With the end of the NBA regular season just around the corner, this will be the final mailbag column for a while. Thanks to everyone who sent in submissions throughout the season. Hopefully, we were able to help you have success in your fantasy leagues
Without further ado, let's put a bow on things with the final set of questions.
Given how this season went, how do you value Zion Williamson looking ahead to next season?
I'm putting him in the same boat as Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard. Based on talent alone, Williamson can be an elite fantasy option. However, he's also extremely risky with his injury history. In addition to that, he doesn't seem overly interested in playing for the Pelicans anymore.
I actually might be higher on him if he were traded during the offseason. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if he demanded to be moved. A fresh start might be just what he needs to get his motor going again. Still, even if he were to move to a new team, they would likely be very cautious with him after he sat out an entire season. I don't usually draft Davis or Leonard, and I won't be selecting Williamson next season, either.
Should I pick up Alex Len or Damian Jones because of the Domantas Sabonis injury?
Len and Jones don't need to be immediately added considering the Kings only have two games in Week 23, one of which they played Wednesday. They have four games in Week 24, which does at least make Len and Jones a little more viable. However, I'm still not over excited about adding either one of them.
If forced to choose between the two, I'd feel more comfortable adding Jones for Week 24. With that being said, the better pickup might be Trey Lyles. Across eight games in which he has logged at least 30 minutes this season, Lyles has averaged 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 three-pointers. He's not afraid to shoot, and with De'Aaron Fox (hand) possibly stuck on the sidelines with Sabonis for an extended time period, there could be plenty of shot attempts for him to absorb.
How confident are you that Damian Lillard can bounce back to being a Round 1 value in 2022-23?
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most confident, I'd give him an eight. While there wasn't a ton of talk about it heading into this season, Lillard was clearly not healthy from the onset. He's had his abdominal issue corrected, and will have had plenty of time to recover heading into next season.
The thing that might impact his fantasy value more is where he plays next season. Do the Blazers fully hit the reset button after dealing way CJ McCollum, Robert Covington and Norman Powell, or do they try to add to the core of Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Josh Hart? It's important to note that Jusuf Nurkic will be a free agent, so he might not return. If Lillard remains with Portland, his usage rate will be off the charts. If he ends up elsewhere, he should still at least approach first-round production with his skill set.
In what order would you draft this year's top rookies for 2022-23 drafts?
I'm going to limit this discussion to Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes and Josh Giddey. I think they have all been a tier above the rest of the class. I'd rank them in that same order, too. Giddey checks in last for me because of his lack of efficiency. He's only shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 70.9 percent from the free-throw line. That kind of free-throw shooting percentage is a tough pill to swallow for a guard since they should normally be an asset in that regard.
It was close between Cunningham and Mobley for the top spot, but I'll give the edge to Cunningham because he's shaping up to be a fantasy monster. Over his last 14 games, he's averaged 21.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.5 three-pointers, while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 80.4 percent from the free-throw line. He's clearly going to be the focal point for the Pistons, which can't be said for Mobley on the Cavaliers, considering how much talent they have built around him.
Would you drop Malik Monk for Brook Lopez? I am in the semifinals of my playoffs and the matchup looks to be greatly in my favor. I can use blocks, hence why I want to make the change. Plus, the Bucks play four games next week.
Taking a look at the Week 24 schedule, both the Bucks and Lakers will play four games each. This comes down to this fantasy manager's need for blocks. Those aren't coming for Monk, who is averaging just 0.4 per game. Even though Lopez has played limited minutes in each of his first four games back, he still has totaled four blocks.
The one concern with Lopez is that the Bucks do play three games in four nights at one point, so he could sit out one of those games for rest. Still, with the potential for him to provide anywhere from three to six blocks across even just three games, I'm ok with dropping Monk for him.
