As we enter into March, the NBA playoffs loom. Andrew Bogut and Deron Williams will soon be Cavaliers, and Ben Simmons won’t see the floor this year. Such roster changes and the bevy of trades that occurred at the deadline, including the blockbuster DeMarcus Cousins deal, have a serious effect on the fantasy sports betting landscape. The following players have the kind of consistency and talent to withstand the Association’s ever-changing landscape and put up great numbers regardless.
Louis Williams
The Houston Rockets is the perfect team for a player like Louis Williams. They shoot the most threes in the NBA, move the ball beautifully around the perimeter, and run their offense through James Harden. With the Lakers this season, Williams was averaging 19 points, three assists, and two rebounds per game, making him the frontrunner for sixth man of the year. Even with his new team, he should have a great shot at winning that award for the second time in three years. His 39% three-point percentage is the best of his career, and that should break into the 40s with the Rockets. Williams’ rare combination of elusiveness and an ability to hit difficult, leaning shots makes him next to impossible to guard. He’s scored 20 or more DFS points in his last 12, and in half of those he broke 30. At just $6300, “sweet Lou” might be the biggest steal on the DFS board in Week 19.
Serge Ibaka
It didn’t take long for Serge Ibaka to find his way back onto a contender. Now a member of the Toronto Rapters, Ibaka will look to reestablish himself as one of the premier power forwards in the league. The Magic, his former team, lacked the experience and cohesiveness on offense to showcase Ibaka’s skills like Westbrook and Durant previously did in OKC. Still, he’s averaging 15 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks on the season. The Raptors sorely needed a good power forward, so look for Ibaka to get a lot of touches down the stretch and into the playoffs. In his first game with Toronto, he scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, true to his averages, in 36 minutes. In terms of fantasy basketball, he’s scored 25 or more points in four of his last five and will cost you around $6000. Ibaka is a very solid option at the power forward spot night in and night out.
DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins is now a New Orleans Pelican. In what was the biggest trade of the season, he was sent to the Pels along with Omri Casspi in exchange for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and two draft picks. While this move looks fantastic for New Orleans on paper, it will be interesting to see if Cousins and Davis can complement each other on the floor, or if they will clash in their efforts to get the ball. Davis is the more unselfish player, so it will be up to Cousins to get with the program if he hopes to guide the Pelicans to a playoff berth. With Sacramento, Cousins was averaging an incredible 28 points and 11 rebounds per game. Those numbers will likely recede, but he should still be a top-notch fantasy option nonetheless. In his first game with the Pelicans, he managed to score a mind-blowing 68 DFS points in a blowout loss to the Rockets. In his next outing, he put up 38. Though he’ll cost you around $10,000 on DraftKings and FanDuel, he’s still one of the premier players in the NBA.