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Week 13 (1/12 - 1/18)

• 5 min read • Week 13

Tools We Use To Win Our Leagues

Court Consensus
Court Consensus is a dynasty tool for managers, featuring a trade calculator and community-driven rankings. The site includes future draft picks, allowing managers to evaluate trades involving draft capital. Rankings are continuously updated based on input from the community.

SportsWZRD  SportsWZRD makes fantasy basketball decisions easier for players like you. Use “Me vs League” to compare: you’re up 5-4 now, but ahead 6-3 or behind against others. Projections point out which categories you will win and lose for smart waiver picks. Auto-Add does the work for you, snagging players at midnight hassle-free. Play smarter, not harder.

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Around The League

The Western Conference standings remain stable at the top, but several teams are gaining momentum in the middle of the pack. The Warriors, Suns, and Trail Blazers have each found their rhythm lately, with all three teams winning at least seven of their last ten games. In the East, the Pistons continue to hold the number one seed, while the Celtics have moved into a tie with the Knicks for second place. The most significant news of the week comes from a major roster shake-up, as the Atlanta Hawks traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. The move ends Young’s nearly eight-season tenure in Atlanta. Now, let's dive into this week's data-driven insights to give you the edge you need to dominate your matchup.

This Week's Highlights

  • Schedule Advantage (4 Games no B2B): LAL (exception - 5 games), BKN, SAC, TOR
  • Waiver-Wire Top Adds: Egor Demin, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Sam Merrill
  • Rotation Report:⬆️ P.J. Washington (once healthy) and Naji Marshall (Davis injury)⬇️ Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson (Hart return from injury)

The Weekly Slate

The majority of teams play 3 or 4 games this week, the Lakers being a rare exception with 5 games. Fantasy managers should prioritize players from the following 4-game teams who avoid a back-to-back set, minimizing the likelihood of a planned rest day.

  • Los Angeles Lakers (Exception - 5 games)
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Sacramento Kings
  • Toronto Raptors

Owning The Waiver Wire

Here are the top players to target this week based on recent trends and their upcoming schedule.

Our top pick for 10-team leagues 

Egor Demin (BKN - PG): (Rostered: 36% ESPN, 22% Yahoo) 

  • Weekly Schedule: @DAL, @NO, CHI, @CHI
  • Recent Trends: The 19-year-old Russian rookie has become a fan favorite in Brooklyn, showing Curry-esque bursts of three-point shooting. Over the last 15 days, he is averaging 13.9 points, 3.6 threes, and 1.1 steals. The Nets also have a favorable Schedule Advantage this week, so stream him if you need triples.

Our top pick for 12-team leagues

Ryan Kalkbrenner (CHA - C): (Rostered: 12% ESPN, 19% Yahoo) 

  • Weekly Schedule: @LAC, @LAL, @GS, @DEN
  • Recent Trends: Kalkbrenner has returned from a 10-game absence due to an elbow injury and should arguably be picked up across all formats. He is providing eighth-round value for the season, averaging a league-leading 78% from the field along with 1.8 blocks. Grab him if you need FG%, blocks, and rebounds.

Our top pick for 14-team leagues

Sam Merrill (CLE - SG): (Rostered: 9% ESPN, 16% Yahoo) 

  • Weekly Schedule: UTA, PHI, @PHI
  • Recent Trends: Merrill has been a flamethrower from beyond the arc over his last six games, averaging 4.3 threes and 16.2 points per contest. He was moved into the starting lineup in their previous game against Minnesota and looks poised to soak up more usage. Pick him up if you need triples and points.

Top Players For Each Category

Tier key:
10-team ≈ 30-40% rostered1
2-team ≈ 10-20% rostered
14-team ≈ 0-10% rostered

POINTS
• 10-team: Ayo Dosunmu (CHI), Cedric Coward (MEM)
• 12-team: Max Christie (DAL), Julian Champagnie (SAS)
• 14-team: Sam Merrill (CLE), Tre Johnson (WAS)

REBOUNDS
• 10-team: Daniel Gafford (DAL), Wendell Carter Jr. (ORL)
• 12-team: Moussa Diabate (CHA), Ryan Kalkbrenner (CHA)
• 14-team: Moussa Cisse (DAL), Mitchell Robinson (NYK)

ASSISTS
• 10-team: Ayo Dosunmu (CHI), Ajay Mitchell (OKC)
• 12-team: Cam Spencer (MEM), Tre Jones (CHI)
• 14-team: Daniss Jenkins (DET), Vince Williams Jr. (MEM)

STEALS
• 10-team: Quentin Grimes (PHI), Ajay Mitchell (OKC)
• 12-team: Jake LaRavia (LAL), Bilal Coulibaly (WAS)
• 14-team: Javonte Green (DET), Vit Krejci (ATL)

BLOCKS
• 10-team: Neemias Queta (BOS), Daniel Gafford (DAL)
• 12-team: Isaiah Stewart (DET), Ryan Kalkbrenner (CHA)
• 14-team: Moussa Cisse (DAL), Jalen Smith (CHI)

3-POINTERS
• 10-team: Egor Demin (BKN), Collin Gillespie (PHO)
• 12-team: Miles McBride (NYK), Max Christie (DAL)
• 14-team: Sam Merrill (CLE), Sam Hauser (BOS

FIELD GOAL %
• 10-team: Neemias Queta (BOS), Maxime Raynaud (SAC)
• 12-team: Ryan Kalkbrenner (CHA), Luke Kornet (SAS)
• 14-team: Luka Garza (BOS), Goga Bitadze (ORL)

The Trade Market

Take advantage of fluctuating player values by targeting players in slumps and selling those who are overperforming.

Buy Low

Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK - PF/C)

  • The Slump: Over the two weeks, KAT is averaging only 16.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.2 stocks on 40% shooting from floor, giving 12th-round value over this time.
  • StatCats Take: Towns has been in a big shooting slump over the past couple weeks and will bounce-back in no time like the all-star player he is. Fantasy basketball is relatively close to playoffs now, so look to take advantage of a disgruntled owner if possible and buy low on KAT.

Ivica Zubac (LAC - C)

  • The Slump: Zubac has provided 17th-round value over the past month, with averages of 10.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on 55% shooting. 
  • StatCats Take: Zubac recently returned from an ankle injury that kept him out for a five-game stretch and has been rusty. He’s still near a double-double per night and this should only go up in the coming weeks.

Sell High

Lauri Markannen (UTA - SF/PF)

  • The Surge: Over the past month, Markkanen has been on fire, averaging 28.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 threes, and 1.6 steals on 52% shooting, which ranks him 5th.
  • StatCats Take: Markkanen has been nothing short of phenomenal and is even ranked 8th for the whole season! The Jazz tanking is always worrisome because they could shut him down at any point and you don’t want to lose a top-10 player overnight. We recommend shopping around for him and seeing if you could get a top-15 player back.

John Collins (LAC - PF/C)

  • The Surge: Over the past month, Collins has averaged 15.9 points, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks on 66% shooting, ranking 14th over the same timeframe.
  • StatCats Take: Collins has stepped up after a disappointing start to the season, when he wasn’t getting enough minutes to be fantasy-relevant. Since then, he has been exceptional as a multi-category contributor. With Zubac back, Collins could lose value, so you should definitely try to sell high on him right now.

Injury & Rotation Report 

Recent Notable Injuries

  • Anthony Davis (DAL - C, PF): Out Indefinitely (Left Hand)
    • ⬆️ Increased Role: P.J. Washington (once healthy) and Naji Marshall will see a boost in minutes and Klay Thompson will have more usage 
  • Dennis Schröder (SAC - PG): Suspension (For Sunday, Monday & Wednesday) 
    • ⬆️ Increased Role: Keon Ellis, Nique Clifford and Malik Monk will take on more minutes in Schröder’s absence

Returning to Action

  • Josh Hart (NYK - SF, SG): Returned 1/11
    • ⬇️ Decreased Role: Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson will see less minutes when Hart returns
  • Alperen Sengun (HOU - C): Returned 1/11
    • ⬇️ Decreased Role: Steven Adams and Clint Capela should be most affected minutes-wise