Fantasy basketball: What to do with Paul George, Lauri Markkanen and six other trending players

Knowing which players are moving up each week, or going in the opposite direction, is an important step in ensuring you field the best lineups every day. Every Friday, we’ll take stock of the league to find players to keep, remove or add.

We look for value in every way possible, whether it’s a points-based or category-based league.

Naji Marshall and Brandin Podziemski are warming up in fantasy as we enter the final week of January, while Paul George and Draymond Green are heading in the wrong direction. Meanwhile, Kel’el Ware has hit rock bottom and is impossible to figure out in the future, but has an incredible skill set. So what should we make of all this?

Here’s what you should do with each of these players, as well as other players moving up and down.

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Risers

Naji Marshall, SF/PF, Dallas Mavericks (39.1% registered in ESPN leagues)

The Dallas Mavericks are a bit of a mess and need an offensive savior not named Cooper Flagg, and Marshall has taken a big step forward recently. Marshall had already lined up for this column before he exploded to tie his season high with 30 points on 10-of-12 shooting Thursday night, adding seven rebounds, nine assists and two 3-pointers in a win over Golden State.

Before Thursday’s game, Marshall was averaging 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 3-pointers while shooting 55 percent from the field. Most of those numbers increased with Thursday’s performance, even though he didn’t get a steal or block. He made 12 of 12 free throws in his last two games and helped the surging Mavericks win five of their last six games.

Anthony Davis likely won’t play another game in Dallas before the trade deadline, Daniel Gafford is out with ankle injuries and Marshall appears to be locked and loaded into 31 minutes a night for the foreseeable future. A Davis trade could put a damper on those plans if the Mavericks bring back a similar player, but my guess is that Marshall keeps rolling through the end of the season as they push for a playoff spot. Right now, they are less than a game away from the Memphis Grizzlies and LA Clippers for a chance to play.

He is a must-play player at this stage.

Brandin Podziemski, PG/SG, Golden State Warriors (35.4%)

Jimmy Butler III’s season is over after he tore his ACL earlier this week and several prospects could benefit from his loss, including Podziemski, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton. Hield and Moody were a little quiet on Thursday, while Podziemski and Melton both played well. Regardless of Thursday’s stats, Podziemski and Melton are the two players I like in Butler’s absence.

Podziemski played well and had nine points, four rebounds, 10 assists and two steals on Thursday, but didn’t make a 3-pointer and made just 4 of 13 shots. Before this game, he had scored in double figures in five straight games, made 3-pointers in six straight games and has now recorded at least one steal in 10 straight games.

Podziemski’s minutes have increased over his last five games and he has played at least 30 minutes in three of his last four games. His shot comes and goes like the wind, but he should be ready to score, rebound, assist, steal and hit 3s for the Warriors the rest of the season. It was frustrating to be on the roster when Butler was healthy, but now that Butler is out, the Warriors simply need Podziemski to play big minutes and produce.

Pick it up.

Kelly Oubre Jr., SG/SF, Philadelphia 76ers (42.4%)

Oubre returned from a knee injury on January 7 and struggled in his first four games after not playing since mid-November. However, he has heated up in his last three games and peaked Thursday when he made 10 of 14 shots (including four 3-pointers) for 26 points, four rebounds, three assists and one block in 41 minutes in an overtime win over Houston.

Oubre averaged 21.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.7 blocks and 3.7 3-pointers over his last three games and played 37 minutes per game there. Paul George has been in and out of the lineup all season and Oubre has a skill set tailor-made for fantasy, as he can do a little bit of everything. He’s feeling it right now and is back in shape and plans to play a big role down the stretch for the Sixers, who are currently the No. 5 seed in the East.

Oubre should be written everywhere.

Jusuf Nurkic, C, Utah Jazz (46.7% registered)

Nurkic had another triple-double on Thursday, his second in a row, and he became the first Jazz player to have a triple-double in two consecutive games since “Pistol” Pete Maravich did it in 1975. Nurkic had 17 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 14 assists, with a steal, a block and a 3-point basket on Thursday, and had a season-high 16 points. 18 rebounds, 10 assists. a steal and a block in Tuesday’s win over Minnesota.

Many of us were hoping that Kyle Filipowski would take over and assume the center duties in Utah this season, but Nurkic had other ideas. After Thursday’s triple-double, Nurkic is averaging 16.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 6.8 dimes, 1.7 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.0 3-pointers in January.

The February 5 trade deadline is approaching, so it’s possible Nurkic could be moved in a deal, which would likely stifle his fantasy value. But if he stays in Utah, it appears he’ll have a stranglehold on the starting center position for the rest of time, although it’s important to note that the Jazz are five games back for a potential playoff spot. I don’t know if Nurkic will do this after the trade deadline or the All-Star break, but for now, he’s one of the hottest centers in Fantasy.

Make sure it’s not available on your waiver wire.

Fallers

Kel’el Ware, C, Miami Heat (60.1% registered)

Ware is very talented and I have no doubt he will be a fantasy darling one day. But this is a very tough fantasy run right now, considering his low minutes, non-existent role, and new injury. He was fine early in the season when he shared the court with Bam Adebayo and posted solid fantasy lines most nights, but the minutes have dried up and he’s starting to show up on waiver wires in some leagues. That’s especially the case after missing Thursday night with a hamstring injury and being back in Miami, making him questionable for Saturday at Utah and Sunday at Phoenix, adding insult to injury.

Before the hamstring issue, Ware hadn’t played more than 18 minutes in six straight games, killing his production and fantasy value. I told managers to be patient and wait until the February 5 trade deadline, but the hamstring injury made that proposition even more difficult than it already was.

At this point, if you have to make a move to save your season, I’m OK with waiving Ware, but I’d much rather put him on injured reserve and wait to see what happens. That said, if the Heat don’t make a move before the deadline, this could simply be a lost season for Ware. He has incredible fantasy talent with his ability to score, rebound, assist, steal, block and hit 3-pointers, but he just doesn’t seem to fit in Miami.

He has the potential to become a fantasy force, but it doesn’t seem like this is the season where that will happen. Let go of him if you have to, but hang on to him if you can, at least until the All-Star break.

Lauri Markkanen, SF/PF, Utah Jazz (96.1%)

Markkanen has been a top-10 player this season and has dominated the lowly Jazz, averaging 27.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.9 3-pointers on average, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 88 percent from the line.

However, he did not play in the last six games due to illness and failed to play more than 55 games in five of his eight seasons. Historically, he also doesn’t finish seasons, often being shut down during the All-Star break.

Many fantasy managers (myself included) don’t mess with Markkanen due to his inability to finish seasons and this one feels like he’s headed in the same direction. Especially since the 15-30 Jazz are currently five full games without a playoff spot in the West.

I would recommend trading Markkanen at this point. If he stays in Utah, he won’t have much incentive to play in the fantasy playoffs, and if he’s moved, his role certainly won’t be that of the Jazz. Buzzkill.

Paul George, SF/PF, Philadelphia 76ers (75.1%)

Fantasy managers can’t count on George to suit up every night, and even when he has been in the Sixers’ lineup on a given night, the numbers haven’t been great.

George has scored at least 20 points just once in his last 14 games. Read it again if you want, but after scoring 35 points against the Hawks on December 14th, he had a 23-point game on January 7th. Every other game has been 19 points or less, which is mind-blowing for a player of George’s caliber. Then again, he’s 35 years old and it looks like the end of his career might be near.

Add in the fact that Oubre is back from his knee injury and playing very well, and things just aren’t looking good for George. If the Sixers weren’t engaged in a playoff battle, there would be almost no hope for George. But even if they have a solid season, he still seems like the odd man out on a team that features Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe and Oubre.

Trade George based on his big name, get what you can and move on. His next missed match is probably fast approaching.

Draymond Green, PF/C, Golden State Warriors (57.5%)

Green’s fantasy outlook should increase due to Butler’s injury, but I’m just not feeling it. He had just four points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block on 1 of 5 shots Thursday night and his January averages aren’t impressive: 9.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks and 1.4 3-pointers.

I have a hard time rolling with guys who can’t score and if Green isn’t stealing and blocking the ball, his fantasy value is seriously compromised. There’s a very good chance there are better players than Green on your waiver wire. Even without Butler available for the Warriors, it may be time to move on from Green.

Go through your league’s waiver wire and find a more productive player. Some players I prefer to list Green include Marshall, Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Jay Huff, Moussa Cisse, Ausar Thompson, Grayson Allen, Max Christie, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Jaylon Tyson.