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Anyone who has played fantasy basketball during the past decade knows Kyle Lowry and knows him well. They've seen him develop from a defensive-minded player without a jump shot in his early days to the well-rounded scorer and playmaker that he is now.
Still, it's safe to say none of us have seen this Kyle Lowry, the 32-year-old version who in his 13th NBA season is playing the best ball of his lengthy career.
He enters Week 5 of the fantasy basketball season as the NBA's leader in assists with 11.0 per game while maintaining a healthy 17.2 PPG scoring average. He also is shooting 49.7 percent, averaging 2.5 3-pointers per game and chipping in defensively as well with 1.5 steals a game.
How much have people taken notice in fantasy leagues?
Let's put it this way -- this week in one of my leagues, I offered Ben Simmons for Lowry in a trade with fellow league manager who knows his stuff. Two hours later, the trade was rejected and there was a counter offer. Simmons wasn't enough. He wanted Giannis Antetokounmpo.
I wasn't willing to go that far, but it's safe to say that Lowry's stock is on the rise. I've bumped him up to No. 11 this week, just ahead of Damian Lillard, who is having a terrific start to the season as well.
Other notables working their way up in the rankings this week include Lowry's former teammate, DeMar DeRozan (22), as well as Kyrie Irving (31), Zach LaVine (37), Trae Young (47), Enes Kanter (50), Lonzo Ball (65), Serge Ibaka (66), Buddy Hield (76), Lauri Markkanen (85) and Brook Lopez (88).
Some of these are overdue adjustments -- such as Hield, Kanter and Ibaka, who were too low in previous rankings -- but some are for other reasons.
Markkanen, for example, has top-50 potential, even with Wendell Carter Jr. in the picture, and is getting closer to a return to the court. Lopez connected on eight 3-pointers on Sunday after going for six treys in two other games last week. Suddenly, the 7-footer has become an incredible force from behind the arc for a Bucks team that's needed that for many years.
On the flip side, there are players like Gary Harris (63), Jeff Teague (93), Rajon Rondo (100), Nemanja Bjelica (111) and Taj Gibson (112) who are moving down the rankings.
Harris isn't doing much more than score for the Nuggets as of late, limiting his value. Teague remains out of the Timberwolves' lineup, nursing a knee injury. Rondo's playing time and production comes and goes in Los Angeles, making him a frustrating option as long as he shares time with Ball. Bjelica fell back to Earth after a scorching hot start. And then there's Gibson, whose minutes and role will likely diminish with Dario Saric and Robert Covington joining the team.
For the time being, I've made only minimal adjustments to most of the others impacted by the 76ers-Timberwolves trade, such as Joel Embiid (7), Jimmy Butler (19), Simmons (21) and Karl-Anthony Towns (8). I have moved Markelle Fultz out of the rankings, however.
Here is a look at the rest of my top 150 roto rankings.
Note: These rankings reflect the expected player value for the remainder of this season.