X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Enough Already: Third-Year NBA Players To Give Up On

Promise. It's become a bad word in sports at this point, because we so often use it to justify why we're still holding out hope for certain players who just haven't put it all together yet.

At some point, you have to admit that promise isn't going to be fulfilled. A player's third season is a good time to make that acknowledgment, so let's spend some time doing that.

Below, I'll be looking at third-year NBA players who aren't living up to the hype. Don't spend a valuable fantasy pick on them in the hopes that they'll suddenly figure out professional basketball.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

Markelle Fultz (PG, Orlando Magic)

As a supporter of Markelle Fultz, it's tough to admit this, but we need to stop expecting Fultz to suddenly be fixed.

The first pick back in 2017, Fultz has dealt with mysterious shoulder issues that have completely robbed him of the shooting ability that made him a 41.3 percent three-point shooter in his one year at Washington. Instead, Fultz is a 4-for-15 from deep in his NBA career, and through two seasons he's been limited to just 33 total games.

The Sixers tried to figure something out with Fultz to open last season, inserting him into the starting lineup to see if he could get his shot back and if the rest of his game was still there, but things ultimately didn't work out. In 15 starts, Fultz averaged nine points per game to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He shot 41.2 percent from the field as a starter.

The biggest issue last year was Fultz shot well near the rim -- 64.8 percent -- and then bad everywhere else. He took 88 jump shots, sinking a paltry 29.5 percent of them, and was shut down after 19 games. The Sixers eventually dealt him to Orlando, and Fultz never appeared in a game for the Magic.

The third-year guard should get some run with Orlando this season, but it's hard to have high hopes for him. His shooting form is pretty much gone and no amount of offseason videos of him shooting in an empty gym are going to make me suddenly believe that his form is back. Without a viable jump shot, Fultz doesn't really have much of a place in the NBA because he's not big enough to not shoot the ball. Former teammate Ben Simmons is a good example of a non-shooting guard who can work, but Fultz isn't Simmons.

 

Josh Jackson (F, Memphis Grizzlies)

Josh Jackson is the second of the two guys on this list to not be on team that drafted them. Not being on the team that drafted you this early into your career isn't usually a good sign.

Also not a good sign: Being traded along with another player and two second-round picks for Jevon Carter and 2019 Kyle Korver.

Unlike Fultz, who still has some "well, we haven't really seen enough of him yet to make too many judgments" stuff going on, Jackson has played in 156 games so far in his career and has started in 64 of them.

Jackson averaged 11.5 points per game last season, but it was a really empty 11.5, and he shot 41.3 percent from the floor. Jackson also grabbed 4.4 rebounds and dished out 2.3 assists per contest. Those 2.3 assists were an improvement from his rookie year; his scoring and rebounding averages and his field goal percentage were all worse than they were during his first season, however. That's a third bad sign.

Maybe Memphis can be a fresh start for Jackson, but most early depth charts have him projected to be a fringe rotation guy. Could you really see Memphis playing him over Kyle Anderson, Jae Crowder, Dillon Brooks...I mean, can you even imagine him playing over Bruno Caboclo at this point? I can't. Jackson just doesn't offer enough.

 

Frank Ntilikina (PG, New York Knicks)

I debated which Knicks point guard belonged on this list, but I'm going to go with the one they didn't just trade for. Dennis Smith Jr. was acquired in the Kristaps Porzingis trade and while he hasn't been overly impressive yet in his NBA career, he's shown enough to be the likely starter at the point for New York.

Frank Ntilikina was selected in that same draft class, and he's shown the Knicks just enough for them to keep him on the team, but little enough for them to bring in Elfrid Payton and demote Ntilikina to the third point guard role, which essentially puts him on the outside looking in of the Knicks rotation.

As seems to be a trend so far on this list, Ntilikina has struggled as a shooter so far in his career, which has limited his output. He's also struggled to get on the floor, averaging 21 minutes per game last year in 43 appearances. A groin injury ended his season early, but even before that injury it looked like Ntilikina's place in the rotation was fading away.

Through two seasons, the French guard is averaging 5.9 points per game and shooting 35.4 percent from the field. He took 40 percent of his shot attempts last three from three-point range for some reason despite shooting just 28.7 percent on those shots. Something isn't clicking here and unless there are injuries, I highly doubt we see Ntilikina on the floor enough to make him fantasy relevant in even the deepest of leagues.

 

Malik Monk (G, Charlotte Hornets)

I really go back and forth on Malik Monk and what I think about him, but ultimately he was a 33 percent shooter from deep on 4.5 attempts per game who doesn't rebound or give you assists, steals, or blocks. He's never started an NBA game and his best months last season were at the beginning of the year.

You don't like when you see young players fall off as the season progresses, but after the All-Star break, Monk averaged just 5.2 points per game on 34 percent shooting in 19 appearances. His numbers dropped across the board over that sample and he played just 13.7 minutes per game.

I think there's still something to Malik Monk, but I'm not betting on that something panning out this season. Monk probably gets an increased workload just because the Hornets are going to be some combination of bad and shallow this year, but there's a much better chance we see Dwayne Bacon make a major leap as the team's two than that we see Monk make any major strides. His best case seems to be putting up some 2018-2019 Josh Jackson empty stat lines, which can definitely have some place on some fantasy rosters, but I struggle to see a scenario where he's more than that, and Jackson's season from last year might be asking for too much of a statistical leap.

The Hornets replaced Kemba Walker with Terry Rozier, so someone is going to have to take on a higher offensive workload. It might be Monk, but I don't see him excelling if that's the case.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Don't Exercise Zion Johnson's Fifth-Year Option
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Don't Pick Up Fifth-Year Option For Kaiir Elam
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Expect Trevon Diggs To Start Camp On The PUP List
Jake Burger

Optioned To Minors
Bobby Witt Jr.

Extends Hitting Streak To 22 Games With Homer
Tennessee Titans

Titans Don't Pick Up Treylon Burks' Fifth-Year Option
Green Bay Packers

Packers Don't Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Quay Walker
Seiya Suzuki

Puts On Power Display In Win Over Pirates
Mike Trout

Out Of Thursday's Lineup
Walker Buehler

Getting Testing On His Shoulder, Won't Start Friday
Kristian Campbell

Scratched With Rib Discomfort
Juan Soto

Busts Out With Two Homers In Thursday's Loss
Isaiah Stewart

Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Moving To Second Line Thursday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Have Knee Surgery
Frederik Andersen

Expected To Return To Practice Friday
Mark Scheifele

Won't Play In Game 6
Pavel Dorofeyev

Out On Thursday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Giants Place Tyler Fitzgerald On 10-Day Injured List With Rib Fracture
Jason Robertson

Upgraded To Day-To-Day
Miro Heiskanen

Ruled Out For Game 6
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Add Collin Johnson To Wide Receiver Room
Chicago Bears

Colston Loveland A "Natural Fit" In Ben Johnson's Offense
Salvador Perez

Leaves Early On Thursday With Hip Soreness
Cincinnati Bengals

Samaje Perine Expected To Have A Passing-Down Role
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Expected To Move On From Jalen Ramsey Soon
Shota Imanaga

Expected To Make His Next Start
Tennessee Titans

Chimere Dike Has "Flexibility" To Play All Wide Receiver Positions
Justin Martinez

Diamondbacks Place Justin Martinez On 15-Day Injured List With Shoulder Inflammation
Kyle Higashioka

Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Corey Seager

Targeting Saturday Return
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Exercise Charles Cross' Fifth-Year Option
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Decline Kenyon Green's Fifth-Year Option
Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars Not Picking Up Devin Lloyd's Fifth-Year Option
New York Giants

Jaxson Dart Expected To Sit And Learn In 2025
Arizona Cardinals

Jonathan Gannon Excited For Marvin Harrison Jr.'s Second Season
Alexis Díaz

Alexis Diaz Optioned To Triple-A
Amen Thompson

Fills Stat Sheet In Game 5 Victory
Stephen Curry

Held To 13 Points Wednesday Night
Anthony Edwards

Struggles To Score In Series-Clincher
Rudy Gobert

Comes Up Big In Game 5 Victory
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Battles Back Issue In Game 5 Loss
LeBron James

Undecided On Future
Derrick Jones Jr.

Fine For Thursday
Filip Gustavsson

On Track To Play Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Caps Off First Round With Multi-Point Effort
Eetu Luostarinen

Explodes For Four Points In Series-Clincher
Dylan Strome

Extends Point Streak With Two Assists
Alex Ovechkin

Pots 30th Playoff Power-Play Goal
Kyle Connor

Ties Jets Record With Fourth Three-Point Playoff Game
Mark Scheifele

Injured In Game 5
New York Giants

Evan Neal Moving To Offensive Guard
Chris Sale

Strikes Out 10
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Waive Malik Davis
Houston Texans

John Metchie III Could Be Odd-Man Out
Masyn Winn

Homers Twice In Game 1 Of Doubleheader
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Release Anthony Firkser
New England Patriots

Patriots Not Picking Up Cole Strange's Fifth-Year Option
Justin Martinez

Could Land On Injured List
Tommy Edman

Dealing With Ankle Injury
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez To Make Season Debut On Sunday
Kyle Stowers

Blasts Two Homers
Maxi Kleber

Available For Lakers Debut Wednesday
Buffalo Bills

Elijah Moore Signs With Bills On One-Year Deal
Mike Trout

Pulled As Precaution Due To Knee Soreness
Jonathan Kuminga

Out With An Illness
Jimmy Butler III

Ready To Play Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

In Danger Of Missing Another Game Thursday
Alex Iafallo

Drops To Second Line Wednesday
Pavel Dorofeyev

To Be A Game-Time Call Thursday
Tyler Tucker

Ruled Out For Game 5
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Build Off Last Week's Runner-Up Finish
Sam Montembeault

Remains Out For Game 5
Aliaksei Protas

Likely To Return Wednesday
Gary Woodland

Could See Success At CJ CUP
Alexandre Carrier

A Game-Time Call Wednesday
Patrik Laine

Out On Wednesday
Cam Davis

Making First Appearance At TPC Craig Ranch
Sam Burns

Could Be Due For A Great Week At TPC Craig Ranch
Patrick Rodgers

A Solid Value Play At TPC Craig Ranch
Jamal Murray

Explodes For 43 Points In Game 5
Carson Young

Looking To Recapture Form At CJ Cup
Jayson Tatum

Fires In 35 Points In Series-Clincher
Matt McCarty

An Intriguing Value Play At CJ Cup
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Logs Massive Triple-Double In Game 5
Maxi Kleber

Listed As Questionable For Game 5
Will Zalatoris

Searching For Putting Form At CJ Cup
Rob Dillingham

Out On Wednesday
Jae'Sean Tate

Still Out On Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Listed As Probable For Wednesday
Sam Stevens

A Risky Play With Upside At CJ Cup
PGA

Sungjae Im Riding Momentum Into CJ Cup
Ben Griffin

Looking To Stay Hot After First Career Win
Jake Knapp

Looking For More Success At TPC Craig Ranch
Mackenzie Hughes

Is An Interesting Option At CJ Cup
Aldrich Potgieter

Trending Downward For CJ Cup
Taylor Pendrith

Plays Well In Houston Recently
PGA

Niklas Norgaard May Not Be Cut Out For Texas
Rasmus Hojgaard

Could Be Up Or Down In Texas
Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59th At Corales Puntacana Championship
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF