The Fantasy Basketball Drop List: Week 9

February 18, 2021

Justin Carter looks at fantasy basketball players who can be dropped in Week 9. These are players who are struggling in the 2020-21 NBA season.

Normally I'd talk about basketball here, but I'll be honest: I haven't watched basketball over the past few days because my power has been intermittent here in Texas. I've got a nice window of having power right now so I can write this, but I can't really tell you much about what's going on in the NBA. The Wizards are winning games, right?

But hey, I do have numbers, and so we're going to give the drop list a try this week using data.

Below is our weekly fantasy basketball drop list, a look at players who are can be dropped in some or all formats. Every Thursday, we'll look at why it's fine to move on from certain players based on their recent play. Remember: every league is different, so make sure you evaluate what options you have to replace these players before you actually drop them.

Players to Consider Dropping or Replacing

Frank Kaminsky (C, Phoenix Suns)

3% rostered

Phoenix confused us all by going with Kaminsky as a starter back on February 5th. He had 15 points and five boards in that first game, then put up a nine and nine in the next one.

But over his last two appearances, his minutes dwindled, averaging 15.2 per game and averaging 3.0 points and 4.5 rebounds on 30 percent shooting. Those are not the kind of numbers you want from someone on your fantasy roster, and a double-digit decrease in rostered rate shows that everyone agrees.

But we could still forgive two bad games if A) Kaminsky had a historical track record of playing successful, high-level basketball, which he does not, or B) if Kaminsky hadn't been a DNP-Coach's Decision against the Nets. Maybe the latter thing was because the Suns didn't like the matchup of Kaminsky against Brooklyn, but if his ability to even see the floor at all is dependent on matchups, there's even less reason to have Kaminsky on your rosters.

Alec Burks (G/F, New York Knicks)

22% rostered

Burks has seen his place on fantasy rosters vanish over the past week, as he's gone through a rough four-game stretch.

Since February 12th, Burks is averaging 3.8 points per game on 22.7 percent shooting, plus 20 percent from three. In addition, he's adding in 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.5 steals per game. Simply put, Burks has been a non-entity despite playing 23.2 minutes per game over that span.

He'll get better. Last year, he averaged 15 points per game while adding 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.8 threes per game. But while those are solid numbers, they aren't "just keep him on your roster while he goes through a big slump" numbers. Burks will improve, but you don't need to spend a bench slot on him while you wait for that improvement.

Cole Anthony (G, Orlando Magic)

27% rostered

Anthony could still be the answer for Orlando at point guard, but it'll be after the All-Star Break before he gets another chance to show it.

The rookie fractured a rib against Portland and will be reevaluated later on, so there's no guarantee he's even ready to go right after the All-Star Game. And while he's played some nice basketball when he's on the court -- 11.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game on the season as a whole, with a boost to 12.1 points per game as a starter -- he just hasn't done enough for me to justify holding onto him right now.

We should also note that Anthony's playing time once he returns could be under threat from an unlikely source: Michael Carter-Williams.

(Remember him???)

MCW has two games with double-digit points with Anthony out, plus has been passing the ball better than Anthony was. He struggled with his efficiency on Wednesday against the Knicks, but is looking like a steady option for a team that's only 1.5 games back of the final play-in spot right now.

Nicolas Batum (F, Los Angeles Clippers)

52% rostered

Ignoring that Batum has missed the last two games due to a concussion, he wasn't really going much in the games leading up to that injury.

Batum can give you some numbers in every category, but he's not giving you elite numbers in any of them. That makes his value pretty situational. If you need multiple steals per game plus a block per night, there's still plenty of reason to keep rostering Batum.

But if you need consistent production in points, rebounds, or assists, you're going to be a lot less happy with Batum's numbers. Overall, he's a solid play still in some formats, so check how he's helping/hurting you in your league's specific scoring format.

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