The Fantasy Basketball Cut List - Who to Drop or Hold After Week 1

Thunder Dan Palyo offers advice on which players to drop in fantasy basketball leagues. He helps managers make those tough decisions on who to cut in order to add breakout players off the waiver wire.

So much of the fantasy space is devoted to telling you which players to add, but who's there to help you decide who to drop?

I believe it was Shakespeare who said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow." It's not always easy to let go of a player, especially if you already invested a draft pick on them just a week or two ago. But the reward will be that you're free of their burden and you've created roster flexibility to add or stream players who can help you win now.

This article identifies players who can be safely cut in standard 12-team leagues. If you're making cuts, then you are probably looking for players to add, so check out my weekly waiver wire article. Alright, let's roll up our sleeves and make those tough decisions - who is getting cut already from our fantasy basketball teams?

Highly Rostered Players to Consider Cutting

All roster percentages are courtesy of Yahoo!

Bradley Beal, SG/SF - Los Angeles Clippers (79% Rostered)

It's been a nice run, but I think the storied career of Bradley Beal is finally winding down. The 32-year-old sharpshooter is in his 14th season in the NBA and has played just 20 minutes per game so far for the Clippers. He's missed the last two games with back soreness, and he hasn't played 60 games in a season since 2020-2021.

We saw a significant decline in Beal's scoring in Phoenix, averaging 18 and 17 points per game during his brief stint there. Now, he's in L.A. trying to chase a ring with other 30-somethings James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Chris Paul. What's Beal's role going to be on this team when healthy? How many minutes can he play per night without having his bad back act up again?

I just think you can find points and threes so easily elsewhere. Beal isn't elite at any rare stats like steals, blocks, or assists - why bother with the injury headache and potential reduced role? His name recognition is the only reason he's still so highly rostered, but this is not the Bradley Beal from his glory days in Washington. If you happen to draft him late, I'd move on and find a younger, healthier player.

Dereck Lively II, C - Dallas Mavericks (76% Rostered)

Lively entered the season ready to reprise his role as the starting center for the Mavericks, but he has missed the last two games with an injury. He's entering his third season in the league, but has been fairly injury-prone in his young career, appearing in just 91 games over his first two seasons.

The big man had no competition for minutes from Daniel Gafford to start the year, but still managed just 17 minutes per game for Dallas, and that's a big red flag for me. The Mavericks have the flexibility of playing Anthony Davis at center and P.J. Washington at power forward to get more shooting on the floor, and that's something I think they'll continue to do, especially while Kyrie Irving remains out for the next several months.

Lively is a rebounder and shot-blocker; he offers little offense and can't space the floor. Gafford is set to return any day now, and the two are heading for a messy timeshare where neither one may retain much value for standard leagues. If both are getting 15 to 20 minutes a night, I'd probably prefer Gafford anyway, as he's a better offensive player and can still block some shots.

This feels like a situation to avoid, and I'm fine with cutting Lively II and moving on. It's hard for me to see a path for him to even late-round value at this point.

Bobby Portis, PF/C - Milwaukee Bucks (30% Rostered)

I will take an "L" here as I drafted Portis on some teams this season, thinking he would be asked to help score more with the Bucks having very few established scorers on the roster. But it just hasn't happened for Portis so far. His minutes are down to just 19.5 per game, and he's averaging a measly 8 points and 6 boards per game.

Portis doesn't do enough elsewhere (just one three per game and very few assists or defensive stats) to justify holding onto if that's his role. It looks like Milwaukee wants to play him mainly as the backup center to Myles Turner, and that's just not going to be enough minutes for him to produce the points, rebounds, and threes we are looking for.

If an injury to Turner or Giannis Antetokounmpo were to occur, then run back to the wire to get him. But for now, I think we can safely cut Portis without any fear of missing out on any real must-have production.

Lightly Rostered Players to Consider Cutting

Cason Wallace, PG/SG - Oklahoma City Thunder (29% Rostered)

Wallace started the season with a great game, but that was due to several injuries for OKC that opened up major playing time. The reality is that Jalen Williams is set to return anytime now, Alex Caruso is back, and the Thunder have 8-9 guys that they want to play every night.

Wallace is most likely a bench player, and he might not even be the best guard coming off the bench for the Thunder. Ajay Mitchell has been fantastic so far and is a much better scorer and passer. Wallace is basically a steals specialist right now (2.3 per game), but beyond that, he's not really doing much else. If you are in a deep league and need steals, he might be worth holding a bit longer, but most teams in standard-sized leagues can cut bait and look elsewhere.

Ace Bailey, SF - Utah Jazz (24% Rostered)

The rookie is an exciting young player, for sure. However, is he a player who deserves a spot on your redraft league roster?

I don't think he does. The rotation in Utah is crowded and only going to get more crowded when Isaiah Collier returns from injury. The Jazz have at least 10 players they want to develop, and they've been bringing Bailey off the bench and restricting his minutes.

He's averaging just 4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game right now in 16 minutes per contest. And he's shooting 25% from the floor, which was a big concern of mine before the draft. He might have some value later in the season if Utah makes some trades or shuts players down, but right now, you can safely cut him and move on to a more productive player with a more consistent role.

Zaccharie Risacher, SF/PF - Atlanta Hawks (21% Rostered)

The former top overall pick is ranked 258 in 9-CAT scoring right now, posting 8.7 points per game with 1.0 threes and 40% shooting. He's already been hurt and is playing just 23 minutes per night in a crowded Atlanta rotation.

We just haven't seen Risacher do enough in other categories besides points, boards, and threes. And he's not even doing much in those categories right now, as he's often the last option on offense when out on the floor. The Hawks are in "win-now" mode and have prioritized this season by bringing in Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, so it's likely that Risacher's role is going to be minimal this season.

Others Who Can Be Cut:

• Kyle Kuzma (19%)
• Jaylen Wells (16%)
• Bub Carrington (14%)
• Chris Paul (13%)

On the Hot Seat

CJ McCollum, PG/SG - Washington Wizards (61% rostered)

Don't drop him yet, but McCollum could be droppable sooner than later. The veteran is posting just 13-4-5 in 33 minutes per game so far in Washington and is no longer the volume scorer that he once was in Portland or New Orleans.

The Wizards are focusing on their young talent, with Kyshawn George and Alexandre Sarr pacing the offense so far. That means McCollum and Khris Middleton have taken a backseat as a result. He doesn't do enough in steals to justify holding him if his role continues to shrink, and at some point, Washington is surely going to hand the keys to rookie Tre Johnson to run this offense.

Underperforming Players to Hold

Cameron Johnson, SF/PF - Denver Nuggets (85% rostered)

I was hyping up Johnson quite a bit in draft season, and I have been disappointed (like all of you) with the early lack of production. But Johnson is far too good a player to be this bad for long. And the team context is very positive, as playing alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray is going to lead to open threes and buckets for Cam.

He may need some time to acclimate, and he might be the fourth option on offense, but this is a very good offense that should be able to sustain all five starters' (including Christian Braun) fantasy values.

Josh Hart, SG/SF/PF - New York Knicks (80% rostered)

Hart is still working his way back from a preseason injury and has played just 24 minutes per game so far. He's shooting 22% from the field, which will surely improve, and he's still chipping in 7.7 boards and 4.0 assists. He's not likely to repeat his production from last season, but once he settles in, he's still going to be very valuable in boards, assists, and steals, and is a perfect piece for any punt points team.

Reed Sheppard, PG/SG - Houston Rockets (36% rostered)

The hype was perhaps a bit too much coming into the season, but I am not ready at all to give up on Sheppard. The second-year guard is averaging just 10-3-3 with 2.0 threes but is chipping in 1.3 steals and shooting just 35% from the floor. He's also only playing 22 minutes per night, and I think he's going to earn more playing time as the season goes along.

Be patient with Sheppard; the opportunity to be a productive role player in a very good Houston offense is there, and he can absolutely play.

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