The calendar flipping to March means that it is crunch time in fantasy basketball. For those looking to solidify their seeding or make a late run for a playoff spot, there isn't much room for patience when crafting lineups.

Let's look at some players whose fantasy fortunes have shifted recently, for better and for worse.

While Sheppard cooled off a bit in the Rockets' February 28 loss to the Heat, scoring 14 points and two straight outings with at least 20, he rebounded nicely in the team's March 2 win over the Wizards. The second-year guard finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, six steals, two blocks and four three-pointers, playing 42 of a possible 48 minutes.

The Rockets not having the injured Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) propelled Sheppard into the starting lineup, and he's taken advantage of the opportunity. Over the past week, he has averaged 20.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.5 steals, 1.3 blocks and 5.0 three-pointers in just over 35 minutes per game. The only negative for Sheppard is that he's likely to return to the bench soon, as Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said he'll go back to his usual starting lineup when Smith returns. And that could be on Thursday against the Warriors.

While one of his Timberwolves starters has struggled recently, McDaniels has not. He's scored at least 19 points in three of his last four games, most recently recording 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field in a March 1 win over the Nuggets. Over his last five, the versatile wing has averaged 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 three-pointers while shooting 55.7 percent from the field and 86.7 percent from the foul line.

As good as he is defensively, the key for McDaniels, who's rostered in 48 percent of Yahoo! leagues, is to remain aggressive on offense. When that happens, he and the Timberwolves benefit.

The Hornets center returned from a four-game suspension on February 24, and he has provided very good value as the team's starting center. Over his last three games, Diabaté has averaged 12.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks in 31.3 minutes while shooting 84.2 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the foul line. While his game isn't particularly flashy, Diabaté has a clear understanding of where he's at his best. And the steady improvement made by Charlotte's playmakers hasn't hurt, either.

Having gotten off to an excellent start to the season, the Timberwolves forward has struggled since the All-Star break. In five games, four of which Minnesota has won, he's averaged 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.6 three-pointers while shooting 35.7 percent from the field and 76.0 percent from the foul line. There isn't much for fantasy managers to worry about regarding Randle's playing time or place within the Timberwolves. That said, this is a bad time for him to have his least productive five-game stretch of the season.

While Ayton was solid in his most recent outing, scoring 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting in a March 1 win over the Kings, he has not been very productive since the All-Star break. Over his last six games, the 7-footer has averaged 9.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 24.3 minutes. Playing on a team where he's no higher than fourth in the offensive pecking order when everyone is healthy has clearly been an issue for Ayton, who said last week that "he's no Clint Capela" in protesting his role.

The fact of the matter is that the Lakers, and fantasy managers, would be better served if Ayton were to play like the younger version of Capela moving forward.

A fixture in the Pelicans' starting lineup from mid-November through the All-Star break, the rookie center was demoted to the bench last week. An issue for Queen throughout the season has been his defense, especially when sharing the floor with Zion Williamson. Eventually, interim head coach James Borrego decided that Queen needed to come off the bench, with DeAndre Jordan serving as the starting center.

Queen did have a productive outing in the Pelicans' March 1 loss to the Clippers, but he has averaged 10.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 21.2 minutes over his last five games. While those aren't terrible averages, the decrease in playing time lowers the rookie's fantasy ceiling considerably.