RADIO
2020 is speeding along, as we're already halfway into the month of January. It'll be All-Star break time before you know it, with the fantasy playoffs on the horizon just after that. Time flies!
Here's our weekly fantasy basketball drop list, a look at players who are can be dropped in some or all formats. Every Friday, we'll look at why it's fine to move on from certain players based on their recent play.
Let's look at players who you can consider dropping so far. Remember: every league is different and we're working on a pretty small sample size this early in the year, so make sure you evaluate what options you have to replace these players before you actually drop them.
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Players to Consider Dropping or Replacing
P.J. Tucker - (F, Houston Rockets) - 48% Owned
I'd like to go on record and say that I love what P.J. Tucker brings to the floor for the Houston Rockets. He fills an important role as a three-and-D guy who can slide to the five when Houston needs to go small, and if this team is going to make postseason noise they'll need Tucker at his best.
But right now, he's struggling to provide on-paper value. Since this decade began, Tucker has scored 14 points in six games. He left one of those with a shoulder injury after just a couple minutes, but he's been held scoreless twice this month in games where he played 30 or more minutes. Since Christmas, he's made just three threes. His rebounding numbers are fine, but I don't see how you can hold onto him just for rebounds, especially when "fine" usually means five to seven boards per night, not double-digits.
Jaxson Hayes - (C, New Orleans Pelicans) - 25% Owned
Derrick Favors is back, which pushes Hayes into a smaller role. Zion Williamson is debuting soon, which could impact Hayes' playing time depending on where Zion is slotted in at and if they size a four to a five to make rotation room. This is a good chance to proactively move on from Hayes, as the rookie's about to become more of a "stream when Favors is out" option than an every day fantasy starter.
Jeff Teague- (G, Atlanta Hawks) - 67% Owned
I'm not totally sure that I'd drop Teague, but in shallower leagues I'd be considering it after he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
Teague has already been trending down, with his last six games seeing him average under 10 points per game in a bench role for Minnesota. Now, he heads to a team where he's got no chance of sniffing starters minutes behind Trae Young and where his real shot at viability would be if the Hawks can figure out how to effectively play him and Young at the same time.
Teague has rarely played the two-guard role in his career, and he's having a career-worst year in terms of on-court plus/minus per 100 possessions, so I don't see the Hawks really wanting to impede Kevin Huerter's development by getting Teague too many minutes when he hasn't been playing at a level that suggests he can help them win games immediately. Teague feels like he's here to help teach Young some things, not to be unleashed and look like vintage Jeff Teague.
Aron Baynes - (C, Phoenix Suns) - 24% Owned
Maybe you thought Baynes getting a start over Deandre Ayton was a sign of things to come, but...nah. Baynes with Ayton back is a low-volume backup center with little upside who's probably playing 15 or so minutes and barely touching the basketball. Not really someone you need on your fantasy basketball team at this stage of the season.
