Nobody is happy about New Orleans Pelicans PF Zion Williamson potentially missing the entire 2021-22 season with his foot injury, though we really should not be so surprised, either. You knew there was incredible risk here, especially with a ridiculous third-round ADP. We advocated in this space trading Williamson in redraft formats all season, and now, well, sorry to say it may be too late.
As for other Pelicans, however, there always was and continues to be value here. You know about C Jonas Valanciunas and SF/PF Brandon Ingram, universally rostered and eminently productive.
Then there is SG/SF Josh Hart, the Villanova product who tends to fall under the radar. He is averaging more than 30 MPG and doing something nice with them, with a pair of double-doubles over the weekend, a surprising bounty of assists and excellent shooting percentages. Hart is a well-rounded player in fantasy, not a scoring star or 3-point specialist, but reliable. Hart caught my eye in preseason drafts when I continually needed a small forward -- not exactly a deep position -- that could rebound. At 6-foot-5, he uniquely crashes the boards.
However, the increase in minutes and opportunity has aided him in other ways, and not just scoring. Only 53 qualified players average more than his 4.1 APG, and of that crew, a mere four of them average more than his 6.8 RPG, 11.3 PPG and shoot better than 51% from the field (Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, Domantas Sabonis, Giannis Antetokounmpo). Nice crowd, eh! Hart is the one available in more than 75% of ESPN standard leagues, and in three December games, he has put up 13 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 5.7 APG and 16-of-24 on field goals (66%). That certainly works!
Look, you know that Williamson was always a risk not just for his health, but I think statistically as well. Oh, he can bully his way into scoring at will and there was a path to him averaging double-digit rebounds (easily) with assists as well, but he also has no outside range and is a drag from the free throw line. I thought fantasy managers overrated him in drafts, for now and later (dynasty), even if he returned to the court around Thanksgiving. He did not. The Pelicans are terrible, guards Devonte' Graham and Nickeil Alexander-Walker cannot shoot (36% each) and someone else has to aid fantasy managers. Valanciunas and Ingram have help. They have Hart.
OK, here is the latest edition of the Trade Index, a mid-December version! Trade talk in real life runs rampant, but the wise fantasy manager knows they should be making moves well before the trade deadline. Make those deals now! We hope we can help.
Trade for
Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers: He's back! Lillard returned to the court Sunday night and while it was hardly a vintage Lillard performance, with the missed shots and the turnovers, at least he appeared healthy. Things should only get better statistically with CJ McCollum out long-term. In fact, Lillard may start averaging 30 PPG soon. Look at his team and ask yourself, who can help? I thought C Jusuf Nurkic could score more, but he seems disinterested. We see SG/SF Norman Powell scoring, but doing nothing else. Lillard is ready to go off.
Cade Cunningham, PG/SG, Detroit Pistons: A repeat entrant in this space for sure, but with SF/PF Jerami Grant out a few months (or more) with a thumb injury, someone has to score. It is like Portland. Who will step up? Could be SF Saddiq Bey, another Villanova product, but his shooting has been terrible and PF/C Isaiah Stewart is clearly limited offensively, not capable at this point of averaging 15 PPG. In fact, Stewart, still only 20 years old, has eclipsed 15 points in one of 24 games. Cunningham is going to start averaging 22 PPG like right now.
Trade away
Keldon Johnson, SF/PF, San Antonio Spurs: He rose precipitously in drafts basically on the lure of far greater usage, due to the defection of solid SG DeMar DeRozan to the Chicago Bulls. Instead, Johnson looks like borderline waiver wire fodder in shallow fantasy leagues, with his 14.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG and, well, nothing else. Hart is clearly more valuable. Johnson is shooting more but shooting worse, especially from the free throw line. The Spurs have excellent guards and boast a solid center hitting 62% of field goals and adding rebounds and blocks. Johnson went top-100 in preseason drafts, but he is a disappointment.
Kelly Oubre Jr., SF/PF, Charlotte Hornets: The most added player in ESPN standard leagues over the past week is on a nice stretch of hitting 3-pointers and scoring, and adding steals. However, his usage is going to abruptly head back to normal and unexciting levels when guards LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier return to active duty from the COVID-19 reserve list. Oubre is a 3-point option on a nice roll and there is a value in enjoying the short-term fruits of this, but he does not help anyone in shooting and the minutes will soon drop. Act quickly.
More information needed
Hassan Whiteside, C, Utah Jazz: It has to be a deep league, but the Rudy Gobert backup (and he is durable) is so efficient in limited minutes. He registered double-doubles in his past two games but focus on the 61% field goal shooting, the chance for 8 RPG and the pertinent fact only 14 players have more blocked shots. In roto leagues, where most teams lack a legit shot blocker because there are so few of them, someone like Whiteside really helps. I would not trade much for him, but if he can be consistent at this level, he matters.