The trade deadline for Yahoo standard leagues is March 5. With only about one week left to make deals, now is the time to get your roster ready for a playoff run. Let's discuss some players to consider buying, selling or holding onto in fantasy basketball based on their current situations.
Buy
Bennedict Mathurin, Los Angeles Clippers 
Early returns suggest that Mathurin is one of the biggest winners of the trade deadline. He was on a Pacers team that had among the worst records in the league and was already starting to rest key players to try and improve their lottery odds. Had he stayed on the team, we might not have seen much of him in March and April. Now, he's on a Clippers team that is well on their way to making the Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference.
With James Harden now in Cleveland and Darius Garland (toe) considered as week-to-week, the Clippers need Mathurin's scoring. He hasn't let them down, averaging 22.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 three-pointers over his first five games with the team. That's despite him only shooting 25.0% from three. For the season, he shoots 35.8% from behind the arc. Now is the time to try and acquire Mathurin for a playoff push.
Jalen Green, Phoenix Suns 
Green has seen his season limited by a reoccurring hamstring injury. He has been limited to just 11 games and he has only averaged 20 minutes across them. With
The trade deadline for Yahoo standard leagues is March 5. With only about one week left to make deals, now is the time to get your roster ready for a playoff run. Let's discuss some players to consider buying, selling or holding onto in fantasy basketball based on their current situations.
Buy
Bennedict Mathurin, Los Angeles Clippers
Early returns suggest that Mathurin is one of the biggest winners of the trade deadline. He was on a Pacers team that had among the worst records in the league and was already starting to rest key players to try and improve their lottery odds. Had he stayed on the team, we might not have seen much of him in March and April. Now, he's on a Clippers team that is well on their way to making the Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference.
With James Harden now in Cleveland and Darius Garland (toe) considered as week-to-week, the Clippers need Mathurin's scoring. He hasn't let them down, averaging 22.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 three-pointers over his first five games with the team. That's despite him only shooting 25.0% from three. For the season, he shoots 35.8% from behind the arc. Now is the time to try and acquire Mathurin for a playoff push.
Jalen Green, Phoenix Suns
Green has seen his season limited by a reoccurring hamstring injury. He has been limited to just 11 games and he has only averaged 20 minutes across them. With him playing so infrequently, he has averaged just 13.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He has had a difficult time getting into a groove, shooting 36.9% from the field and 71.4% from the free-throw line.
Despite his horrific campaign, there have been some promising signs for Green lately. He has played six of the last seven games for the Suns, which included a game against the Magic in which he logged 37 minutes. With Dillon Brooks (hand) out for at least four weeks, the Suns need Green to play more and help lead their scoring attack. Those who currently roster him might be frustrated to the point where he can be had in a trade for a discount.
Sell
Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls 
The Bulls were one of the biggest sellers at the trade deadline. Their new disjointed roster has contributed to them losing 10 straight games. Their chances of making the Play-In Tournament are slipping away with the Hornets and Bucks having passed them in the standings. At this point, the Bulls would probably like to rack up losses to help improve their lottery odds.
If the Bulls want to lose games, one way to do that is by limiting Giddey's minutes. He has appeared in four games since returning from a hamstring injury, but didn't top 27 minutes in any of them. He hasn't played at least 30 minutes in a game since the day after Christmas. His overall numbers for the season are excellent, so try to sell high on him now before more limitations come his way. Rest days could also be in the near future.
DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings 
The Kings have the worst record in the NBA. Domantas Sabonis (knee) and Zach LaVine (finger) are out for the rest of the season, leaving DeRozan as the last man standing from their top trio. The veteran has played in 59 games, putting him on pace to appear in at least 70 games for the fifth straight season. However, his production is down with him averaging 18.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
As the Kings continue to flounder, DeRozan has averaged just 26 minutes over their last eight games. They are getting blown out often, which has contributed to him sitting significant portions of the fourth quarter. That could be a trend that continues, so even if the Kings don't flat out sit him, more muted stat lines could be coming. If anyone in your league is willing to give up something of value for him, it might be wise to make the deal.
Hold
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs 
The Spurs have won nine games in a row to not only grab a hold of the second seed in the Western Conference, but to also put them within striking distance of the Thunder for the top spot. They have beaten up some weak teams during their winning streak, including two games against the Mavericks, one against the Kings and one against the injury-riddled Warriors. With them blowing out so many teams, Castle has only averaged 24 minutes over his last eight games.
When the Spurs were locked into a close game against the Pistons on Monday, Castle produced 16 points, four rebounds, 11 assists, one steal and one block over 30 minutes. Don't let his recent muted stat lines cloud your judgement. He's still a very valuable fantasy option who should get back on track as the Spurs play in more competitive games.
RJ Barrett, Toronto Raptors 
Coming off the best campaign of his career, injuries have put a damper on Barrett this season. He has appeared in only 34 games. He was also on minute restrictions when he initially returned from a couple of ailments, which has contributed to him averaging a career low of 29 minutes.
The good news is, despite his limitations, Barrett averages 18.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 three-pointers, while shooting 47.3% from the field. In three of the last five games, he logged at least 30 minutes. The other two were blowouts, which could have contributed to his limited run. The Raptors are fighting for seeding in the Eastern Conference, so rest days won't be an issue for Barrett. His best stretch could be ahead of him, so don't trade him away at a discount now.
