Fantasy Basketball Drop List: Week 2

October 29, 2022

Alex Fischbein looks at fantasy basketball players who can be dropped in Week 2. These are players who are struggling in the 2022-23 NBA season.

What's up, RotoBallers! Hopefully, the 2022-23 NBA season hasn't gone sour for you this early on.

The Drop List is here to make its return for the new season. 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.

Players to Consider Dropping or Replacing

Jonathan Kuminga (PF/C, GSW)

20% rostered

Kuminga came into this season with a lot of hype just like his rookie year. The unfortunate news is that hype is dying fast and at this point, it's close to dead. His best game so far was a whopping four points and three rebounds outing against the Phoenix Suns where he only saw 15 minutes of playing time.

That's also been the most minutes he's played in a game so far. JaMychal Green, Moses Moody, and Donte DiVincenzo are all averaging more minutes thus far. His potential is good enough to stay in a dynasty format, but for all other leagues, it's time to cut ties.

Mo Bamba (C, ORL)

29% rostered

Much like the aforementioned Kuminga, Mo Bamba is healthy and just not receiving enough minutes.

To explain why it's ok to drop Bamba, let's just take a look at the names either in front of him or competing with him for backup minutes. Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr, Bol Bol, Chuma Okeke, and then Moritz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac when they return. That should just about sum things up.

Davion Mitchell (PG/SG, SAC)

9% rostered

Stop me if anyone notices a common theme here. Another player that received a massive amount of hype coming into this year because of the growth he displayed throughout last year. Now, after the Sacramento Kings brought in a bunch of other guards in free agency, Mitchell has been left on the cusp of the rotation. He did receive 25 minutes in the team's opening game but has since averaged right around 13 minutes per contest.

To go a bit further, he's only shooting 18.2% from three and averaging 5.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 turnovers per game. Go ahead, drop him, and don't give it a second thought until he starts to show any signs of turning it around.

JaVale McGee (C, DAL)

22% rostered

Look, McGee was a fringe fantasy player as it was last season.

It's understandable rostering him this early when Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks announced that he would be the starter. The reality is that he's playing as much as an eighth player in the rotation would play. That 'starter' tag is nothing but a title. Christian Wood would be the only big worth rostering from this team at the moment.

Unless you're in a very deep league and in need of a tiny bit of rebounds, McGee can sit comfortably on the waiver wire.

Walker Kessler (C, UTA)

30% rostered

Let's just start off by saying Kessler should definitely be kept in dynasty formats. He does have a good bit of upside and is only a 21-year-old rookie.

In all other formats, however, his current production leaves a lot to be desired. The Utah Jazz have surprisingly started the season 4-1 and they start three big men in Kelly Olynyk, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Lauri Markkanen. Then the backup minutes are divided among Kessler, Rudy Gay, and Udoka Azubuike.

His point and rebound output are very enticing when given the minutes. He's shown as much in the two games he played north of 20 minutes. If you're in anywhere from an 8-to-12-team league, this fluctuation of playing time and production isn't going to cut it.

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