As a basketball fan, you grimace at the words “out indefinitely with a torn elbow ligament.” As a fantasy day trader, you can’t help but light up a little bit as you hit the search bar in your fantasy league to find the previously no-name bench rider who has stumbled into a starting job. Plenty of injury-related buys this week in the Week 7 fantasy stock market:
Buy:
C.J. Miles (solid buy): With Dion Waiters out, Miles has stepped in big time. A seven-year veteran with only 400 games under his belt, it’s easy to write him off as a flash-in-the-pan replacement but it’s hard to dismiss the 28 points he put up in back-to-back games. Although it’s the first time he has been getting good fantasy minutes, he has put up double-digit points almost every time he’s been given the chance to play substantial minutes. He could still have value even when Waiters returns.
Ed Davis (strong buy): With Andrea Bargnani out with a torn ligament in his elbow, Ed Davis is suddenly getting a massive influx of minutes. He played 45 minutes in his first start Wednesday against Brooklyn and put up 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 steals. Even as a bench player he had been putting up very strong rebound games and will have plenty of scoring opportunities with Bargnani gone indefinitely. This one is a no-brainer.
Jordan Crawford (strong buy): John Wall and A.J. Price are out for a while so Crawford’s recent tear (19.5 PPG over his last eight games) should continue for some time. He has put up solid rebound and assist numbers as well so there is no reason he should still be available in 40% of Yahoo leagues.
Nikola Pekovic (strong buy): After dealing with some injuries and inconsistent shooting, Pekovic looked as strong as ever putting up 22 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks. If he stays healthy, he will be good for 15+ PPG and 8+ RPG.
Ersan Ilyasova (solid but cautious buy): I wrote him off even before he lost his starting job but he has come back pretty strong with a 21 point-12 rebound game against Charlotte and a 16 point-14 rebound game against the Kings. He is still wildly inconsistent but his first two double-doubles of the season have to make you optimistic.
Bismack Biyombo (strategic buy): If you want points, you will rarely find many here. Still, the 2011 lottery pick has cracked the Bobcats’ starting lineup and immediately responded with 20 rebounds over his first two contests. He also has nine blocks over his last four games so if you need some defensive stat help this is the guy to look to.
Sell:
Marcus Thornton: His scoring is down from 21 PPG in 2010 and 19 PPG in 2011 to a mere 13 PPG this season. Worse, he is owned in 91% of Yahoo leagues yet doesn’t start and is currently averaging under 20 minutes per game in most contests. Even worse, he has scored just 24 points over his last four games, shooting a mere 14% in two of those games and 22% in another. He’s only 25 but this just isn’t the same guy he used to be.
Kyle Singler: I was ready to jump on board when he cracked the starting lineup but with 2-9 points per game over his last five (and no other stats to speak of) there is really no reason to keep him right now, 30 minutes per game or not.
Kevin Seraphin: He has played under 18 minutes in his last two games, has shot horribly from the floor, and managed just 12 points over those two contests. Time to cut him loose unless he works his way back in the lineup.
Antawn Jamison: He lost his starting gig as quickly as he won it and while he will still get solid minutes his 21 points over his last three games (on sub-35% shooting) can’t make you too optimistic about his future prospects.
