Fantasy Basketball Players to Drop: Let’s Waive Goodbye

As you work on your roster, here are some fantasy basketball drop candidates to consider.

Fantasy Basketball: Who to Drop

Jay Huff, C, Indiana Pacers

After missing five games with an ankle injury, Ivica Zubac is back in the starting lineup. That means Huff returns to the bench, and with him, he takes the majority of his fantasy value. Huff will still maintain a role with Indiana, but at most he’ll get 15 to 20 minutes of playing time each night. Yes, there might be nights when he scores 14 or 13 points like he did earlier this season, but there’s more of a chance he combines for the 15 points he scored in four other games.

Huff can block shots and knock down some three-pointers. That combination, especially the latter for a center, shouldn’t be overlooked. However, at this point, Huff and his playing time are simply too inconsistent. If that changes, then he deserves our attention once again.

Dennis Schroder, G, Charlotte Hornets

That was fun while it lasted. With Coby White out to start the season, Schroder took on a larger role for the Hornets. However, even during that stretch, the veteran’s numbers, especially as a consistent scorer, did leave something to be desired.

Historically, Schroder has struggled with efficiency, but he’s shooting a career-low 36.4% from the field to begin the season. Through nine games, he’s averaging 10.2 points per game, which is light both for his career and considering his initial role with White injured. There were three games in which Schroder reached double figures, 19, 25, and 14 points, but in his other six games, he has just a combined 34 points.

Now that White is back in the lineup, Schroder should see a reduction in playing time as he heads to the bench. In his last two games, he’s averaged just 21 minutes of playing time with five points and 2.5 assists per game.

There might be streaming value again this season, but I’d look elsewhere at the moment.

Jaylen Wells, G/F, Memphis Grizzlies

Yes, Wells is starting, but for how long? And with the dependable veteran Jerami Grant lurking, what can we really expect from him?

The Grizzlies are going to run through Cameron Boozer, but it’s clear that Ty Jerome and Cedric Coward are next in line offensively. Wells has scored in double figures in six of eight games, but he also has a combined four points in his other two games. We’d be able to weather that storm if the rest of the picture were better. Wells is averaging just 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and one steal per game. He is shooting 52.4% from the field, but that’s erased by his 69.2% free-throw shooting.

If Wells doesn’t score, his fantasy value is minimal at best. And if he does score, it’s essentially one-dimensional; maybe two-dimensional if you really need his 1.8 three-pointers per game. Unless his situation changes, Wells is on the wrong side of consistent fantasy relevance in most leagues.

Keon Ellis, G, Brooklyn Nets

The Nets brought Ellis in to fill a specific role, but the problem is that he appears to be more of a supporting player than we might have truly thought. He is averaging close to 23 minutes a game. Ellis has just 4.5 points per game. The “three and D” player is only making 0.9 three-pointers per game this season to go along with 1.3 steals.

While Brooklyn is looking to take the next steps towards being competitive, the focus in their backcourt will be on Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, and Mikel Brown. It doesn’t mean Ellis won’t continue to play about 20 minutes a game, but as Brown eases into action and Demin gets healthy, his workload might lean towards the lower edge of that range.

The Nets trio of young guards is a large part of their future, and their roles are only going to increase. That doesn’t bode well for Ellis’ fantasy value.

Deandre Ayton, C, Washington Wizards

The Wizards are trying to remain competitive while also building towards the future. As they look to strike that balance, it means Ayton is out of the starting lineup when Washington is fully healthy. Even when he’s in the starting lineup, Ayton is still in more of a supporting role. In his last start, the veteran played just 25 minutes, and he finished with four points and six rebounds.

Overall, he’s averaging 5.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15 minutes of action. That does lend optimism towards what could happen with additional playing time, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards. While we might err on the side of name recognition, this is a situation in which the role might not necessarily allow for that.