Fantasy Basketball Drops: Don't hold onto Draymond Green if you need help now
By Mike Barner, RotoWire
Special to Yahoo Sports
We are already more than a quarter of the way through the NBA regular season. We have a good understanding of how most teams will deploy their rotations, which can sometimes make it easier to move on from a player in fantasy basketball who hasn’t been providing enough valuable stat lines. Let’s dig into five players fantasy managers should consider dropping if they need help off the waiver wire.
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (59% rostered)
Green is not normally someone to expect to see on a drop list. During his tenure in the league, he has been a versatile contributor to a dominant Warriors team. While never a huge scoring threat, Green entered this season having averaged at least 7.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.0 steals in each of the last three seasons. He even shot at least 52.5% from the field in both of the last two campaigns.
Green’s overall numbers have been down a bit this season with him providing 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 0.4 steals per game. However, that’s not the main reason why it’s time to move on from him in fantasy.
His latest outburst on the court saw him strike Jusuf Nurkić, which resulted in an indefinite suspension. Reports have indicated that Green will miss at least three more weeks while undergoing counseling. For those who need immediate help, it’s OK to drop Green.
Obi Toppin, Indiana Pacers (48% rostered)
A move from the Knicks to the Pacers left Toppin with the potential for a more significant role. After being stuck behind Julius Randle in New York, Toppin has started all but one game for the Pacers. He hasn’t taken on a normal starter’s workload, though, logging just 24 minutes per game.
Limited minutes have left Toppin to contribute just 12.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 3-pointers per game. While he’s shooting 60.8% from the field, he has provided very little in terms of assists and defensive stats. He can still provide the occasional scoring outburst, but his lack of significant contributions in multiple categories doesn’t make him a must-roster player.
Kyle Lowry, Miami Heat (43% rostered)
Lowry continues to start for the Heat and he averaged 31 minutes over their first eight games of the season. However, he wasn’t asked to score much, leaving him to attempt 5.8 shots per game. During that eight-game span, Lowry averaged 6.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.8 3-pointers. Then injuries hit the Heat, most notably Tyler Herro going down. That helped Lowry average 11.2 points and 2.4 3-pointers over the Heat’s next 17 games.
Not only did Herro make his return from injury Monday, but the Heat’s overall health is the best that it has been in a while. Caleb Martin, Haywood Highsmith and Josh Richardson are all back, while Bam Adebayo also recently returned from an eight-game absence. With Lowry’s numbers likely on the decline, fantasy managers who aren’t desperate for assists can move on from him.
Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves (43% rostered)
McDaniels emerged as a significant contributor for the Timberwolves last season, logging 31 minutes per game. However, that didn’t exactly translate into him being a valuable fantasy option. He’s known more for his defense, which left him with averages of only 12.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists. For a defensive-first player, even his averages of 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks weren’t anything to write home about.
Injuries have been a problem for McDaniels this season, limiting him to just 14 games played. Another concern is that his playing time has declined to 24 minutes per game. Even if he were to see more playing time as the season moves along, we already saw his limitations last season, despite being in a significant role. There’s no reason for him to still be on this many rosters.
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings (33% rostered)
There are no playing time issues with Barnes. After averaging 33 minutes per game last season, he has logged 31 minutes per game this season. The Kings value his veteran leadership, so unless they were to make a significant trade, it’s unlikely that Barnes would see his playing time decline anytime soon.
The issue with Barnes is that he has a modest 13.9% usage rate. That is on pace to be the lowest mark of his career and has left him to provide just 11.3 points per game. In addition to his lackluster scoring numbers, he has averaged only 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 steals.
Don’t get hooked on his production from seasons past. Barnes isn’t producing enough right now to be worth rostering in most leagues.
