Right now, we’ve seen some surprisingly good starts from a few guys and it’s been a bit unexpected. Don’t expect it to last, though – at least with the following four guys on our list.
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
The 37-year-old Nowitzki has carried the Mavericks on his shoulders with 18.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.8 three-point shots per game through the first 13 contests but he is averaging 29.3 minutes per game. After so much wear and tear over the years, there is no doubt his role could finally take a toll on him this season. Dallas has won nine of its first 14 games and is currently third in the Western Conference but their pace – as well as Nowitzki’s pace – will be hard to sustain throughout the year. You might recall that last season, Nowitzki had averaged 18.3 points per game on 46.7% from the field before the All-Star break but faded to 15.4 points on 42% shooting after it. It might be a good time to sell high on him if you can land a handsome return.
Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans has three wins through its first 14 games with injuries absolutely decimating their roster. While Gordon has been a stud from a fantasy perspective so far this year, he will undoubtedly have a tough time keeping it up. Gordon has averaged 18.5 points, 3.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game but he has also averaged 36.2 minutes because the Pelicans are so shorthanded. There is no doubt that number will go down when Tyreke Evans returns and Jrue Holiday’s minutes restriction ends. Gordon has been excellent so far and should continue to perform at a high level over the next couple of weeks but his window will close eventually. Keep in mind that he himself is injury prone (he’s never played more than 64 games in a season) and the 18.5 points he’s currently averaging are the highest in four years.
Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
Rubio has been unbelievable across the board through nine games with 11.7 points, 8.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game so far but he’s another injury prone player to consider moving. While he has the potential to dominate when he is on the floor, that has been his biggest issue throughout his NBA career. Rubio has played a full 82 games only once in his four years in the league and he was limited to just 22 games last season because of injury. Rubio has been solid early on and that might have boosted his trade value enough to sell him on him. However, anybody that decides to have him on their roster is gambling that the injury bug won’t hit him again this season.
Evan Fournier, Orlando Magic
Fournier has been an absolute stud for Orlando this season with value that ranks him in the top 40 in most leagues. However, the question is how long will he continue to put up such incredible numbers? The 23-year-old small forward has averaged 19.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists so far this season and while his strong play has taken minutes away from youngster Mario Hezonja, the Magic are in rebuild mode. It might be only a matter of time before things change. As a matter of fact, we heard Scott Skiles talk about exactly that yesterday when he said the entire starting lineup needs a shakeup.
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Fournier has opened the season at an incredible pace that will be hard to sustain – especially since nobody knows what Skiles is going to do next. While you might not want to sell high on him if you have him, make sure not to overpay for him with the expectation he will continue to perform as a top 40 player the rest of the season.
