Welcome to another addition of the mailbag column. We had some interesting questions submitted this week, including a couple of trades involving some big-time fantasy options. Let's get down to business and provide some answers.
Once Khris Middleton comes back, I need to drop De'Anthony Melton, Robert Covington or Nicolas Batum. It's a 12-team, 10 cat, H2H league. Who should I drop? - @HectorH64389052
Right off the bat, I'd definitely hold onto Batum. Marcus Morris (knee) has missed eight straight games and there have been no positive updates -- or really any updates, for that matter -- regarding his potential return. In his absence, Batum has averaged 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 3.1 three-pointers and shot 55.1 percent from the field.
Melton hasn't exactly been a consistent source of production, but he's shown flashes of being a great fantasy option, so I'd hold onto him. Covington barely has a role within the Trail Blazers' offense, posting a 9.6 percent usage rate that has led to him averaging 6.8 points per game. He also provides virtually no assists and is shooting just 43.3 percent from the field in the limited attempts that he has received, so he'd be the player I drop to make room for Middleton.
I was offered Paul George for James Harden. Our league has double-doubles instead of FT%. What do you think? - @KyleHarb
Harden still looks off. He's never been an overly efficient player, but he's shooting only 40.9 percent from the field. That's despite him shooting 39.3 percent from behind the arc. After averaging 10.8 assists per game last season, he's averaging 8.8 this season. That's probably more in line with what we should expect from him, too, given that he's averaged more than 8.8 assists only two times in his career.
As the season wears on, Harden's efficiency should improve. However, I'd still trade him for George. With Kawhi Leonard (knee) out, George has used a career-high 34.6 percent usage rate to average 26.7 points and 3.2 three-pointers per game. His efficiency hasn't taken a huge hit, either, with him shooting 45.8 percent from the field. He can also stuff the stat sheet in multiple areas, evident by his averages of 8.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.5 steals.
Would you rather have Kevin Durant and Ja Morant, or Stephen Curry and Domantas Sabonis? – via RotoWire Instagram
The duo of Durant and Morant is certainly enticing. Morant has taken his game to another level, averaging 26.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.7 three-pointers. He's playing more minutes and has seen his usage rate increase to 32.5 percent, which is a deadly combination.
With that being said, Durant worries me. When healthy, he's clearly one of the top options in fantasy. However, expect the Nets to take a very cautious approach with him whenever an injury crops up, even if it's a minor one. Their goal is to be healthy for the playoffs, not have the best record during the regular season.
Give me Curry and Sabonis. Curry is a fantasy unicorn in that he shoots a ton of three-pointers and usually has a high field goal percentage. While he's only shooting 43.6 percent this season, he's never shot lower than 45.1 percent in any season in which he's played a least 50 games. If you exclude the 2019-20 season in which he only played five games, he's shot at least 46.8 percent in four straight seasons. In other words: he has room to improve on what's been a great start.
Sabonis is also unique in that not only is he a threat for 20 points and 10 rebounds whenever he takes the floor, but he's also an excellent passer. His assists are down from the 6.7 that he averaged last season, but he's still performed very well in the category by averaging 3.8 per game.
Should I trade Michael Porter Jr. for Jrue Holiday? - @WESYAP
Porter has a history of back issues, so this latest back injury is a significant concern. He's been ruled out "for the foreseeable future", which isn't exactly a reassuring statement. Given his previous back issues, not only could the Nuggets take a cautious approach with him in the short term, but it could also be something that crops up again later in the season. Even before the back problems, he was off to maybe the most concerning start of any player in the league.
Holiday has had his own injury issues this season, but he's coming off of a 2020-21 campaign in which he was extremely valuable in fantasy, shooting 50.3 percent from the field and averaging 17.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.9 three-pointers. I feel better about his long-term health than I do Porter's, so I'd make the deal.
Should I drop Mason Plumlee for Nerlens Noel? - @dylansub
Plumlee hasn't been able to build on his strong season with the Pistons. Playing time hasn't been a huge issue for him on the Hornets given that he's averaged 27 minutes per game, which is right in line with what he averaged with the Pistons. However, his numbers are down with his averages sitting at 6.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. On the plus side, he's averaging 2.8 assists and has shot 58.5 percent from the field.
As uninspiring as Plumlee has been, the reason to drop him for Noel is if you are desperate for blocks and/or steals. He's averaging fewer points and rebounds per game than Plumlee, and he provides basically nothing in terms of assists. Add in his current knee issues and it might be better to stick with Plumlee -- at least in the short term.
