Rookies are inherently dangerous in fantasy sports, but this has been a surprisingly strong and fun season for first-year players. Everyone loves Cleveland Cavaliers PF/C Evan Mobley, and for good reason, while Orlando Magic SF/PF Franz Wagner and Toronto Raptors SF/PF Scottie Barnes continue to shine. Top overall pick PG/SG Cade Cunningham and Aussie PG Josh Giddey look like future stars and even some undrafted options like Miami Heat C Omer Yurtseven keep aiding fantasy rosters.
One of the most impressive, if not unheralded rookies over the past few weeks has been Golden State Warriors SF/PF Jonathan Kuminga, a relative late bloomer who only started to get consistent minutes recently. Not only has Warriors coach Steve Kerr entrusted the mature Kuminga, only 19 and the No. 7 pick in the 2021 draft, to guard top scorers on opposing teams lately, he recently compared him to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Well, that should earn our attention!
Kuminga scored 19 points in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, grabbing seven rebounds and getting to the free throw line 10 times (making six). The aggressiveness is impressive. This followed up a 25-point effort in a blowout win over the Chicago Bulls, and the good times should continue with starting PF Draymond Green out for at least a few weeks with a calf injury. Kuminga earned his minutes.
Should fantasy managers in standard leagues (10 teams) add Kuminga right now? Probably not, but we know many of you participate in deeper formats. In keeper/dynasty formats, we know contenders are looking to fortify their rosters, and someone like Kuminga, who is appealing but hardly a statistical star at this point, may be available in trade. Kerr is a smart man. If he intends to play Kuminga big minutes, some big numbers will likely follow. See if those numbers can help your team.
As for other Warriors talk, I generally ignore Green in roto leagues because he simply does not score enough points. I participate in a league with the category "points per minute" and Green, averaging fewer than 8 PPG, is a problem there. In a standard points league, Green is far more valuable, supplying noteworthy rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Anyway, now is the time to move Green in all formats. Perhaps he returns to full health by the start of February, but any lower back issues are problematic. Do not assume anything.
The awesome Stephen Curry leads the ESPN Player Rater by quite a bit over No. 2 Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, and since Curry's numbers are down quite a bit from last season, it is a testament to how awesome Curry was. He still is. Expect his disappointing 42% field goal shooting to rise soon. He is at 35% in January. It will not continue. Go get him. Meanwhile, SG/SF Andrew Wiggins scores but offers little else, PG/SG Jordan Poole had his run but with SG Klay Thompson back, it is likely over. Thompson is a great story, but a very overrated fantasy option, too. See what his great name could fetch in your league.
Moving on from the Warriors, here is the latest edition of the Trade Index. The season is roughly halfway complete, but do not wait too long to make trades in your leagues!
Trade for
Anfernee Simons, PG/SG, Portland Trail Blazers: Well, as a Damian Lillard investor in a deep, important league in which his statistical skill set is impossibly tough to replace, it would have been nice if I had added Simons. I did not. Silly me, I thought Lillard, one of the more durable players in the sport, would quickly return to health and big stats. Now I hope he returns in March, but who knows. Simons is producing Lillard numbers in January with the points, assists, 3-pointers, all of it. There may be no end in sight.
Buddy Hield, SG, Sacramento Kings: We know what Hield is and what he is not, but his production has notably increased in January, not only in scoring, rebounding and field goal shooting, but in steals. Hield had four of them on Sunday and has two or more steals in four of six games, which is odd because nobody ever called him a strong defensive player. Perhaps there is hope for this Kings team after all.
Trade away
Jarred Vanderbilt, PF, Minnesota Timberwolves: Simons is the most added option in ESPN leagues and Vanderbilt, finally emerging in his fourth NBA season, is second. Give Vanderbilt credit and we certainly love the hustle and rebounding, but as with Green, the lack of scoring for roto formats is a liability. Vanderbilt has been scoring more in January, averaging 9.3 PPG, but it is a tad misleading, since he topped 11 points in only one of those eight contests. He is also hitting barely 40% of his free throws since the start of December. I would try to trade Vanderbilt for a more balanced fantasy option.
Jerami Grant, SF/PF, Detroit Pistons: Yes, his long-awaited return from a thumb injury approaches, but what do fantasy managers think Grant really does for them? He scores points but cares little for rebounding and passing, and it sure seems like the Pistons would love to move him to another team so they can see if SG Hamidou Diallo is a key part of the future. Grant, who could end up a sixth man on a contender, is a bit overrated. When he returns and sees his typical usage down some, it may be too late to get what you desire in trade.
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Amir Coffey, SG, Los Angeles Clippers: A far more unheralded fill-in, this time for Paul George, Coffey entered Monday averaging 11.7 PPG and 4.9 RPG on 51% shooting from the field, and 80% from the line, in nine starts. Nothing awesome there, but he had scored 18 or more points in three of four games. There may be something here and George may be out longer than Lillard.