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In fantasy basketball, there are nine common categories that managers try to create the most value out of. Three of these categories are very important because of their more limited value, and, thus, their higher potential to swing victories. These categories are three pointers made, steals, and blocks. For our analysis today, we will collectively call these three categories, stocks.
The players that average at least one of each of the stocks belongs in a rare group called the Triple One Club, and players that fit this description have incredible value because they could potentially swing an extra three category win against a manager’s opponent.
In today’s analysis, we will be looking at the current members of 2017-2018 NBA season’s Triple One Club to see if their stocks value will withstand the second half of the seasons. There are many unique generational talents that belong in this group. You will see many players who are strong at skills not expected at their position such as guards that block shots, or big men that shoot well and get a high number of steals. Let’s check the stocks market.
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2nd Half Stocks for Fantasy Basketball
In order to evaluate players that belong in this study, I found players that average at least one of each of the stocks (or if they were really close and showed potential to reach that average). To further evaluate these players, I looked at Steal Percentage [Steal%] or percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal when said player is on the floor, Block Percentage [Block%], shooting percentage from three [3FG%], and what percent of their shots taken were from three [3FGrate]. After these were compiled, I color coded the three highest values in a certain category green while I color coded the categories that didn’t quite make a 1.0 average orange.
Check out the results below.
Let’s go into detail about some of these players. I’ll break them down by big name players first, and then move into more fringe stocks leaders.
Demarcus Cousins was having an amazing season; his stocks last year were 1.8/1.4/1.3. Everything increased for him this year, and he had sky high value. The heart wrenching Achilles injury is really an awful thing to have happened and we all wish the best for Boogie and his recovery.
Draymond Green has seen a big dip in steals from last year when he averaged 2 steals per game, and he’s also shooting worse from three-point land. The dip in production encourages dangling Draymond as a potential trade piece for aggressive fantasy managers who might be able to snag a first round talent in exchange.
Kevin Durant belongs in the triple one club, and he averaged 1.1 steals per game during his first season as a Warrior, and he’s working to disprove the myth that joining up with a good team can deflate one’s fantasy value.
Lebron James, an athletic masterpiece, has shown career-high improvement, and made a huge jump in steals and blocks. The Cavaliers have a lot of issues to fix defensively, and with how the roster should be set up. But Lebron should not see his stats impacted.
Kristaps Porzingis is a player sitting outside the triple one club due to his steals, but, over the past month, he’s averaged 1.1 steals per game. His value is so high in 3’s and blocks (6.3 block %) that he cements himself in this group.
Lastly, for our big names, Karl-Anthony Towns also sits on the outside of the stocks leaders but he’s in a similar situation as Porzingis. He doesn’t have a high steal % because of guards like Jimmy Butler and Tyus Jones (2.8% and 3.3% respectively), but his ability to block shots and outside shooting accuracy is quite stunning.
Moving onto some possibly less familiar names, we will start with Victor Oladipo. He’s this year’s Most Improved front runner, and he, along with John Wall and Danny Green, have incredible value as a rare blocking guard. One aspect of Oladipo that isn’t surprising is his steals; he’s averaged way more than a steal per game for all four seasons prior to this season.
Josh Richardson has been a revelation for a ragtag Miami squad this season and it’s his defensive improvements that have truly shined and allowed him to reach the outside of the triple one club.
Robert Covington, a product of the Process and crowd favorite over at /r/fantasybball, is basically built to rule the stocks market with his 3&D role. Even in his shooting slump over this past month, and his averages should only increase. One thing to watch out for is that with Joel Embiid holding a consistent role now that he’s injury-free, there is a chance that Covington’s block averages may decline.
Kent Bazemore is surely undervalued as a 3&D player and he tops this group in steal %. Don’t expect the blocks to come from Bazemore, but he can be a sneaky long-term hold for fantasy managers.
Rounding out this group is Wesley Johnson, who squeezes in just barely. Last year, he averaged 0.4/0.4/0.5 in stocks, but he did only average 11.9 minutes per game. It’s hard to fully believe in Johnson, and I can only see him holding his three-point production, but even this should decline as Danilo Gallinari is making his reappearance in the coming week.
To round out our discussion, there are two injured players worth taking a long look at if they have somehow slipped down to the waiver wire from impatient managers. Paul Millsap and Nikola Vucevic are both big men that similar stocks production value now. Millsap is a better prospect with his consistency over his career and his high steal production for big man, and Vucevic should be able to stick to the bottom of the triple one club if he continues to shoot from three at a good clip.
Make sure that if any of these players are available that you try and make moves for these fantasy basketball gold mines.
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