max christie coming stronger for dallas mavericksWhile players like Domantas Sabonis And deandre ayton Not living up to the hype these days.
With the NBA trade deadline on February 5 approaching, moves you make now in your fantasy league could pay off big as the season winds down.
Here are some smaller names of players who are stepping up and some bigger names who are struggling or not fitting in with their teams.
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risers
max christiesg, dallas mavericks (19.2% rostered in ESPN leagues)
Christie was merely a throw-in to the trade that sent her anthony davis in exchange for dallas luka doncic last year, but it has been Christie who has been playing and being productive for the Mavericks. Meanwhile, the oft-injured (and currently injured) Davis appears to be on his way out of town at the trade deadline.
Christie has been quiet in his last two games, making just 7 of 23 shots (1 of 12 from downtown), but up until then he had had a pretty good January. He had scored at least 21 points in each of his last four games and became a source of points, 3-pointers, steals and rebounds while shooting very well from both the field and the free throw line. Even with his recent shooting problems, Christie is averaging 17.0 points while playing 32.2 minutes per game this month, shooting 47% from the floor and 90% from the free throw line.
Dallas is currently 4.5 games out of a play-in spot and all signs point to them missing out on the playoffs. Christie will turn 23 on February 10 and the Mavericks have no reason to rest him for long, so he has a good chance to be the hero of the silly season. He is worth picking in most formats and leagues, and is particularly interesting in point leagues.
Sam Hausersf, boston celtics (14.2% roasted)
Hauser has quietly come on this season for the Celtics and while a lot of his fantasy value is tied to 3-pointers, he is scoring, rebounding, stealing the ball and shooting lights out from everywhere. During January, he averaged 13.9 points, 0.9 steals and 3.8 3-pointers while shooting 51% from the floor.
jaylen brown There has been a blast, jayson tatum (Achilles) Talking about not playing this season and the Celtics getting into the playoffs, possibly as a top-3 seed in the East. It would make sense for the Celtics to give their stars more rest in championship hopes, which means players like Brown and derrick white Must get some nights off and sometimes limited minutes, while players like Hauser, Peyton Pritchard, afernee simmons, baylor sheyerman, jordan walsh And luca garza This could all come to fruition as the regular season begins to wind down.
Like Christie, Hauser may be more attractive in the points league, but if managers are looking for 3-pointers, they can’t go wrong taking him and running with him.
dylan cardwellC, Sacramento Kings (6.2% roasted)
Cardwell doesn’t score a lot of points, but unlike the players above, he is producing across the board for the Kings and that could get even better as the season winds down and Sacramento could potentially blow the team away at the trade deadline.
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Dylan Cardwell elevates for big-time block
Dylan Cardwell elevates for big-time block
In the month of January, he has averaged only 5.0 PPG, but 8.5 RPG and 1.5 BPG on 60% shooting in 21 minutes per game. maxim reynaud Has hit a wall and Sabonis’ name is a popular name in trade rumors, so the undrafted Cardwell has a chance for an expanded role the rest of the way. He’s not a good free throw shooter (38% in January), but doesn’t shoot enough to make much of a difference. Over the month, he has attempted only eight free throws in 13 games.
The Kings have just 12 wins on the season and are missing a playoff spot, and if Sabonis is moved at the deadline, Sacramento could look to develop Cardwell and give him unlimited minutes. If that happens, he should rack up a ton of rebounds and blocks to follow up his impressive field goal percentage. He’s already worth a look in deeper leagues and could become a late-season fantasy hero if the Kings turn him loose.
If you need a center, give it to Cardwell and keep a close eye on him after the trade deadline passes.
about to fall
Domantas SabonisPF/C, Sacramento Kings (99.6% roasted)
Sabonis has not played well since his return from a meniscus injury in his left knee, causing him to miss 27 games, in which he averaged 12.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks and 0.1 3-pointers, while shooting 68% from the line in seven January games.
His lack of steals, blocks and threes make him a fantasy liability with today’s big men who are doing things like that more and there’s a good chance he could be headed to a new team at the trade deadline. And if he goes to a team with an established center, it could be a tough trip for his fantasy managers.
Even if he goes to a team that needs a center, the numbers aren’t great as he continues to work his way back from a knee injury, and it’s no sure thing they’ll improve the rest of the way.
Sabonis’s name is big enough that you could still trade him for more than his actual value, so I would recommend tossing his name in trade rumors and trying to get a player or two in return who are more likely to help your team well.
ivica zubacC, LA Clippers (92.1% roasted)
The Clippers hold on to the last play-in spot in the West and Zubac has played a lot of minutes over the past two seasons, averaging 32.8 minutes last season and 30.8 minutes in 2025-26. His scoring (14.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.9 rpg) are down with the rest of his numbers this season, and the Clippers have brook lopez Available to relieve him from the bench.
I’m concerned that Zubac has played 23 or fewer minutes in three of his last four games and I’m nervous that this is becoming more of a trend than a fluke. Considering the Clippers are 9-1 in their last 10 games, it doesn’t bode well for Zubac either. Zubac has averaged just 24.8 minutes in his last four games.
I can see the Clippers limiting his minutes in hopes of making a deep playoff run and Lopez possibly being given more playing time as a result. There’s no reason to panic over Zubac, but if he’s on your roster and you’re concerned, he’s a player who could easily be dealt for a younger player on a different team who doesn’t have to compete with players like james harden And kawhi leonard For shots.
deandre aytonC Los Angeles Lakers (71.2% roasted)
Ayton got off to a good start in LA this season, but has really cooled off over the past few months, as he averaged just 10.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.9 blocks in January.
Austin Reeves He has been out since Christmas with a gastrocnemius strain, but is set to return to action any day now, which could make it even more difficult for Ayton to get touches, shots and rebounds. At times it seems as if Ayton has become apathetic and detached, and it is becoming harder to tell the difference between him and his back up, jackson hayes.
Hayes has averaged a season-high 18.6 minutes in January, while Ayton’s 26.1 minutes this month are his lowest average of the season. Although I don’t expect Hayes to take over the starting job anytime soon, Ayton’s managers will have to take a close look at his poor production over the past two months and ask themselves if he deserves to be on the roster, especially in a smaller eight-team league.
I believe Ayton generally holds up in 12-team formats and his trade value isn’t high enough to bring back much in return. But if you have depth under center and get a more attractive player on the waiver wire who can help your team, giving up Ayton for him probably isn’t a crazy notion at this point.
