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What's up, RotoBallers! We are now in the home stretch of the season as some leagues already start their playoffs and others only have a couple of weeks left. Fantasy basketball playoffs can be a tricky time with teams resting some players that may already clinch a playoff berth soon and others could just get some more rest days to make sure they remain healthy enough for a championship push. So, we're here to help you with all of that!
The Drop List returns for another week, and it might not be kind to some of your rosters. Each week, I'll take a look at a handful of NBA players that can be dropped from your fantasy team.
Without further ado, let's get to the fantasy basketball drop list. Every Saturday, we'll have a list of NBA players and a small dive into why they can be cut from some or all fantasy formats. Please take into account: each fantasy league is different. Make sure you check out the waiver wire and have a player in mind to replace one of the following players that you may drop.
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Players to Consider Dropping or Replacing
Bones Hyland (PG/SG, LAC) - 30% rostered
Los Angeles is home to two of the biggest roster shuffles since the trade deadline this season. Both the Lakers and the Clippers have moved around role players, and starters, and will have many different rotations heading into the playoffs than they started with. The biggest difference is that the Lakers desperately needed the shuffle while the Clippers now have some log jams.
One of those log jams happens to be at the two guard spots now with Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Eric Gordon, Amir Coffey, and Bones Hyland. If you just read all of those names and thought, "Wow, that's a lot of guys to get minutes," then we're on the same wavelength.
Hyland is one of the unfortunate players that went from a solid position on his own team that he was growing into, to a way more specialized role that will only see time when it comes to matchups. So far this season, he was only averaging 19.3 minutes per game as it is, and since joining the Clippers, he's seen 15.5.
The 22-year-old is only putting up 11.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 threes per game which ranks him as 231st in terms of per-game value in nine-category leagues. If you were in a 14-team league with rosters of 15 players, Hyland would still be on the outside looking in. Here's your sign to stop hanging on.
Chris Boucher (PF/C, TOR) - 33% rostered
Wait, hold the presses! Toronto finally found themselves an actual center at the trade deadline and he's producing some big-time games that is allowing them to win some games?! During the six games that he's been on the team, they're 4-2?! Wow, what's going to happen to the tween type of players that are too small to play center but not as versatile to play power forward?
Allow me to answer that question: those players are going to play less and take a fantasy value hit. Chris Boucher, Thaddeus Young, Precious Achiuwa, Christian Koloko, and Juancho Hernangomez are all going to see a decrease.
To prove it, Boucher was as low as 196 in fantasy value rankings for nine-category leagues. Queue up the next waiver wire add, maybe someone like Mark Williams!
Terance Mann (SG/SF, LAC) - 25% rostered
We won't waste too much time with the explanation for Terance Mann. See above where we spoke about Bones Hyland and all the guards that are going to need playing time in Los Angeles.
It's a shame because this team was moving along like a well-oiled machine with Mann in the starting lineup. Hit that drop button because it's Westbrook time baby!
Deni Avdija (SF/PF, WAS) - 34% rostered
Once upon a time, Deni Avdija was compared to players like Mike Miller, Danny Granger, Hedo Turkoglu, and Gordon Hayward as he was coming from overseas into the NBA Draft.
Since then, his shooting hasn't exactly developed like everyone hoped and the rest of his game has become serviceable for a role player, but not much more than that. He still is a great source of rebounds when it comes to a forward and he doesn't turn the ball over often as well. Those two aspects are the only two positive values that he provides when comparing against the league average in nine-category fantasy formats.
For those that are heading into the playoffs, Avdija might not be the best in any category format. Points leagues are a different story because he doesn't produce a lot of negative points. Anyone in category leagues will want to check the waivers for any upgrades, especially in 12-team leagues that have a little more wiggle room in terms of higher waiver value.
Jaden Ivey (PG/SG, DET) - 72% rostered
Rookies can be the hardest fantasy players to judge throughout the whole season. They could be awful to start and then turn into a league-winning player, it could be the reverse of that, or the result could be anywhere in between. Jaden Ivey has probably helped fantasy managers win in some points leagues, but in category leagues, he's been doing a lot more harm than good.
Over the last 18 games, Ivey produced just three games that were on the positive side of the fantasy value spectrum for nine-category leagues. If that doesn't scream he's hurting your team, I'll give you a couple more points. His only positive value throughout the season so far is his 4.7 assists per game and in terms of per-game value, he's currently ranked 265 while also being ranked outside of the top 200 in sheer total numbers.
I completely understand that he's difficult to drop as a starting guard who gets 30 or more minutes per night. He also shouldn't be dropped in dynasty leagues by any means. If the target is a fantasy championship in any sort of redraft league, however, then there should be some guards that found better homes and can add more to a team than Ivey can.
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