The only constant in sports (and life) is change. While consistency is key to a winning strategy, the ebb and flow of production often can't be avoided.
Tracking the endless ups and downs over 40 games and nearly four months can become a heady operation. Segmenting the journey, however, into weekly updates allows managers to live (and play) in the now.
That's exactly what my Risers and Fallers column aims to accomplish, as we utilize ESPN's metrics database for a deeper look at the numbers.
Risers
Odyssey Sims, Dallas Wings (rostered in 12.4% of ESPN leagues, +12.2%)
The Wings signed Sims to a hardship contract last week, and in her three games with Dallas has averaged 12.3 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.3 RPG, 2.0 SPG and 0.7 3PG in 27 MPG. She started her most recent game on Monday night against the Storm and matched or bettered those averages in points, assists and rebounds in 30 minutes of play. The Wings are beset by injuries, and in the short term it appears Sims is one of the players the team will continue to lean on.
Chennedy Carter, Chicago Sky (rostered in 61.6% of ESPN leagues, +11.2%)
Carter was making a major case to win Sixth Player of the Year, but she moved into the starting lineup five games ago and appears set to start for the foreseeable future. Carter has averaged 19.0 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.8 RPG and 1.4 SPG while shooting 54.8 FG% and 77.8 FT% in 30.4 MPG over her past five games. Carter has become one of the primary scorers for the Sky and one of the team's most reliable producers on a game-to-game basis.
Bridget Carleton, Minnesota Lynx (rostered in 37.8% of ESPN leagues, +10.5%)
Carleton has stepped up as a scorer in recent weeks, notching double-digit points in five of her past seven games, while averaging 11.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.9 3PG, 1.9 APG and 1.3 SPG in 30.6 MPG over that span. Carleton has carved out her niche as a reliable player on a Lynx team that is surging toward the top of the standings.
Fallers
Note: Elizabeth Williams (knee), Cameron Brink (knee), Brittney Sykes (foot), Karlie Samuelson (hand), Lexie Brown (Crohn's disease) and Maddy Siegrist (finger) all have sustained long-term injuries that will keep them sidelined until at least the break for the Olympics and in some cases for the season, and thus their rostered percentages are each falling.
Dana Evans, Chicago Sky (42.6%, -9.8%)
Evans was replaced in the starting lineup by Chennedy Carter five games ago and her numbers have fallen off in her new role off the bench. In those five games, she has averaged only 5.6 PPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 RPG, 0.6 SPG and 0.6 3PG in 14.6 MPG. She still has flex upside if she is able to regain a larger role on the team, but in the interim Evans isn't producing fantasy-caliber numbers.
Monique Billings, Dallas Wings (77.8%, -4.3%)
Billings was very productive as a starter for most of the season for the injury-depleted Wings, but she moved to a bench role when Natasha Howard returned from injury five games ago. Billings was productive in two of those five games, scoring eight points with 14 boards in one and 14 points with six boards in the next, but in the other three games she has played 19 or fewer minutes and her numbers have declined as a result.
Billings has averaged only 4.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.5 SPG in 16.0 MPG over her past two games. She still has the ability to break out if she can get the minutes, but in her current role, Billings is no longer worth rostering.