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NBA Stock Watch: Zach LaVine rising, Nikolas Mirotic falling

Zach LaVine highlights this week's look at recent risers and fallers in fantasy hoops (Getty Images)
Zach LaVine highlights this week’s look at recent risers and fallers in fantasy hoops (Getty Images)

STOCK UP

Zach LaVine: Many expected a breakout, and LaVine has lived up to the hype as a top-50 player so far. Not only is he making highlight reel plays, but he also continues to improve as a shooter (he’s raised his True Shooting Percentage every year in the league). Minnesota has fallen off its early season pace as one of the league’s top Offensive Efficiencies in the NBA, but it’s still nearly top-10, and LaVine just continues to get better. It’s crazy (and more than a bit surprising) just how much more fantasy value he has than teammate Andrew Wiggins.

Al Horford: He’s been terrific since returning from injury, averaging 16.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 2.8 blocks and 1.8 3pt, a span in which he’s been a top-five fantasy option. Horford will be back soon from paternity leave (he had the audacity to miss one game for it), and he sure looks like a first round value moving forward.

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Andrew Harrison: With Mike Conley out for the next 6-8 weeks, Harrison appears to be the new starting point guard in Memphis. Obviously, the biggest news here is the loss for Conley owners, as he was a top-25 fantasy player this year. Harrison is shooting an ugly 27.1 percent from the floor this season, but he should be looking at plenty of run now, so he’s an option in deeper leagues (and a possible cheap one in DFS).

Danny Green: He’s always been streaky, not just game-to-game but season-to-season, as he went from ranking No. 23 in 2014/15 to No. 140 last year, but he’s over his early season injury concerns and has quietly been a top-50 player over the last two weeks. Green is currently available in nearly 30 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Wilson Chandler: He’s been on fire of late, averaging 22.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.6 apg and 2.0 3pt over the past two weeks, a stretch in which he’s been a top-25 player while also shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 88.0 percent from the line. Chandler’s Usage Rate will drop once Danilo Gallinari returns, but the Nuggets have a top-five Pace in the NBA this season. Chandler is still somehow available in 25 percent of Yahoo leagues right now.

STOCK DOWN

Nikola Mirotic: He failed to live up to expectations last season and has been an even bigger disappointment so far in 2016/17. Always a streaky player, Mirotic has shot 37.8 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from the line over the last two weeks, and he’s not even a top-150 player this year despite a bigger opportunity with Pau Gasol out of Chicago.

[Week 13 rankings: Overall | FLEX | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K]

Marcus Smart: I liked Smart as a breakout candidate this season, and he remains a strong defender, but the hope of improved outside shooting simply hasn’t come to fruition. It’s his third year in the league, and he’s hitting just 29.4 percent from downtown (while shooting more threes than ever at 4.9 per game) and an ugly 55.2 percent clip from the charity stripe (albeit on few attempts). Smart hasn’t been a top-170 player, as others like Gerald Henderson, Spencer Hawes, Ty Lawson and Tony Allen all have held more value with far lower ADPs.

Elfrid Payton: There remains appeal in points leagues, and there’s a chance Payton improves his shooting as someone still just 22 years old, but he’s barely been a top-150 player in standard leagues so far and has recently lost his starting role to D.J. Augustin. Orlando currently sports the league’s worst Offensive Efficiency, and the hope of no Victor Oladipo increasing Payton’s fantasy value simply hasn’t happened.

Ricky Rubio: He’s averaged 5.9 ppg on 32.4 percent shooting from the floor over the past two weeks, when he’s been the No. 157 fantasy player in 9-cat leagues. Rubio is better than this, but it’s highly discouraging his jumper has shown no signs of improving. He’s actually been benched during the entire fourth quarter of Minnesota’s last three games.

Bismack Biyombo: Coming off some massive rebounding lines in the playoffs, Orlando gave Biyombo a big contract, but the 24-year-old hasn’t even been a top-225 player so far. His Rebound Rate (17.5) is his worst since his second year in the league in 2012/13 (as is his PER), so he’s done anything but take advantage of his career-high Usage Rate. He’s recently been inserted into the starting lineup in place of Nikola Vucevic, but it’s going to take much improved play from the big man for that to matter.

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