As we approach the All Star Break it's time to think of the second half of the season and which players might be worth selling high on and which players might be worth gambling on for a second half bounce back. Making the right deal now could be the difference between a dominant second half team or a roster that fails to peak at the right time. For trade advice e-mail me at maxmillien.fantasysports@gmail.com or check Twitter @maxmillien.
Sell High:
My number one sell high right now has to be Jeremy Lin. The hype surrounding this guy is off the charts and every league will have one owner that is begging to be ripped off for Lin. People just want to be part of the ride and if you were the savy owner that scooped up Lin I think the right move it to move him for an inflated cost. If I can get a top 20 player in return with a solid track record I am making that deal as the return of Melo is concerning for Lin's numbers. Point guards I would rather have than Lin include (in no order): Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Deron Williams, Kyle Lowry, Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash, Steph Curry and Ricky Rubio.
Ersan Ilyasova is another hot as fire player that is worth dealing if you can get something with a track record in return. I've scooped Ilyasova in a league and his rebounding numbers (25 last game!) have been off the charts. If there is a desperate owner looking for a big man, I'd move the streaky Ilyasova as the turkish roller-coaster is bound to get hurt or be stripped of his starting gig before the season ends.
Another point guard worth looking to move is Raptors point guard Jose Calderon. With a long history of injury, Calderon is a perfect candidate to sell high on. I'd look to package Jose with another asset in a 2 for 1 that could benefit you tremendously when Calderon finally goes down with an injury.
My final sell high is going to be Lakers center Andrew Bynum as previous history has shown that he WILL get hurt at some point this season. He is producing HUGE for people that took the risk and drafted him but if I could move him for a player without the spotty injury history I would do it in a heart beat. You don't want to be the owner who watches in horror as Bynum lays on the court clutching his knee for the 100th time in his career.
Buy Low.
First, let me cover all the injured players I would buy low on for All-Star break returns. It is worth making offers for Anderson Varajeo, Andrea Bargnani, Brook Lopez, Carmelo Anthony, Danillo Gallinari and Derrick Rose. While for a lower risk price I would take a gamble on Zach Randolph or Andray Blatche.
Now that is out of the way, this first buy low candidate has to be Raymond Felton. This is a SUPER upside risk and I would only take the gamble if I could get him on the cheap cheap cheap (like a guy I just picked up value) but the reward could be worth it. When healthy, Felton averages in the close to 7 assists range and offers alot of steals. If you believe he finds his confidence, make a low ball offer and see what you can get.
Brandon Jennings is slumping again and this shooting % is starting to fall to his career averages. I think he gets hot again with Bogut out for some time and think he is worth trading for. See if an owner is getting frustrated that he is killing their field goal percentage and see what you can get for him. Just beware that his % can hurt so make sure your team can carry that burden.
Finally, I'd look to deal for Raptors shooing guard DeMar DeRozan. Though he offers very little beyond points, he has started to play much better in recent games, going for 20+ points in the last two contests. With Bargnani out through the All Star break DeRozan has the opportunity to start putting up big stat lines. However, the real boost will come when Bargnani returns as DeRozan plays just as well if not better with the defense focusing on Bargs. DeRozan can probably be had on the cheap (due to his limited fantasy game) but I like him for a shooting guard needy team.