Fantasy basketball: Dr. A’s weekly risers and fallers

Several unexpected players have been returning solid fantasy value over the past two weeks, while some huge names have been letting their fantasy managers down by struggling in multiple categories along the way.

Check out the Risers and Fallers as we prepare to enter Week 7 of the NBA season!

Risers

De’Anthony Melton, PG/SG, Sixers, 36.5% rostered in ESPN leagues: Melton has somehow scored in double figures in 10 of his past 11 games and has returned fifth-round fantasy value over the past two weeks. He’s averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.1 3-pointers over his past nine games and has quietly been a very solid fantasy option for the Sixers. He should be rostered in more leagues.

Cole Anthony, PG, Magic (36%): Anthony has clearly benefited from the absence of Markelle Fultz (knee) and might not be ready to turn over control once Fultz is ready to return. He has been a mid-sixth-round fantasy performer over the past two weeks and has scored in double figures in nine straight games. He has averaged 18.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.6 3-pointers over his past seven and has been particularly good over his past two, scoring 25 and 30 points. He’ll certainly take some kind of hit when Fultz returns, but has played well enough to be rostered everywhere right now.

De’Andre Hunter, SF/PF, Hawks (21.6%): Hunter has been a sixth-round fantasy performer over the past two weeks and is only going to get better with Jalen Johnson (knee) out for the next month or so. Over his past five games Hunter has averaged 19.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.6 blocks and 2.6 3-pointers. Saddiq Bey was getting the hype when Johnson went down, but Hunter looks like the big winner thus far.

Malik Beasley, SG, Bucks (9.1%): Beasley has scored at least 14 points in three straight games and is flirting with top-50 value over the past two weeks. Over that eight-game stretch, Beasley has averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steal and 3.3 3-pointers in nearly 33 minutes per game. He’s become a fixture in the starting lineup and I doubt the return of Khris Middleton is going to negatively impact him much.

Isaiah Joe, SG, Thunder (4.1%): Joe has quietly played well since mid-November and over his past seven games has averaged 14.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.7 blocks and 3.6 3-pointers. Josh Giddey is fading and might be facing some future legal problems, while Joe is trending in the other direction, returning fifth-round fantasy value over the past two weeks. He’s at least worth keeping a close eye on going forward.

Fallers

Jaylen Brown, SG/SF, Celtics (99.2%): Brown has returned just 12th-round fantasy value over the last two weeks with averages of 20.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.7 blocks and 2.0 3-pointers over his past seven games. He has hit 44% of his shots over that stretch and is really struggling at the line, hitting just 65% of his free throws over his past seven games. Brown is clearly still a valuable fantasy player based on those counting stats but he’s doing plenty of harm to fantasy lineups along the way.

Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C, Grizzlies (97.3%): JJJ has been worth just an 11th-round fantasy pick over the past two weeks with averages of 19.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steal, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 3-pointers over his past six games. He has hit just 36% of his field goals over that stretch, which is one of his main problems, and is at nearly 82% from the line. Maybe the return of Ja Morant (suspension) will get Jackson’s season turned around, but it has been a rough go for the big man thus far. Especially when you consider he’s firing up nearly 17 shots per game.

Darius Garland, PG, Cavaliers (93.5%): Garland has been a 14th-round fantasy performer over the past two weeks with averages of 20.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.1 blocks and 1.8 3-pointers over his past eight games. He has hit 48% of his shots over that stretch and 82% of his free throws. But his lack of boards, assists, steals and blocks has really pulled his fantasy value down recently. Obviously, if you don’t care about boards or blocks, his ranking shoots up dramatically.

Jordan Poole, PG/SG, Wizards (91.11%): Poole has been just a 15th-round fantasy player over the past two weeks and is a different story than the players listed above. He’s barely clinging to any fantasy value at all, is under great scrutiny in Washington and is making some strange decisions on the court, which you’ve seen if you’ve watched him play. With averages of 19.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.2 blocks and 2.0 3-pointers, there is plenty lacking in his game right now. Add in that he’s hit just 38% of his shots from the field and he becomes an unmitigated disaster that even his 91% free throw shooting can’t save. Maybe he’ll wake up soon and turn it around, but he’s clearly been one of the bigger fantasy disappointments this season.

O.G. Anunoby, SF, Raptors (77.8%): Anunoby has returned just 13th-round fantasy value over the past two weeks with averages of 13.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.7 blocks and 2.4 3-pointers in his past seven games. He has hit just 43% of his shots from the floor over that stretch and a dreadful 57% from the free throw line. This is a guy who returned solid third-round fantasy value last season with averages of 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.7 blocks and 2.1 3-pointers while shooting 48% from the floor and 84% from the line. Now looks like a good time to make some low-ball offers on Anunoby.