Fantasy basketball: What to do with Karl-Anthony Towns, Trey Murphy and six other trending players

Knowing which players are on the rise each week, or going the opposite way, is an important step to making sure you’re starting the best lineups every day. Every Friday, we’ll take stock of the league to find the players to add or trade.

Value is value, and we’re looking for any way we can find it, whether you’re playing in a points or category-based league.

You may notice some slight changes this week, too, as we’re touching on fewer players, but doing deeper dives on each one. Additionally, there is an actionable recommendation at the end of each, helping you make the decisions that can help win your leagues.

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Risers

Trey Murphy III, SG/SF, New Orleans Pelicans (94% rostered in ESPN leagues)

Over the past two weeks, Murphy has been on quite a tear and simply put, has been the most valuable fantasy player in the NBA in his last six games. He’s scoring 31.7 PPG over that stretch to go along with 5.3 3PGA, 7.0 RPG, 4.2 APG and 1.3 SPG on 55% shooting from the field and 85% shooting from the free throw line.

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This could be your sign to trade him while his value is at its peak, especially given the fact he plays for the 10-33 Pelicans, who may start resting Murphy once the play-in tournament is out of reach (if it isn’t already). Additionally, Murphy’s injury history is not pretty. He has played in 62 or fewer games in all but one of his four full seasons and while he’s missed only four games thus far, I am quite concerned about the Pelicans rolling him out there until the end of the season, even if he manages to stay healthy.

If you decide to move Murphy, make sure you’re getting a top-10 player in return, as he’s been a top-10 value over the course of this season. Murphy may keep playing and lead fantasy managers to a championship, but given his injury history combined with New Orleans being a guessing game after the All-Star break, moving Murphy for a top player on a contending team seems like the best way to handle this situation. Cade Cunningham might be the ideal target in a Murphy trade. Think about moving Murphy while his value is at its peak.

Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF, Brooklyn Nets (96% rostered)

Porter has been a top-20 player in his last five games, putting up 25.4 PPG to go along with 4.0 3PGA, 7.4 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.6 SPG on 44% shooting. He’s also a perfect 21-of-21 from the free throw line in January.

While he is having a breakout season as the most reliable offensive option for the 11-27 Nets, Porter appears to be almost guaranteed to be traded by the Feb. 5 trade deadline. And regardless of where he goes, he will almost certainly take a numbers hit as he won’t be the No. 1 option on a new team. Add in the fact a history of back injuries and Porter is in a similar boat to Murphy.

Moving him before he’s traded by the Nets makes a lot of sense and even if he’s not traded, there’s a decent chance he won’t finish out the season in Brooklyn, who have nothing to play for. Think about trading Porter while his value is so high.

Naji Marshall, SF/PF, Dallas Mavericks (29% rostered)

Unlike Murphy and Porter, Marshall appears to be locked and loaded as a fixture in the Dallas lineup and rotation. He’s been especially hot over his last two games with averages of 23.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.0 APG and 1.5 SPG. He hasn’t hit any 3-pointers in those games, but has averaged 0.9 3PG on the season.

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Naji Marshall gets the bucket and the foul

Naji Marshall makes a nice move to the rim and gets the layup to fall plus a foul.

While it’s possible Marshall could be involved in a trade before the deadline, it doesn’t seem to be a likely scenario. He’s played a healthy 31 minutes per game in December and January and has been a consistent performer all season.

The bottom line is that the Mavericks are losing players at a high rate right now (Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford and Anthony Davis are all banged up), clearing the way for Marshall to continue to play a big role on both ends of the court. His health might be his biggest asset at this point and the Mavericks may not have any choice but to continue to play him big minutes until the end of the season. Pick him up.

Brice Sensabaugh, SF, Utah Jazz (8.2% rostered)

Sensabaugh has quietly become more involved in the Jazz offense and blew up for a massive stat line of 43 points on 15-of-22 shooting with five 3-pointers, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in Wednesday’s loss to Chicago. In eight January games, Sensabaugh is at 17.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.9 3PG on 51% shooting and 88% from the free throw line.

The Jazz may be active at the trade deadline and Sensabaugh’s role could continue to grow as the season progresses. He’s having a rock-solid January, playing 29 minutes per game, and is a player available on a lot of waiver wires who can help fantasy managers right now, as well as going forward. Think about grabbing him off waivers if you have a player who’s not getting it done for your team.

Fallers

Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C, New York Knicks (100% rostered)

Towns is having a rough January, shooting just 42% from the field while posting a disappointing 16.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 0.5 BPG and 0.8 3PG in six games. He has a fairly extensive injury history, but has managed to play in 37 of the Knicks 40 games this season.

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Karl-Anthony Towns gets up for the beautiful slam

Karl-Anthony Towns gets up for the beautiful slam

He’s likely just in a shooting slump and an overall funk right now, but could also be running out of gas after playing 35 minutes a night in 72 games last season, and 32 minutes per game in his 37 games this season.

The good news is that the Knicks are in second place in the East and they will need KAT to keep playing throughout the season in their quest to win a championship. He’s a career 52% shooter from the field with averages of 23.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.2 BPG and 1.7 3PG. Now looks like a good time to try to make a trade for Towns before he gets hot again.

Stephon Castle, PG/SG, San Antonio Spurs (88% rostered)

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Speaking of shooting slumps, Castle is struggling right now, hitting just 36% of his shots in January to go along with a whopping 3.7 turnovers per game. But he’s also scoring 15.0 PPG to go along with 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.4 SPG this month. The 32 minutes are great and his counting stats have been solid all season, with his field goal percentage and turnovers being the main concerns.

He hit 49% of his shots in December and is at 46% on the season, so his shot should come back to him sooner than later. And if your league doesn’t count turnovers (or if you don’t care about them), now looks like a great time to try to get him from another manager who is frustrated with the poor shooting and TOs. Try to make a trade for Castle before his shots start falling again.

CJ McCollum, PG/SG, Atlanta Hawks (77% rostered)

McCollum came to the Hawks in the Trae Young trade and now has to contend with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu for touches in Atlanta.

While he didn’t miss a beat in his first game with the Hawks, his numbers and touches almost certainly have to take a hit in Atlanta. He played 27 minutes and scored 25 points with two 3-pointers, three assists and a steal in Tuesday’s loss to the Lakers. But that score was a lopsided 141-116 blowout and the Hawks may have just been taking a long look at their new player in an unwinnable game.

Use that scoring line in an attempt to move McCollum before his numbers start sliding south on a team with so many players needing the ball in their hands. He came off the bench in that game and will probably continue to come off the pine going forward for Atlanta, as long as their core players stay healthy.

Bobby Portis, PF, Milwaukee Bucks (46% rostered)

Portis became a hot pickup while Giannis Antetokounmpo was out with his calf strain but the numbers never really popped for him and Antetokounmpo is back. On the season, Portis is at 13.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.3 APG and 1.9 3PG without being much of a factor in terms of steals or blocks.

Myles Turner has really been struggling but Portis hasn’t really stepped up to help carry the load. The lack of steals, blocks and rebounds are concerning for a big man and I don’t see things changing anytime soon. Chances are there is a better player on your waiver wire. Think about dropping Portis, especially if your team is lacking in blocks. He only has three of them since Dec. 21.