Fantasy Basketball Stock Up Stock Down: Jarrett Allen hitting his stride

The post-All-Star Weekend push is upon us, with most fantasy leagues concluding their regular seasons in the next month or so.

As the playoffs creep closer, here are some players to consider adding or avoiding down the stretch of the season.

DON’T MISS: Celtics vs. Lakers on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET (NBC and Peacock)

STOCK UP

Cam Thomas — SG/SF, Bucks

A 34-point game and some kind words from the head coach are enough to be optimistic about Thomas’ immediate future with the Bucks, right? Probably — a change of scenery and a track record as a high-volume scorer certainly helps. How much Thomas plays on a nightly basis could be tricky, however, given that Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins are commanding fairly big minutes in the starting backcourt. He’ll have to make the most of his opportunities off the bench, which he did against the recent back-to-back against the Magic. Otherwise, there could be some unspectacular final stat lines. The upside may be worth the risk, though.

Kris Dunn — PG/SG, Clippers

With James Harden departed and two more big-name guards, Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin, added, the minutes allocation suddenly felt concerning for Dunn, who’s spent the majority of his tenure with the Clippers as a starter, logging heavy minutes. Those concerns still remain, but with Garland yet to debut, Dunn has essentially functioned as the team’s point guard of late. As a result, he’s tallied at least five assists in each of L.A.’s last six games, while making his usual impact as a defender. He also made four three-pointers in the most recent win over the Rockets after producing four steals the game prior. It’s rare that everything clicks for Dunn on the same night from a statistical standpoint, but he’s been productive and could be considered a useful streaming option while the Clippers wait on Garland, perhaps even after.

Jarrett Allen — C, Cavaliers

We can all make an educated guess that Allen is enjoying the James Harden experience thus far. In three games, he’s scored over 20 points in each and been the beneficiary of several of Harden’s passes from downhill attacks. Others have also gotten him involved, and Allen has done a nice job of cleaning up the offensive glass for second-chance points. Yet, he’s having one of his most productive stretches of the season, all coming shortly after a recent 40-point game before Cleveland’s big trade. His stock is most certainly up, and could realistically keep improving as reps build with Harden.

STOCK DOWN

Lauri Markkanen — SF/PF, Jazz

This designation is by no means a reflection of what Markkanen has done or will continue to do when on the court — he’s having one of the best statistical seasons of his career. Rather, this has to do with his usage going forward. Is he healthy? How much will he play each night? The Jazz were recently fined for the “management of their roster,” with Markkanen among multiple players who were notably not playing in fourth quarters over consecutive games despite the games being competitive. Whether the reasons are valid or not, he’s played fewer than 30 minutes in Utah’s last five games, and that should be a concern for fantasy managers, despite Markkanen’s production in his limited time. It’ll be interesting to see what his playing time looks like after the All-Star break.

Ivica Zubac — C, Pacers

Zubac was traded from Los Angeles to Indiana on the day of the trade deadline, but has yet to suit up for the Pacers. Apparently, he played through an ankle injury with the Clippers and may not see the floor for a while with his new team. His potential return this season will be to a Pacers team lacking the table-setting that James Harden provided in L.A. — in the two games prior to the trade that Harden missed, Zubac combined for 8 total shot attempts. He’s still a difference maker on defense and will be great on the boards, but I wouldn’t expect his fantasy production to improve, or even remain the same, until playing alongside Tyrese Haliburton next season. I’d love to be wrong, though!

Paolo Banchero — PF, C, Magic

It’s been an interesting season for the Magic, who are currently the No. 7 seed out East. Banchero, the team’s franchise player, has been a bit more inconsistent as a scorer this season, especially of late. The former first-overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft has shot sub-40-percent from the field in four of the six game’s appeared in during February and has failed to tally 20 points in all but two games during that same period. Add on top of the shooting struggles his lower production on the glass and continued lack of stocks on the defensive end, and you get a player who’s having a down season as far as fantasy basketball impact is concerned.