Notably his minutes are way up from the low 20s in addition to his production. Don’t overthink this one. I’d grab him before somebody else does.

Relevancy: Pickup in 10+

Buy #3: RJ Barrett

Season stats:

GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	3PM	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
30	29.7	.436	.826	1.8	18.6	4.6	2.5	0.5	0.3	1.8

RJ Barrett?! Yeah, I think this trade is gonna be help his fantasy value. I don’t think his counting stats increase significantly or anything, but the problem with him has always been just how negative his negatives are. TOs, FT, and bad FG% on super high volume.

Barrett is actually shooting 82% from the line this year, and that’s something he’s fixed about his game the last couple seasons. If he takes less shots on nights where it isn’t falling (he’s averaging 14.9 FGA this season) I think he can actually turn into a net positive for your fantasy team on this Raps squad. Hopefully him handling the ball less should allow for less turnovers per game as Toronto seems to want to give massive usage to Quickley, in addition to Scottie. And Siakam is also soaking up a ton of usage (for now).

His effiency, albeit on a short sample size is way up, shooting over 50% from the field and 50% from 3 in his first 4 games as a Raptor. Hopefully he doesn’t feel the need to create his own shot as much next to his new teammates.

Not a ton of stats to back up this take, but just more of a hunch for now.

Relevancy: Not a drop/net negative(?) Could be a decent trade candidate if somebody in your league has the negative connotation still associated with him.

Sell #1: Cam Thomas

Season Stats:

GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	3PM	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
28	28.4	.431	.812	1.9	20.3	2.5	2.1	0.6	0.3	1.6

Making his 2nd appearance on this list this season, the sell high window may be officially closed here. Dennis Smith Jr seems to have overtaken him in the rotation for now and our thought that he’s a net zero when his shot isn’t falling seems to be proving true. He’s probably a drop in a lot of redrafts right now, but I’d definitely hold in dynasty. I would wait for a nice stretch of games like we know he’s capable of and then sell him to an owner who drinks the Kool-Aid again. Until he’s able to show he can do anything besides score, I’m not going to be in on him as a fantasy asset. He’s Bojan but smaller and less consistent.