RADIO
Welcome back to another week of the cut list, Rotoballers! We've now seen a couple of teams ultimately get eliminated from the in-season tournament, a night full of NBA fights, and some amazing play from the latest rookie class. What more can anyone ask for within the first four weeks of a brand-new season?
So, for those who might be new to the cut list, the reason we're here is to go over a list of players that fantasy managers can consider dropping or replacing with an option on the waiver wire. Some might be better to drop in smaller leagues and others can be dropped regardless of the league size. We'll go over all of that within the reasoning to consider dropping each player.
Let's get right down to it and go over who can be dropped in this Week 4 installment of the cut list. As always, let me know on X (@__Fisch), if anyone ends up finding great replacements for the following players or if you have someone to add to the list as well!
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Players to Consider Dropping or Replacing
Dillon Brooks (SG/SF, HOU) - 51% rostered
Two things can be true, Dillon Brooks was used as the scapegoat for the Memphis Grizzlies failures last season and he's just not that good of an offensive player, especially when it comes to fantasy basketball. We're not here to discuss the shortcomings of last season, but we are here to discuss the fact that over the last week, he ranked closer to 300 in terms of category league value.
Brooks is currently at his lowest usage rate since his rookie season in 2017-18 despite averaging the most amount of minutes per game of his career. His offensive contributions are not what the Houston Rockets have been looking for and it's quite evident in the fact that he's hit his lowest marks in points, assists, and field goal attempts since the 2018-19 season. He's also close to his lowest mark in threes per game in that same time period.
Currently, the only positive value that he's bringing back comes from his 1.1 steals per contest and the 53.6% field goal percentage that he's putting up. In terms of total stat value, Brooks is down to 141 which is around the same production as people like Buddy Hield, Jordan Hawkins, and Andre Drummond. All of whom get significantly less playing time outside of Hawkins who's a rookie.
Marcus Smart (PG/SG, MEM) - 84% rostered
Unfortunately, another injury derails more fantasy value as Marcus Smart is expected to miss the next 3-to-5 weeks due to a foot sprain. The problematic part here is that by the time he returns, Ja Morant could be ramping back up to get on the court and Derrick Rose (knee) will also likely return.
Smart, despite seeing the highest usage rate in his career, has been putting up some very low numbers compared to the rest of his resume. He's down to his fewest threes made per game since the 2018-19 season, the lowest rebound mark in his career, his lowest assist mark since 2019-20, and the most turnovers he's ever had. He's at least been paying back some fantasy managers with his crazy 2.0 steals per game, but he's largely returned negative value outside of that and his assists.
It's well-documented that Smart is not the lead guard type of player for any team, so maybe going back to a secondary role will be better for him when Morant gets back. Given his injury history, however, and the fact that he turns 30 in a few months while losing minutes in the process doesn't bode well.
Kyle Lowry (PG, MIA) - 35% rostered
Unless you're in a deeper league, Kyle Lowry's production and inconsistency probably haven't been a very fun time. In one game against the Grizzlies, Lowry came close to a triple-double, then two games later he played 15 minutes and put up a goose egg. Meanwhile, he's probably at the top of the list for starting point guards who produce the lowest combined points and assists per game.
To go along with the theme of usage rate this week, Lowry has only registered an 11.1 on that scale which is both concerning and a testament that he's been able to average 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.7 threes per game. Over the last week, his production moved him all the way down to 148th in terms of category league value and that was while Tyler Herro (ankle) was sidelined with an ankle sprain.
For those fantasy managers in shallow leagues, there is better production on the waiver wire right now such as De'Anthony Melton, Caris LeVert, Dyson Daniels, and Malik Beasley.
Killian Hayes (PG/SG, DET) - 43% rostered
Right now, when people saw Killian Hayes make this list, there were probably some wide-eyed stares and a collective gasp as everyone clutched their pearls. That is both heard and felt because up until now, Hayes has actually produced enough to put himself in the top 75 in terms of per-game fantasy value.
So why should he be dropped or even considered to be dropped? Well, for starters, both Jaden Ivey and Alec Burks have returned to the court. This past week, Hayes saw his minutes drop from 29.3 to 23.2 per contest and he produced enough to barely crack the top 200 in per-game fantasy value. Wait, that's not all! He also averaged just 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game and has been shooting under 40% from the floor and 50% from the charity stripe.
Hayes surprised everyone with his elevated play to start the season, but he's starting to come back to Earth. It's better to get off of that sinking value before it hits rock bottom, especially with the added pressure to get Ivey more minutes after his unhappiness with his bench role was discussed.
Brandon Miller (SF, CHA) - 48% rostered
Let's not get it twisted, Brandon Miller looks like he's going to be a very good player so far and he's done a great job, especially in the aspects that don't translate to the box score. With that being said, the translation to the box score is exactly what fantasy managers need to win a championship, and the Hornets' once-prized forward just returned.
Miller had some question marks in his rookie year because of the rotation questions once Miles Bridges got involved. Miller will have to split time with him, Gordon Hayward, and P.J. Washington moving forward. Bridges may have come off the bench in his first game back and probably will for a while longer, but if he shows signs of returning to his prior form, that can change quickly.
On top of that, Miller is currently ranked 210 in terms of per-game fantasy value with his low turnover total as the only positive contribution compared to the league average. He has shown plenty of promise and is probably a hold candidate in deeper leagues, but his marks of 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.0 threes per contest aren't winning any fantasy matchups at the moment.
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