From Mason Plumlee getting traded to Kevin Durant travelling the hardest road to Phoenix, and Detroit doing Detroit things, this trade deadline delivered what we wanted - absolute chaos.

In total, 49 players were moved on trade deadline day (please don't fact-check me on this, I read it in an article, ChatGPT only goes back to 2021, and my brain is too fried to count them all myself).

If true, that's a lot of moving parts. Enough to shake up rotations and allow players to go from waiver wire fodder to if-all-things-go-to-plan players with top-100 upside.

So, onto the biggest winners list.

From bench players to starter minutes

Mark Williams (Charlotte Hornets - C)

On paper, the biggest winner of the trade deadline is Mark Williams. But on paper, he also has a coach called Steve Clifford.

He has healthy Robert Williams upside, but he's just as likely going to be in a timeshare with Nick Richards. 24 minutes a night is all he needs to flirt with top 75 value, so let's hope he gets it.

Collin Sexton (Utah Jazz - PG)

The last time Sexton had a consistent starting role was in 2020-21, when he averaged 24.3 points and 4.4 assists, shooting 47.5% from the field and 81.5% from the line. This was good enough to be ranked 72nd in per-game value.

While he may not be putting up those same numbers for the rest of the season, he does have the starting PG spot all but guaranteed with the departure of Mike Conley.

Zach Collins (San Antonio Spurs - C)

The often injured Collins has found himself in the perfect situation, where he can showcase his ability in a low-pressure environment. If he can stay healthy, he has the potential to put up top-100 value.

Cameron Thomas (Brooklyn Nets - SG)

Thomas has been on a 4-game heat check, where he has averaged 38.5 points, 3.8 three-pointers made, and 5.3 rebounds on 49.5% shooting from the field and 92.5% from the line.

Is it sustainable? Obviously not. Should you be actively trying to trade him? Obviously, yes. But trading guys in competitive leagues is tough, and you often have to ride out the hot hand and hope they don't turn into a Bol Bol situation.

The good news is that Thomas has a big role to play, so long as his shot continues falling. The wing situation is crowded in Brooklyn (with Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Royce O'Neale, Seth Curry, and Joe Harris all capable of playing big minutes at the SG and SF spot), so temper your expectations when Brooklyn is at full strength, but there's no denying his ability to score quickly, it's just a matter of whether he's capable of contributing to non-scoring categories.

Good players getting better

Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets - SG/SF)

Bridges upped his scoring average from 15.8 to 18.8 points a game in 26 games without Devin Booker this season, and with no clear-cut number-one scoring option in Brooklyn, Mikal is in line for a bigger role offensively.

Could see starters minutes if all things go to plan

Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks - SG)

There's a Dorian Finney-Smith sized hole in Dallas, and Josh Green could be the guy to fill some of it. He has played 34.8 minutes over the last three games, and while that isn't sustainable, you can easily see him playing 25 a night, which makes him rosterable.

Nick Richards (Charlotte Hornets - C)

I'm adding Nick to this list because I can't read Steve Cliffords mind, and there will no doubt be games where Richards players more than Williams.

KJ Martin Jr (Houston Rockets - SF)

Martin looks to be the biggest beneficiary of the Eric Gordon trade, and we've already seen what he can do with starters minutes (ranked 79th in per-game value over the last 2-weeks), but Houston still has Kevin Porter Jr to return from injury, so while huge minutes aren't guaranteed, he'll still be playing enough to be rosterable in most formats.

Honorable mentions

Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn Nets - PG) is already an established fantasy player, but he finds himself in a situation where he'll consistently be the primary ball handler on a team. Matisse Thybulle (Portland Trailblazers - SG) might not start, but Portland desperately needs help defensively (ranked 26th in defensive ranking), and he only needs 20 minutes a night to get you two steals and a block. James Wiseman (Detroit Pistons - C), by default, gets a mention because he goes from a team that wasn't playing him to a team that will. Same with Dario Saric (Oklahoma City Thunder - PF/C), and Cam Reddish (Portland Trailblazers - SF). Isaiah Livers (Detroit Pistons - SF) has less competition in Detroit. Jae Crowder (Milwaukee Bucks - PF) goes from not wanting to play in Phoenix to wanting to play (and still not being fantasy relevant) in Milwaukee.

PJ Washington (Charlotte Hornets - PF) should see a little more usage going from playing next to a big man who handles the ball to playing next to a big man who doesn't want to touch the ball outside of the paint, one of Torrey Craig (Phoenix Suns - SF) or Josh Okogie (Phoenix Suns - SG/SF) can be borderline rosterable when Phoenix are fully healthy depending on who gets the starting SF spot, and both Jeremy Sochan (San Antonio Spurs - PF) and Malaki Branham (San Antonio Spurs - SG) should see an increase in touches with Josh Richardson on the move. Just keep in mind that Dean Vassell should return at some point. Devonte' Graham (San Antonio Spurs - PG) also has some short-term value until Tre Jones returns from injury.

Now, onto the biggest losers list (I'll keep this short since I've just been told that the latest season of You has dropped on Netflix).

Players not worth rostering any more

Mason Plumlee (Los Angeles Clippers - C)

He goes from playing way too many minutes in Charlotte to being a backup in LA, and with it goes any value he had this season.

Precious Achiuwa (Toronto Raptors - C)

Say goodbye to Achiuwa's fantasy value this season, because Jakob Poeltl has just snatched it away.

Saddiq Bey (Atlanta Hawks - SF/PF)

Saddiq goes from a roster with very little depth at SF to a team flooded with depth on the wing, with Hunter, Bogdanovic, and Griffin all needing minutes.

Royce O'Neale (Brooklyn Nets - SF/PF)

There's way too much depth on the wing at Brooklyn right now (Thomas, Bridges, Johnson, Finney-Smith, Harris, Curry), and Royce seems to be the odd man out.

Thomas Bryant (Denver Nuggets - C)

Bryant apparently asked to be traded because he wasn't getting enough playing time. And now he's playing behind the reigning MVP, who plays the same position.

Still a hold on for now

Ivica Zubac (Los Angeles Clippers - C)

Name a more iconic duo than Ivica Zubac being in a timeshare with another white guy.

Dishonorable mentions

Jalen McDaniels (Philadelphia 76ers - PF) goes from a guy who was a fringe starter in Charlotte to a guy with a no-better-than-bench-player role. It looks like Christian Wood (Dallas Mavericks - PF/C) is going to see a reduced role on the offensive end with the addition of Kyrie Irving, and both De'Andre Hunter (Atlanta Hawks - SG/SF) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta Hawks SG/SF) should see a small dip in minutes with the addition of Saddiq Bey.