NBA Fantasy: Salary Cap Edition Week 17 Preview

The dust has settled on a historically chaotic trade deadline in the NBA. As the All-Star break approaches this Friday, players are facing an abbreviated week to acclimate to their new teams.

That leaves

NBA Fantasy Salary Game

players – looking to use trades to their advantage – with limited opportunities to maximize their points before the five-day stoppage.

Here’s what you need to know for Week 17:

Familiar faces, unfamiliar places

De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs

There’s a new contender for the NBA’s ‘Best Power Duo Under 30’ as Fox joins forces with

Victor Wembanyama

and his 54.5 fantasy points per game (FPPG) – good for third in the league. His alien-like skill set is matched by none others in San Antonio, but the 57.8 FPPG combined between

Chris Paul

and

Devin Vassell

has provided steady support.

Fox doesn’t bring eye-popping production, but the eighth-year guard is just about as reliable as it gets, accounting for 35 outings of 35 or more fantasy points this season prior to the trade. He extended that track record with 57.5 and 45.4 in his first two contests donning the silver and black. Consequently, Fox ranks as one of 19 players with 2000-plus total fantasy points (TFP).

Zach LaVine, Sacramento Kings

Sacramento still boasts

Domantas Sabonis

as a driving force, as evidenced by his NBA-leading 46 double-doubles and sixth-place 2312.2 TFP. Multiple sources of synergy remain via

DeMar DeRozan

,

Malik Monk

, and

Keegan Murray

– each of whom possesses upwards of 1300 TFP – while

Jonas Valančiūnas

also adds his 25.6 FPPG to the equation at center.

Traded away from the Chicago Bulls amid one of his best seasons to date, LaVine carries 1645.2 TFP and 36.6 FPPG as an 11th-year guard, now placing second among all Kings in both categories. He notched 33 or more fantasy points in 14 consecutive games from Jan. 1 to 27 and improved from 20.7 to 31.3 to 34.3 in his first three showings with Sacramento.

Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors

The Warriors have defined inconsistency en route to their 26-26 record, but

Stephen Curry

has offered a guiding light, leading with 39.3 FPPG that qualifies as 34th in the league. Only two 1000-plus TFP scorers take the court alongside him, with

Buddy Hield

delivering 1067.9 and

Draymond Green

bringing 1060 to the table.

Butler’s limited time on the court this campaign is reflected in his 882.6 TFP – he hasn’t played more than three consecutive contests since a six-game span from Dec. 4 to 20. His debut with Golden State on Saturday, though, previewed the potential Butler-Curry chemistry to come, as the two combined for 59 points while the former tallied 38.4 fantasy points.

Transaction targets

Starting or acquiring players from the Los Angeles Lakers (31-19) should be your top priority for the immediate future. Not only do they play the lowly Utah Jazz (12-39) on Monday and Wednesday, but the Lakers are winning at will to the tune of nine victories in their last 10 games.

Yes,

Luka Dončić

is expected to debut in the purple and gold tonight, but you’ll have to blow up your roster to add him for $18.9M. His playmaking for the ‘Lake Show’ could translate to big nights for supporting cast members

Rui Hachimura

and

Jaxson Hayes

. 

Hachimura has secured 30-plus fantasy points in four of the last five games – a big stretch for the sixth-year forward considering he had previously reached that mark just nine times. Additionally, contributions from Hayes should be crucial considering the team’s lack of depth at center.

Weekly advice

The upcoming break is an ideal time to put a critical magnifying glass on your roster. Look at which players are continuously producing above their salary, while also understanding which of your options have underperformed far too often.

Lauri Markkanen

(1188.2 TFP),

Terry Rozier

(1056.2 TFP), and

Keldon Johnson

(985.5 TFP) rank among the lowest-value players in NBA Fantasy. They’ve all been healthy for the most part, but at salaries of $14.4M, $12.8M, and $11.0M, respectively, tend to underwhelm.

Yves Missi

(1245.1 TFP),

Goga Bitadze

(1196.8 TFP), and

Christian Braun

(1448.5 TFP), on the other hand, are the three highest-value options available. They each come at a bargain-bin price of less than $7M while staying on the court and regularly punching above their weight class.