Ah, the third week of the fantasy basketball season has come and gone. At this point, we have witnessed the rise and fall of good teams. Fans are scattering, running to the artist formerly known as Twitter to yell about trading this guy or that.
The Chicago Bulls are being circled like a lifeboat in the ocean, but S.S. LaVine will only last so long. The sharks are coming, and they smell blood.
This week, we are going to discuss a few things, potential in certain teams and areas to focus on.
Last week, if you missed it, had some conversations about the waiver wire, OKC fantasy production, Walker Kessler, the Orlando Magic, Dennis Schroeder, and Cam Thomas. We will follow up on these notes this week, and the first week’s questions just to observe where perception and production are pertaining to fantasy.
Fantasy Basketball Mailbag: Week Three Wonders
Let us get started then with individual player production. Walker Kessler has been hurt since November 8, and could very likely be a drop or trade candidate in your league. Unfortunately, so has Cam Thomas (am I cursed?). Dennis Schroeder has not had over six assists since November 2nd, nor over 20 points only once in that same time frame. Basically, he is mellowing out into the 14.5 PPG/6-7 APG player that the Raptors still could use. Please be wary. The Toronto Raptors could make a trade at any moment, and capitalize on their contractual situation.
Unfortunately, Damian Lillard is the opposite of quality production when related to his draft position. This could be one of those situations where he figures it out, or he has a bad year after a good year. It is uncertain. He still is not shooting well. He still is not assisting at a high rate. Regardless, Damian Lillard has not been the fantasy Lillard this entire year. The Milwaukee Bucks as a whole have not been beneficial fantasy-wise at all, except for Giannis. Not sure where they go, but the trade market seems unlikely with how capped out they are. Observe Khris Middleton. He has been scoring more than ten points per game in less than 20 minutes of play.
Let us get to this week’s questions now!
The first week of the James Harden experiment in Los Angeles has not been great. What is the ceiling there? – Bradlee
Buy now. That’s the ceiling. James Harden is one of the top 100 players of all time but has been playing shooting guard since getting traded. Every single year James Harden sits out for a few games, but he usually turns it around after someone calls him out.
I am assuming that he should get some starts at his more recent primary position as the point guard, but that would mean moving Russell Westbrook to the bench. That is more than likely going to happen, as the Los Angeles Clippers do not want to lose the trade from the get-go, or at all. Regardless, this move is better for the Clippers and Harden fantasy owners with a sour taste in their mouths. Buy Harden, sell Westbrook. SOON.
What is the fantasy future of Utah’s backcourt? – Bradford
This is an interesting question to analyze. Currently, the starting backcourt of the Utah Jazz consists of Keyonte George (their rookie), and Jordan Clarkson. Keyonte George has averaged seven or more assists per game since starting. For your fantasy teams, the future is simple. Buy Keyonte George. George was our 16th overall rookie in dynasty rankings, but his ability to pass the rock was underestimated. If you can pick him up a low cost, do it.
As far as Jordan Clarkson goes, take a chance to sell him now. He is a really good option off the bench, but if Utah is serious about winning, or starting to win, they should consider having one defensive player not named Walker Kessler in the starting lineup. At some point, a trade is coming, and I can imagine it will include Clarkson to a contending team.
Is Nassir Little a valuable dynasty asset to hold on to? – Chad
Not really, no. He has not shown any ability to score enough or accumulate a variety of stats enough to be a good asset. Despite length and athleticism, he does not get enough steals and blocks in his time to be of value, which is where it would come from. Trade him for whatever you can, if you can. Sell Low, I do not see a path to having more than a second-round pick or equivalent value. I would recommend, based on the rookie class, one of Trayce Jackson-Davis or Andre Jackson Jr.
Are there any Washington Wizards worth holding on to? – Sabapathy
This question is a good follow-up to last week’s low waiver wire pickup. If you can trade Jordan Poole now, then do it. He’s an incredibly inefficient player, that does not put together enough assists or rebounds to be worth it. I see this inefficiency continue, as he turns into the player that guys like Jordan Clarkson are.
I would definitely hold on to Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, Bilal Coulibaly, and/or Tyus Jones. There is something there, once Jordan Poole is out of the equation. They need a lineup that consists of spacing and defense to put around a floor general like Tyus Jones, and his best talent is being wasted without that. That is a player that I think continues to figure it out and produce, and the Wizards are not going to get rid of their young players as non-competitors.
Weekly Joke Question from Evan: Did the person who designed these courts get their degree from 2K University? Does anyone enjoy this?
As for my weekly rant question, the answer is probably no. The in-season courts are one of the worst, if not the worst, things to happen from this tournament. Outside of it being generally a waste (and a hassle for fantasy leagues), the courts themselves make me want to turn games off. Not a single media member I follow likes them.