Fantasy Basketball Buy Low, Sell High: The time to trade Anthony Davis is now

It's never too early to make trades in fantasy basketball, and a smart early move can set your team up for the long haul. With one week of NBA games in the books, it's time to find the best buy-low and sell-high trade targets. Our fantasy basketball buy, sell and hold advice breaks down which players to acquire, which to cash in on and which to keep.

BuyTrey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans

In this section, we're looking to buy low on players who are off to a slow start. Murphy's scoring is down through three games, with him only averaging 15.3 points. Prior to this season, he posted back-to-back campaigns with at least 21.2 points a night. A lack of efficiency hasn't been the problem because he is shooting 48.6% from the field and 41.2% from behind the arc. The big difference is his 18.1% usage rate. The last two seasons, he produced usage rates of 23.7% and 22.7%.

The Pelicans are missing Yves Missi (knee), but he won't command a lot of shot attempts even when he is healthy. Murphy's usage rate is likely down because both Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray are healthy. They are averaging 20.7 and 20.3 points per game, respectively. If either of them were to suffer an injury, Murphy would be asked to jack up additional shots again. Even when they are healthy, Murphy is an efficient shooter who can also help with steals and 3-pointers. This might be a rare opportunity to buy low on an extremely talented player.

Kel'el Ware, Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are rebuilding, but Ware's path to a starting role is currently being blocked by Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma. That has limited Ware to fewer than 20 minutes in three of four games. He had a lot of fantasy hype during the preseason, but likely frustrated those who drafted him by posting 18 points and seven rebounds combined over his first two games.

Ware responded to his slow start with back-to-back double-doubles. He only played 19 minutes versus the Pacers on Monday, but still recorded 16 points, 14 rebounds and one steal. In 22 minutes per game last season with the Heat, Ware averaged 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 1.1 blocks and 1.2 3-pointers. He has proven that he doesn't need 30+ minutes a night to be a viable fantasy option.

If the Bucks decide to trade Turner and/or Kuzma, then Ware could step into a starting role. Take advantage of a couple of muted stat lines early and try to acquire him at a discount.

SellAnthony Davis, Washington Wizards

Now we want to sell high on players who are off to good starts. Talent is never in question with Davis. Now on his third team in three seasons, he has produced a double-double in two of four games with the Wizards. He is averaging 22.8 points despite shooting an uncharacteristically low 44.0% from the field. It didn't help his cause that he shot 3-for-12 in a difficult matchup against a Raptors team that has the potential to be one of the best defensive units in the league.

The concern with Davis is his health. He only appeared in 20 games last season and has played 56 or fewer games in five of the last six seasons. Playing 33 minutes a game right now is great, but it is yet to be seen if he will hold up over the long haul. This might be an opportunity to sell high on him while he is healthy.

Zach LaVine, Sacramento Kings

The Kings don't have many viable scoring options this season. They drafted Darius Acuff Jr., whom they hope will be one of their leaders for years to come. Domantas Sabonis is healthy again, but even at his best, he's not a high-volume scorer. There has been no shortage of scoring opportunities for LaVine, who averaged 17.3 shot attempts over their first four games. He made the most of his opportunities, averaging 27.3 points and shooting 52.2% from the field.

A concerning stat is LaVine playing 36 minutes a night. Like Davis, injuries have been a problem for the veteran guard. He only appeared in 39 games last season and was limited to 25 games during the 2023-24 campaign with the Bulls. Another negative is that, despite his hefty playing time, he has provided a modest 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists a night. In 31 minutes a game last season, he only averaged 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists. It might not be a bad idea to cash in on LaVine's strong start in the scoring department and trade him for a more well-rounded fantasy option.

HoldJosh Giddey, Chicago Bulls

Giddey is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists for a Bulls team that decided to make changes at head coach and in the front office following the campaign. Giddey is still one of the best players on the team, but he hasn't shown it in the early going. He is shooting 33.3% from the field, including just 15.4% from behind the arc. That has left him averaging only 7.0 points. Even his 5.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists a night are disappointing.

It's important to note that Giddey has only averaged 26 minutes. The Bulls lost two of their four games by at least 30 points, so they didn't play their starters much in the second half. More lopsided scorers could be coming for this rebuilding team, but Giddey should still play around 30 minutes a night. Don't panic and trade him away while his value could be at its lowest point of the season.

Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade has had discouraging initial returns, with the Heat boasting an 0-4 record. Giannis has done his part, providing 28.5 points per game. However, many of his teammates have struggled. The most notable poor performer has been Adebayo, who is averaging only 11.8 points and shooting 40.0% from the field. Even his production on the glass is down, with him averaging only 7.3 rebounds.

It's going to take time for Giannis and Adebayo to get comfortable playing next to each other. The Heat would love for Adebayo to help stretch the floor, but he hasn't done that yet by shooting only 16.7% from behind the arc. It's unlikely that Adebayo will average over 20 points per game again like he did last season, given the usage rate that Giannis should have. However, since becoming a regular starter, he has never provided fewer than 15.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game for a season. Better days are likely coming for Adebayo, so hold onto him for now.