Sometimes, adding a player off the waiver wire just isn't enough to provide a boost to your fantasy squad. The best way to make an immediate impact to your team can be through the trade market. However, sometimes the deals that you don't make are just as important as the ones you do. Here are some players to consider buying low on, selling high on or who are worth holding onto in fantasy at this time.
Buy
Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets 
After Sheppard didn't play much during his rookie season, he was primed to see more minutes heading into this season with Fred VanVleet tearing his ACL. Still, he logged an average of just 20 minutes over his first seven games. That left him with averages of just 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Things then changed when he scored 16 points over 26 minutes in a matchup against the Spurs on November 7. Including that game, Sheppard has averaged 28 minutes over his last eight matchups.
With Sheppard playing more the last eight games, he has averaged 16.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 steals and 3.3 three-pointers. He shot 54.0% from the field during that span, including 50.0% from behind the arc. As a rookie, he only shot 33.8% from three. As he continues to get more comfortable in the NBA, there is a clear path for him to play anywhere between 25 and 30 minutes on a nightly basis. Now is the time to try
Sometimes, adding a player off the waiver wire just isn't enough to provide a boost to your fantasy squad. The best way to make an immediate impact to your team can be through the trade market. However, sometimes the deals that you don't make are just as important as the ones you do. Here are some players to consider buying low on, selling high on or who are worth holding onto in fantasy at this time.
Buy
Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
After Sheppard didn't play much during his rookie season, he was primed to see more minutes heading into this season with Fred VanVleet tearing his ACL. Still, he logged an average of just 20 minutes over his first seven games. That left him with averages of just 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Things then changed when he scored 16 points over 26 minutes in a matchup against the Spurs on November 7. Including that game, Sheppard has averaged 28 minutes over his last eight matchups.
With Sheppard playing more the last eight games, he has averaged 16.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 steals and 3.3 three-pointers. He shot 54.0% from the field during that span, including 50.0% from behind the arc. As a rookie, he only shot 33.8% from three. As he continues to get more comfortable in the NBA, there is a clear path for him to play anywhere between 25 and 30 minutes on a nightly basis. Now is the time to try and acquire him in fantasy.
Cameron Johnson, Denver Nuggets 
Early in the season, it looked like Johnson being traded to the Nuggets had tanked his fantasy value. Over his first 11 games with his new team, he averaged just 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.7 three-pointers. His playing time was only 25 minutes per game and he shot 37.2% from the field. That included him shooting 21.1% from behind the arc.
Injuries then changed everything for Johnson and the Nuggets. Christian Braun (ankle) went down first, then Aaron Gordon (hamstring) joined him on the sidelines. Both players could be out into January, leaving added minutes and shot attempts for Johnson. He has helped to pick up the slack, averaging 16.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 three-pointers across his last five games. Not only did he shoot 57.4% from the field during that stretch, but he logged at least 32 minutes in each game. His overall stats for the season still don't look great, though, creating a potential buy-low opportunity.
Sell
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers 
Leonard made it through the first five games of the season before being sidelined with an ankle injury. He missed 10 straight games before making his return Sunday versus the Cavaliers. He logged 26 minutes in that game, which he then followed up by playing 28 minutes in Tuesday's meeting with the Lakers. In both games, he scored at least 19 points.
Over the eight games that he has played in this season, Leonard has been productive with averages of 23.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.3 three-pointers. When he's on the floor, he remains a great fantasy option. However, injuries have limited him to 60 or fewer games in eight of the last nine seasons. He's healthy now, so see if you can trade him for a more trustworthy option.
Josh Hart, New York Knicks 
Hart was a fantasy breakout star last season, averaging 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 three-pointers despite being drafted outside the top 100 in many leagues. A big reason for his ascension was that he logged a career-high 38 minutes per game. That has changed under new head coach Mike Brown, who has brought Hart off the bench for all but one of his games. However, he has played more lately with OG Anunoby (hamstring) and Jalen Brunson missing time because of injuries.
The Knicks' limited depth chart has resulted in Hart averaging 33 minutes over their last five games. He turned that into 12.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 three-pointers a game. As good as he has been, a return to his limited role could be on the horizon. Brunson is already back and Anunoby is nearly two weeks into his absence. At the time he suffered his injury, the team said that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks, so it's possible we receive a positive update on him soon. This might be the peak of Hart's fantasy value, so see if someone is willing to overpay for his services based on the numbers that he provided last season.
Hold
Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers 
Garland missed the first seven games of the season while recovering from toe surgery. He only made it through three games before the same toe gave him problems. He then missed five more games before returning last week against the Pacers. The Cavaliers had a back-to-back set Sunday and Monday, so they decided to sit Garland out for rest Monday.
Garland hasn't logged more than 29 minutes in any of his five games. He is also shooting just 34.5% from the field. If the Cavaliers are going to make a deep run in the playoffs, they will need Garland to be healthy. Expect them to be very cautious with him moving forward. Trading him away now would be dealing him at his low point, so it's better to just hold onto him and see if he can get past the toe injury in the near future.
Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets 
Injuries on the Hornets have resulted in Knueppel immediately slotting into a leading role. He has started 16 of 17 games and averaged 34 minutes along the way. The Hornets and fantasy managers have to be thrilled with the results, given that he has averaged 19.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.7 three-pointers. He has scored in efficient fashion, shooting 49.1% from the field, 90.0% from the free-throw line and 43.8% from behind the arc.
Part of the reason why Knueppel has played so much is that Brandon Miller has been limited to three games because of injury. LaMelo Ball has also missed seven games. Both players are back on the floor now, but they also have checkered injury histories. Knueppel could see a slight decline in minutes in the immediate future, but likely not enough to deal a huge blow to his fantasy value. Hang onto him for the long haul.
