Fantasy basketball trade advice: Week 18 targets
Portland’s Matisse Thybulle provides defensive stats that make him a player to trade for this week.
Each and every week, we are going to be providing you with players that you should not only look to acquire via trade but also players you should look to trade away.
Going forward, where fitting, with the data that we’ve seen so far, we’ll build in potential trade scenarios for those you should look to acquire and those you should look to move.
Let’s get to it.
Trade For
Khris Middleton (SF/PF – MIL)
Middleton missed the start of the season with an injury and it’s affected his play so far this year. But what it does is open up a wide-open window to acquire the All-Star forward as he’ll get a chance to rest over the All-Star break and play big minutes in the second half – just in time for your fantasy playoffs.
I’d make a play on him if I’m in a playoff push while he’s priced where he is now.
Trade Away
Christian Wood (PF/C – DAL)
I’m not sure how Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic will work, but it sure is fun to watch.
With Irving and Luka dominating the offensive end of the game for the Mavericks, Wood can become an afterthought.
Also, it’s probably not what you want to hear, but Wood has more perceived value in fantasy than he has actual value in real-life and in fantasy. I’d look to trade him for anything valuable to help you in your playoff push.
Trade For
Matisse Thybulle (SG/SF – POR)
I really wasn’t sure how the Portland wing situation would play out after the trade deadline, but I really like what we saw from Thybulle in his first game with the Blazers – scoring aside.
In two games with the Trail Blazers, Thybulle has five steals and three blocks – games where he averaged 28 minutes per night. It’s a great sign of things to come, and finding defensive stats to count on can be so hard to come across.
I love Shaedon Sharpe, too, and want to trade for him, but don’t forget about Thybulle if you need defensive stats. He should still come at a relatively cheap price.
Trade Away
Karl-Anthony Towns (PF/C – MIN)
So, for real-life purposes, we got good news on the KAT injury front. Per Shams Charania, there’s optimism that KAT will be back in the second half of the season. That should be good for fantasy, too, right?
If he ends up returning with 10-15 games left in the season, that leaves us in the heart of the fantasy playoffs. If it’s a redraft league, I’d look to get anything I can for him at this point, banking on his name and his possible return.
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.
