Precious Achiuwa is rolling, Reed Sheppard is turning it on and Jonathan Kuminga has found new life in Atlanta. Meanwhile, Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan and Miles Bridges are all struggling down the homestretch of the season.
Let’s break it down in the latest edition of Risers and Fallers.
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Risers
Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Sacramento Kings (30.0% rostered in ESPN leagues)
Achiuwa has been a flickering light of hope for the Kings, who have the worst record in the entire league. He’s been on fire over his last eight games, racking up a slew of points, rebounds, steals and blocks, while shooting a crisp 59% from the floor. He’s not a great free-throw shooter (69% over that stretch), but that’s the only hole in his game right now.
Achiuwa is scoring 17.5 points with 9.6 rebounds per game over the past three weeks and has basically been a first-round fantasy player since February. With Domantas Sabonis shut down for the season, Maxime Raynaud has gotten most of the attention as his replacement, but it’s Achiuwa who has been the real star.
There’s no reason to think he won’t keep it going the rest of the way and savvy managers who picked Achiuwa up when he started making noise are reaping the benefits. Achiuwa should be rostered in every fantasy league.
Reed Sheppard, PG/SG, Houston Rockets (72.9%)
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Reed Sheppard drills 3 vs. Miami Heat
Reed Sheppard drills 3 vs. Miami Heat
Sheppard spent most of the first half of the season frustrating his managers with mediocrity, but has really turned it on after the All-Star break, scoring 18.6 points and 4.3 3-pointers per game over his last eight games, while also collecting rebounds, assists, steals and blocks with stellar shooting percentages.
The Rockets are currently the No. 4 seed in the West and look like a lock to make the playoffs. Sheppard is the steam engine pulling the train. His 3-point shooting is top notch and he’s playing with as much confidence as he ever has.
I was worried about him being able to carve out such a significant role on a team featuring Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson, but Sheppard has basically made himself the third piece of Houston’s Big 3. And he’s only going to get better next year. Sheppard should be rostered everywhere.
Jonathan Kuminga, PF, Atlanta Hawks (55.0%)
Kuminga was rescued by the Hawks after being under-used and under-appreciated in Golden State for five seasons. He’s delivered immediate results in Atlanta, scoring 21.3 points with 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals in his three games with the Hawks.
He’s been helped by a hip injury to Jalen Johnson, which has forced Kuminga into meaningful minutes for the Hawks, although Johnson is healthy now, while Kuminga missed his last game due to a knee injury.
If the knee is OK and doesn’t keep him out of more games, Kuminga looks like he’ll have a solid role in the Hawks rotation going forward. Managers who snagged Kuminga off the waiver wire when he was traded to the Hawks have been reaping the rewards, and now just have to hope that he’s healthy enough to play on Saturday against the 76ers. Kuminga should be rostered in all leagues, as long as he’s healthy enough to play.
Fallers
Nikola Vucevic, C, Boston Celtics (96.5%)
Vucevic was traded to the Celtics at the break and is having a hard time finding his footing while competing with Neemias Queta for playing time in Boston. Queta is the starter and has basically made Vucevic an afterthought in fantasy, thanks to a measly 22.5 minutes per game and just 10.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 43% shooting.
Vucevic’s stats are down across the board and things are going to get even tougher when Jayson Tatum makes his season debut on Friday night. With both Queta and Tatum getting the minutes and touches, Vucevic has become nothing more than a luxury stash in fantasy hoops for the first time in 15 years.
If players like Raynaud, Achiuwa, Moussa Diabate or Donovan Clingan are available, they look like better options than Vucevic. He’s 35 years old and fantasy managers will probably be better off hitting the waiver wire for another center and ditching Vucevic.
DeMar DeRozan, SF/PF, Sacramento Kings (95.4%)
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DeMar DeRozan gets the basket plus the foul
DeMar DeRozan gets the and-1 to fall
DeRozan is playing for the worst team in the league and, while he’s still getting 27 minutes per game, he’s not doing much outside of scoring 14.4 points per game. He’s averaging 4.8 assists, but the rest of his stats are sub par and he’s shooting just 43% over his last eight games.
A lack of 3-pointers, rebounds, steals and blocks make DeRozan’s name much bigger than his game and he might be the most overrated fantasy player in the entire league.
And, now that we’re about to officially enter the “silly season,” there’s a good chance DeRozan starts getting nights off. Even if he continues to get heavy minutes for the Kings, the fantasy numbers just aren’t there. Managers should think about dropping DeRozan for a player with a more well-rounded fantasy stat set. I’d rather have players like Will Riley, Ace Bailey or even Isaiah Joe, at this point.
Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Charlotte Hornets (91.5%)
The Hornets are on fire and making a playoff charge in the East, climbing up to the No. 9 seed with their sights set on trying to catch Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia — with hopes of clinching a playoff berth as the No. 6 seed. LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller are doing the heavy lifting and Bridges has become a bit of an afterthought.
He’s averaged just 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds on 39% shooting in his last five games, despite playing 28 minutes per game. Plus, now that Coby White is healthy and starting to find his footing with his new team, the touches for Bridges may be even harder to come by.
Bridges has averaged 1.4 steals per game over his last five, but the poor field-goal shooting combined with 64% free-throw shooting and a lack of overall stats has made him a fantasy liability. He’s not an automatic drop, but if you see a shiny, hot object sitting on your league’s waiver wire, making a swap probably isn’t a bad idea, as it’s just not happening for Bridges right now.