January isn't even halfway over but 2023 has been eventful. Fantasy managers have had time to weight the impact of significant injuries and rotation adjustments in the new year ahead of the All-Star break in February. The trade market has been fairly quiet, but is sure to heat up soon. You can never be sure about how your roster could be affected, and we've broken down some targets you might want to pursue midway through Week 13 to solidify your teams.
So who should managers try to buy or sell ahead of Week 14? Here are five options to consider:
Three to buy
- Kyrie Irving: Kevin Durant went down with a sprained MCL over the weekend and is set to miss at least three weeks. His co-star, Irving, is in good health and will surely need to step it up as a scorer and playmaker during his absence. The point guard's been in great health in 2022-23 and has averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game in 59 appearances without Durant. That top-five point guard level of production is well worth making a move for.
- Harrison Barnes: Some of you might remember the hot start Barnes got off to last season. He was lighting it up at the start of the 2021-22 season, but is slowly building this year despite the added firepower for Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, and Keegan Murray. Barnes has increased his scoring average and field goal attempts per game with each month this season. He's now averaging 21.0 points on 12.4 shots per game after in January after putting up fewer than 10 shots per contest in the three previous months. Barnes is almost always available and is sure to remain an important part of the rotation because of his defensive contributions while Murray figures things out. He's flying under the radar, but I wouldn't be surprised if he climbed a few spots toward the top 15 among power forwards ahead of the All-Star break.
- Jalen McDaniels: I identified McDaniels as a strong Week 12 streamer for steals following injuries to Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre, but he's done much more than that. The lanky Charlotte Hornets forward has now tallied at least 10 points, six rebounds, a block, and a steal in five straight games to kick off 2023 while shooting 46 percent from the field. His team has needed him to play 31 minutes per contest in January. Other teams are taking notice of the 24-year-old ahead of the trade deadline, and the Phoenix Suns are among the several teams interested. It's unclear whether Charlotte is open to moving such a young asset on a rebuilding team, but he can certainly be serviceable in his current rule ahead of the All-Star break.
Two to sell
- Kyle Lowry: Lowry is comfortable as a top-25 fantasy point guard right now, but his production tailed off significantly toward the end of 2022. The defensive-minded playmaker had his worth month so far this season as a scorer, playmaker, and rebounder in December, and it's getting worse. Lowry's averaging a mere 7.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game through his first four January appearances of 2023. Tyler Herro's move to the starting lineup has clearly affected Lowry over time and I can't see him surging forward in a big way in the immediate future.
- Spencer Dinwiddie: There hasn't been much depth at shooting guard in a while, so it's not surprising that Dinwiddie is just outside the top 10 in the season-long points standings at his position on a team that mostly depends on Luka Doncic for offense. While he's good for the occasional ceiling game where he really pops, he's averaged 15.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.2 rebounds since Tim Hardaway Jr. moved into the starting lineup. Hardaway averaged 16.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per contest through 23 games as a starter this season. I'm not saying that the two are interchangeable, but there are others who can come close to matching Dinwiddie's production while the likes of Tyler Herro, Klay Thompson, and others catch up in the back half of the season.
