Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
A trade.
That’s all it’s going to take for fantasy basketball owners to attack their league’s waiver wire, trying to land the winners of the deal. Rudy Gay has been dealt to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for four players, and fantasy circles are buzzing. So, as Week 7 kicks off this evening, which guys should you be targeting on the free agency list?
Oh yeah. It’s almost Christmas, which means people are crazy to get what they want. Don’t be afraid to throw some virtual elbows.
Note: Ownership percentages are based off ESPN leagues
Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors (0.2%): Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the Rudy trade, Ross will likely slide into the small forward position in his absence. Only logging 18.4 minutes per game prior to the trade, Ross will see a massive uptick in minutes the rest of the way. The Raptors did acquire small forward John Salmons in this deal, but Ross is starting to put it together during his sophomore year and offers far more upside than the 33-year old Salmons. In two starts during his rookie year, Ross averaged a respectable 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, three triples. Not too shabby. It’s not set in stone that he’ll emerge as the new starting power forward, but if he can develop a two-man game with Toronto’s skilled big men, he could post some strong fantasy numbers. Needless to say, he obviously needs to be owned in far more leagues, and that will change.
Tony Wroten, Philadelphia 76ers (21%): I’m a big fan of Wroten’s game, and wrote about him in detail yesterday. So it makes sense for me to include him here. Considering that Michael Carter-Williams seems to always have something bothering him, Wroten definitely holds rest of season value, and needs to be owned in more than 21 percent of leagues. He’s proven to be a must-start guy when starting for the 76ers. In fact, in six starts this season, Wroten is averaging an impressive 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 18.6 shot attempts per game. That’s awesome. He is taking efficient shots, driving to the basket about seven times per game, refusing to settle for tough shots. The Sixers sport the highest pace (102.1) in all of basketball, so Wroten will have plenty of scoring opportunity when on the court.
Robert Sacre, Los Angeles Lakers (0.1%): He certainly isn’t the most appealing name in fantasy land, but it appears Sacre has taken over the Lakers’ starting center position, and according to head coach Mike D’Antoni, he may just hang onto it. Considering he stated that former starter Jordan Hill looks “more comfortable” off the bench, Sacre could keep this starting job. He’s only averaged 20 minutes over his last two contests, but he’s been effective, posting 11.5 points, six boards. 2.5 assists and 2.5 blocks. He’s certainly worth a look, especially with Kobe Bryant back in action.
Taj Gibson, Chicago Bulls (53.9%): Stop what you are doing, scroll over to your league page and grab Gibson if he’s available. Like, 10 minutes ago. Gibson has truly benefited from the banged up Bulls roster, and got the start in place of the injured Luol Deng at small forward on Saturday night. He is quietly one of the hottest players in the league right now, currently on the best stretch of his career. Over his last five games, Gibson is going off, averaging 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and a whopping .608 percent from the field. This is all while coming off the bench at times, and with the Bulls struggling, they are going to have to find ways to keep him on the court. He is an absolute must-add player right now.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
