It's getting down to crunch time in fantasy basketball, with some leagues having already started their playoffs. It's time to make some tough decisions, with several questions coming in this week regarding players to possibly drop.
Let's get right to it and provide some answers that will hopefully help lead some fantasy managers to the promised land in their leagues.
I have to drop Paul George since his MRI results came back sort of neutral. I'm thinking of adding Devin Vassell or Lauri Markkanen. Your thoughts? - @flip_pina
While the Clippers provided an update on George's status last week, it wasn't much of an update. They said that he is feeling better and progressing in his recovery, but that there is still no timetable for his return. The Clippers are in the playoff hunt, and getting George back would be huge, but they clearly have no desire to push him to return anytime soon.
I agree that dropping George is the move to make. In terms of who to add, I prefer Vassell over Markkanen. Markkanen can have the occasional big game, but if the Cavaliers get healthy over the next week or two, he could see his scoring opportunities decline. Vassell's numbers don't exactly jump off the page, but he's averaged a valuable 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.7 three-pointers across seven games since becoming a starter. He should remain in a starting role for the remainder of the season.
Do you think Gordon
It's getting down to crunch time in fantasy basketball, with some leagues having already started their playoffs. It's time to make some tough decisions, with several questions coming in this week regarding players to possibly drop.
Let's get right to it and provide some answers that will hopefully help lead some fantasy managers to the promised land in their leagues.
I have to drop Paul George since his MRI results came back sort of neutral. I'm thinking of adding Devin Vassell or Lauri Markkanen. Your thoughts? - @flip_pina
While the Clippers provided an update on George's status last week, it wasn't much of an update. They said that he is feeling better and progressing in his recovery, but that there is still no timetable for his return. The Clippers are in the playoff hunt, and getting George back would be huge, but they clearly have no desire to push him to return anytime soon.
I agree that dropping George is the move to make. In terms of who to add, I prefer Vassell over Markkanen. Markkanen can have the occasional big game, but if the Cavaliers get healthy over the next week or two, he could see his scoring opportunities decline. Vassell's numbers don't exactly jump off the page, but he's averaged a valuable 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.7 three-pointers across seven games since becoming a starter. He should remain in a starting role for the remainder of the season.
Do you think Gordon Hayward will be back within three weeks? I'm thinking of dropping him. My league's playoffs will start in two weeks and will last for three weeks. - @nikkiosus
I wish we had a more updates regarding Hayward's (ankle) status. He remains out indefinitely and is approaching a month since we last saw him on the floor. Even when he does return, he could be on a minutes restriction for a time period.
At this point, I'd drop him. There's a pretty good chance that he won't return by the time your fantasy playoffs have started, and even if he has, he might be playing limited minutes. Stream his roster spot and take advantage of players with favorable schedules/matchups.
In a 9-category, H2H league, would you rather have, Isaiah Stewart or Chuma Okeke for the rest of the season? - @chetmanly22
Okeke is a tantalizing fantasy option. He's shown difference-making upside, including a recent performance against the Rockets in which he recorded 26 points, nine rebound, four assists, three steals, one block and five three-pointers. The problem is, he's inconsistent. Over his last seven games, he has scored fewer than 10 points five times.
If you're reaching for the stars and need someone with a high upside, Okeke is an option. However, I prefer the higher floor that Stewart provides. He's even stepped up his production down the stretch, averaging 10.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over his last 14 games.
Would you drop Jarred Vanderbilt for Jalen Smith? - @FuryFFB
Let's first address Vanderbilt, who doesn't exactly have a ton of fantasy appeal. Most of his contributions come in terms of rebounds and steals, with him averaging 8.9 and 1.4, respectively, in the two categories. He doesn't score much and provides very little in terms of assists and blocks, so unless you're desperate for rebounds, he's ok to drop.
I'd use Vanderbilt's roster spot to stream players with favorable schedules/matchups. Smith does have a hot hand right now, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 three-pointers over the last seven games. You could add him, and then quickly cut bait if he shows any signs of slowing down.
In my dynasty league, I was offered Anthony Davis and Ben Simmons for Dejounte Murray. I'm out of it this year, so would you make this trade for next season? - @InfamousD
Unfortunately, some fantasy managers are no longer in the title hunt in their respective leagues. That's the case here, which leads to a very interesting trade proposal. If this manager was playing for a title this season, the answer here isn't even in question. Davis is hurt and Simmons has yet to make his debut for the Nets, while Murray has been a dominant force in fantasy.
Looking ahead to next season, this proposal gets more interesting. Simmons should be fully acclimated to his new team, and he can be very valuable in fantasy, despite his lack of three-pointers and struggles at the free-throw line. When healthy, Davis is still a top-10 fantasy option, possibly even top-5.
The problem with Davis is, he's rarely been healthy. He's only had two seasons in which he has played at least 70 games, and he's played a total of 73 games dating back to the start of last season. Rostering him comes with a ton of risk, and he's about to turn 29-years-old next week. Expecting his health to improve as he gets older might be unrealistic.
As enticing as this trade is, I'd decline it. Murray has the potential to be a fantasy star for years to come. If you are going to trade him, it has to be for more of a sure thing, not two players who both have high upsides, but plenty of question marks, as well.
