Fantasy Basketball Trade Advice Week 4: Buy Low, Sell High & Hold

Making the wrong trade can tank your team, whether it be in fantasy or in the NBA. Just ask Nico Harrison, who was dismissed by the Mavericks on Tuesday. Don't be Harrison. As we enter Week 4, now is the time to make smart moves. We're analyzing the market to find the best buy-low, sell-high, and hold candidates. Is Payton Pritchard's slow start a buying opportunity? Is it time to sell high on Lauri Markkanen before a potential shutdown? This guide breaks down the players to target or avoid.

Buy

Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics

Pritchard broke out last season, putting up 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.2 three-pointers per game. With Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out and Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis having been traded, many expected Pritchard to take another step forward this season. His assists are up to 4.9 per game, but his scoring hasn't increased much at 14.6 points per game. His three-pointers have even dropped to 1.8 per game. That's despite him playing four more minutes a night than last season.

The main reason why Pritchard hasn't seen more of a scoring surge has been him shooting 25.6% from behind the arc. He shot 40.7% from deep last season and has shot 39.3% from behind the arc for his career, so don't expect him to continue to struggle like this. His minutes are up and his usage rate is a career high 20.6%, so this is a good buy-low opportunity.

John Collins, Los Angeles Clippers

Collins has gone from playing 31 minutes per game with the Jazz last season to logging 25 minutes a night with the Clippers. He has mostly come off the bench on his way to averaging 12.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 three-pointers. On a positive note, he has shot 53.2% from the field and 39.3% from behind the arc.

Bradley Beal, who has already been playing limited minutes this season, was sidelined for Monday's game against the Hawks. Collins got his first start of the season in the game, posting nine points, seven rebounds, one steal, one block and one three-pointer. His scoring production could have been better as he shot just 3-for-11 from the field. Beal could be looking at a multi-game absence, so Collins has the potential to play more moving forward.

Sell

Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz

Markkanen is off to a terrific start, putting up 28.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 3.4 three-pointers per game. He has appeared in all 11 games for the Jazz and is logging 35 minutes per game. Even his usage rate is up to 29.7%, which is on pace to be the highest mark of his career. When he made the All-Star team and won the Most Improved Player award in 2022-23, his usage rate was 26.6%.

Stats are not the issue with Markkanen. The problem is the state of the Jazz, who are 4-7 out of the gate. They have also lost Walker Kessler (shoulder) for the season. That could further shift them towards another tanking season. Last season, Markkanen played a total of six games after the All-Star break. We could get another month or two of great stats from Markkanen, but trading him now could help avoid the frustration of him resting down the stretch.

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

Morant is a "sell" right now, but he's not exactly a "sell high" based on his current stats. He is averaging 18.9 points per game, which is on pace to be his lowest mark since his rookie season. His efficiency has been awful, with him shooting 35.2% from the field and 16.7% from three. Still, with his overall contributions in points, rebound, assists and steals, he's not exactly tanking fantasy managers. As his efficiency normalizes, so should his stats.

The reason to consider trading away Morant is that he has only missed one game this season, and that was due to a suspension. Over the last three seasons, he has appeared in a total of 120 games. The suspension is also noteworthy because he doesn't seem to be happy about his current status with the team and/or his head coach. A lack of effort has appeared to be a problem at times. He's playing and healthy right now, so it might be time to shop him around your league to see if someone is willing to overpay based on his big name and past production.

Hold

Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Duren has been a big reason why the Pistons have a 9-2 record to begin the season. He is on pace to average career highs in points (19.4), rebounds (12.0), steals (1.1) and blocks (1.2). After playing 26 minutes per game last season, he has logged 29 minutes per game this season. One of his biggest areas of improvement has been him shooting 80.8% from the free-throw line. Last season, he shot 66.9%. The improved efficiency has been key because he is averaging 6.6 free-throw attempts per game.

This might seem like a sell-high opportunity with Duren, but don't try to trade him just yet. He has averaged a double-double in both of the last two seasons, so he has already proven to be a fantasy force. While he struggled from the free-throw line last season, he shot 79.0% from there two seasons ago, so his hot start in that department might not be a fluke. Unless another manager is willing to overpay for his services, hang onto him.

Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers

Clingan started each of his final 27 games last season. In that role, he averaged 8.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks, while shooting 53.5% from the field. Clingan has remained a starter this season, but has provided just 8.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. It has been encouraging to see him shoot 91.7% from the free-throw line, but he has shot just 47.8% from the field.

The second-year center is averaging 25 minutes per game. With Robert Williams III, Duop Reath and Yang Hansen in the fold, Clingan probably doesn't have a path to 30 minutes a night. However, don't expect him to make fewer than half of his shot attempts for the season. He can at least approach a double-double on a nightly basis, while also racking up blocks. Don't trade him at his low point right now.