Fantasy Mailbag: Where does Blake Griffin's form leave him?
I hope the start to your fantasy basketball season has been going well, but if it hasn’t, there is still plenty of time to remedy that.
I scoured Discord and Instagram to get questions for this week’s NBA Fantasy Basketball Mailbag. So, let’s get to it.
@eblbaseball (Discord) - Is Blake Griffin a 12 team drop?
In 2021, Griffin looks a shell of himself most nights on an NBA court.
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However, he is still averaging 28 fantasy points per game, which is good for the top 100.
He will sit out one game of a back to back, and he could get traded, although I think that is unlikely.
But his production, despite what our eyes are telling us, remains useful.
I would consider it given the absences in a ten team league, but he is a hold in a 12 team league.
Now, as soon as he gets hurt, even if he misses two weeks, he will be someone I would be looking to cut.
@Nathan Drake (Discord) - Do you think Myles Turner’s avulsion fracture will impact his blocks moving forward?
An avulsion fracture is when a ligament is pulled and tears a little bit of bone off its attachment points.
It isn’t a traditional fracture, right across the centre of a bone, but it can still be pretty annoying.
Turner missed two games, and it’s more of a pain tolerance issue that anything functional that will impact him moving forward.
We have seen Turner play two games since returning and he has blocked nine shots combined in those two games.
I would say we are pretty safe for his blocks, and even if they drop, I don’t think it will be anything to do with his hand.
@Rickittz (Discord) - Who are players we should look to trade for who will likely perform better in the fantasy playoffs?
This can be a risky strategy because you are almost always giving up a better player now hoping that someone will perform better later on.
But, that player may not improve, they may get hurt, a trade may shackle up the roster.
There are a lot of ways this can go wrong. But, there are a few names I would be looking at.
I had someone ask me today whether LaMelo Ball should be dropped.
Now, obviously, that is ludicrous, but people are panicking about the reduction in minutes.
I think by April, Ball should be starting and he could easily be a top 50 player when the fantasy playoffs roll around.
I think Patrick Williams could have his runway to minutes opened up in Chicago as well, while Isaiah Roby in Oklahoma City could be a full-time starter if Al Horford is dealt.
@dart.b (Instagram) - Should we be buying or selling Russell Westbrook?
This is a question that is worth addressing because it can apply to a lot of different players.
Whether you are buying or selling Westbrook depends on the value that comes back in a trade. We haven’t seen Westbrook play for a few weeks.
He wasn’t great before the injury, and I don’t think the health concerns are going away.
But, if his manager is panicking, you may be able to get Russ for a player outside the top 30.
In that case, it’s a clear scenario where you buy. But, if you have Russ and someone in your league is a big Westbrook stan and loves triple-doubles, you explore selling.
If there is someone that is: “Russ is back to Thunder Russ, triple-doubles every night baby, here comes the top 15”, he is a sell.
Westbrook is the 9th ranked player this season in points leagues, so you may be able to get a less injured top 10 player back.
@cox_w_ (Instagram) - Is Shake Milton a drop now with Seth Curry back?
Despite a hot streak, Milton isn’t even a top 120 player over the course of the season and the last two games, with Curry back, have been worse than his seasonal average.
In the previous two games, Milton is averaging just 12.5 fantasy points, and that’s with Curry back. I think he can be better than that, but he is not a must hold player, especially in shallow leagues.
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