We’ve got all the Game 1s under our belt. There’s so much to dissect, especially with injuries to a few star players after just the first weekend of playoff basketball. Giannis Antetokounmpo (back), Tyler Herro (broken hand), and Ja Morant (hand/wrist) all suffered injuries. Herro is out for the remainder of the playoffs, while Giannis and Ja likely try to play through the pain. Of course, from these injuries comes great opportunity for a few guys. Bobby Portis, Caleb Martin, and Tyus Jones immediately come to mind. 

But those aren’t the only three guys whose stock has the potential to rise in the playoffs. This Los Angeles Laker guard appears to be on the verge of a breakout after a 23-point performance in his first ever playoff appearance. 

For those that are new here, Mojo is the Sports Stock Market that lets you bet on your favorite athletes. It started with the NFL and the NBA market has been in full swing for a couple months! You can either bet on a player’s career or on their Single-Game Props, an all-new feature for big volatility on a nightly basis. There are so many ways to win betting on all of your favorite players. Go Long if you think a player’s stock price will rise in the future and Go Short if you think it’ll fall.

In this article, we’ll highlight three players whose stock will rise in the playoffs. You should consider taking a Long position on these guys before their teams’ respective Game 2s.

After reading the article, let me know if you agree. You can hit me up anytime on Twitter @AdamKoffler to talk about it. 

Austin Reaves $77.30 (2x Multiplier)

Austin Reaves isn’t just a fad, not even close. The second-year Laker has burst onto the scene this season. And just a couple of days ago, he recorded 23 points on 62% shooting to go along with four assists and no turnovers in his first ever playoff game. He even yelled “I’m HIM!” multiple times as he drilled bucket after bucket down the stretch. His stock rose 3.4% with the performance, and has risen 42.3% since the All-Star Break.

A $1,000 Long position on Reaves back in late February would be worth $1,846 today using his 2x Multiplier. And there’s still plenty of room for his stock to grow. The guy outscored both LeBron James and Anthony Davis in about five fewer minutes in his first ever playoff game. With that kind of performance, we can reasonably expect head coach Darvin Ham to up his minutes moving forward. That’ll mean even more spectacular plays mixed in with the high-IQ ones. And with the performances and the hype, I’m expecting his stock price to rise even more in the future. 

There’s just no way D’Angelo Russell in his 8th year should have a higher Future Value than Austin Reaves based on what we’ve seen from the youngster. Not just that, but the 7th seed Lakers have a real chance to knock of the 2nd seed Grizzlies, especially with Morant battling a painful hand/wrist injury. That means even more opportunities for Reaves to chant “I’m HIM!”

Caleb Martin $42.08 (2x Multiplier)

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo naturally shouldered more of the workload after Tyler Herro suffered a broken right hand in Miami’s Game 1 victory over Milwaukee. But they won’t be able to do it alone. And in Game 1, they certainly didn’t do it alone. Caleb Martin played nearly 26 minutes off the bench and really stepped up in Herro’s absence, as we’ve seen him do in the past (more on that in a bit). He scored 15 points in Game 1 and played critical minutes for the Heat down the stretch in a competitive game. As a result of his performance and his projected role moving forward, his stock price ticked up 1.5%. 

I’ll be honest, I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Caleb Martin. Probably because I play season-long fantasy basketball and his game is very advantageous in 9-category leagues. But since that’s the case, we should also like him on the Mojo market given the value formula.

This season, Martin averaged 9.6 points, 1.2 3PTs made, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.4 blocks in 29 minutes per contest. There was a stretch of 15 games in November and December where he played an extended role due to injuries to both Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. In those 15 games, Martin averaged 13.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocks, and just 1.3 turnovers in 36.6 minutes per game. He shot 50% from the field and 80.8% from the free throw line while also knocking down 2.3 3PTs per game. 

Certainly his upside is relatively limited, but Martin has shown improvement year-over-year in the NBA. Head coach Erik Spoelstra has shown confidence in this guy, and now is absolutely the time for him to shine with Herro sidelined. And with Giannis nursing a back injury, Miami even has an outside chance of advancing to the second round of the playoffs, which could lead to even more opportunity for Caleb Martin. The time to Go Long on him is now ahead of Game 2 (when he could potentially be announced as a starter). And don’t forget to use his 2x Multiplier in order to increase your return on investment. 

Christian Braun $27.35 (2x Multiplier)

The rookie out of Kansas averaged just north of 15 minutes per game for the Nuggets this season. That number would have been even less had Denver not been precautionary with its star players down the stretch of the regular season. And that’s precisely why we should be excited about his prospects after Game 1 of the playoffs. Braun scored just three points , grabbed three boards, dished out one assist, and blocked one shot, but it’s the 19.5 minutes that’s important to note (11 of which came in the first half). As a result, his stock climbed 3.2%.

The numbers didn’t necessarily show up in the box score, which is ultimately what we want (and need) for a player’s Mojo value to increase, but those days are coming. It’s more important at this juncture to be a key part of a tight 8-man rotation for an NBA title contender. That’s exactly what the Nuggets are. Subsequently, Braun should get a ton of opportunities to contribute as early as his rookie season.

Currently, he only has a Future Value of $23.75. Shake Milton, who’s in his 5th NBA season and hasn’t played but in garbage time through two playoff games this season, has a Future Value of $23.76. Something is off here, and truthfully, I’d recommend Shorting Milton at the same time you take a Long position on Braun.