Teams are back in action and there’s plenty to get into with the start of the fantasy postseason just weeks away.
With the playoff/play-in teams and lottery-bound squads beginning to separate themselves, which players might be impacted? Let’s get into it.
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→ Watch the NBA Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock! The Knicks and Cavs get things started at 8 p.m. before the Timberwolves play the Trail Blazers at 11 p.m. ET. Both games are available on Peacock. Check your local listings for the NBC game in your area.
STOCK UP
Kyle Filipowski — PF/C, Jazz
No Jaren Jackson Jr. No Walker Kessler. And now no Jusuf Nurkic. Depending on Lauri Markkanen’s availability on a nightly basis, Filipowski is one of, if not the only, workhorse and minutes hogs in the frontcourt for a Jazz team with few proven NBA bodies left. He’s scored 15 or more points five times in his nine appearances during February, and has also reached double figures in rebounds on three of those occasions. He’s picked up his defensive effort recently, tallying 4.3 steals per game, along with averages of 16.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks over the past three games. So long as he remains healthy, Filiposwki’s stock is very clearly moving upward.
De’Anthony Melton — PG/SG, Warriors
It took a while for Melton to make his Warriors 2025-26 debut, with an ACL injury suffered last season keeping him out until early December of this NBA season. He’s played well since returning, but has arguably been more consistent of late than at any other point during the season. With Stephen Curry (knee) currently out and Jimmy Butler (knee) gone for the season, Melton has been one of several role-playing Warriors to increase their production. He’s scored at least 17 points in three consecutive games, has made multiple triples in each (five three-point makes against the Spurs), has a seven-assist game, and a four-steal game within that period. Melton is starting now, and there’s a chance he could retain that role if he continues to produce. Even if he returns to the bench, he’ll have a chance to put up numbers each night.
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GG Jackson — SF/PF, Grizzlies
The momentum has been slowly building for Jackson, whose scoring and rebounding numbers have increased little by little each month. And while the build-up has been steady, the February jump has been major. From February 2 onward, the third-year forward is averaging 16.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 55.3 percent from the field and 48.6 percent from beyond the arc. Scale those numbers down even more, and you’ll find that the scoring has jumped to 21.3 points per game over the past four appearance on 2.3 made threes per contest. Given the Grizzlies’ spot in the standings and the moves they made ahead of the trade deadline, there’s no reason to think that Jackson’s role and productivity won’t remain. He’ll be on the rise the rest of the season; go grab him in fantasy leagues while you can.
NBA: Memphis Grizzlies at Dallas Mavericks
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: GG Jackson takes flight for short-handed Grizzlies
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GG Jackson has been tremendous for Memphis as of late, and with little competition for touches, he has a safe floor and high ceiling.
STOCK DOWN
Nikola Vucevic — C, Celtics
Aside from a 19-point, 11-rebound recent outing against his former employer, the Chicago Bulls, Vucevic’s time in Boston has been relatively quiet. He’s settled into a bench role behind Neemias Queta of late and served as a savvy veteran reserve. The 15th-year pro has yet to log 30 minutes in any game as a Celtic, is averaging single-digit shot attempts across his five appearances, and has scored under 10 points in each of his last two games. Such is life, coming from a potentially lottery-bound team to an Eastern Conference contender. While I’m confident in assuming Vucevic is happy to sacrifice the stats for a chance to play into May and potentially June, the decreased production probably doesn’t feel great for the 97 percent of fantasy managers in Yahoo! Leagues who have him rostered.
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De’Aaron Fox — PG/SG, Spurs
The Spurs are great, and they’re THE hottest team in the league, having reeled off nine consecutive wins. They’ve been so great, in fact, that their margin of victory during the win streak sits at 15.6 points — this number has caused some of their guys to see fewer minutes on the floor than they otherwise would in more competitive games; for this particular post, I’m referring to De’Aaron Fox. Fox has cracked the 30-minute mark in just five of nine February games and since the All-Star break is at just 14.3 points in 27.3 minutes per game. Add on the fact that San Antonio has no shortage of capable guards, and a deep team overall, and there are nights in which much may not even be required from Fox. For no fault of his own, in this case, his fantasy stock has trended downward lately.
Jaden Ivey — PG/SG, Bulls
Yes, Jaden Ivey is dealing with knee soreness that will reportedly keep him on the sidelines for a bit — poor knee health cut his season short a season ago and has, self-admittedly, been one of the reasons for his on-court struggles this season. But even before the recent injury destination, Ivey had been a healthy scratch in the Bulls’ recent loss to the Raptors, and had post averages of just 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his four appearances with the Bulls after being acquired at the trade deadline. The season has been a tough one for the fourth-year combo guard no matter what team he’s suited up for, but the injury uncertainty makes his rest-of-season outlook very shaky from a fantasy standpoint. Fantasy outlook aside, hopefully, he can recover and finish the season strong.
