Welcome back fantasy basketball fans!
We are elated to be talking fantasy basketball again and looking for any advantage we can muster in order to solidify our rightful place at the top of our league. Right here is where you will find me every week curating a player to present to you who has not been up to snuff over the past week and would be worth your time and effort in targeting. The goal here will be to identify and target players who are performing well below their ADP and have a path or a history to be better. For example, some people may have believed Moses Brown would have a role this season (not me) but rather, he is glued to the pine in Dallas. That man is not underperforming instead; he is simply not that good. The players you read about here are the types that should have a significant impact on your team by the time they right the ship and you would be getting them at a discount compared to their actual worth.
So, let us dive right into this year’s first underperformer of the week…
Want the best tools and projections to help dominate your league? Check out the Stocktonator, the byproduct of Rudy and machine making love. Click HERE for a FREE 3-day trial.
Damian Lillard
Thrillard has not lived up to that name during this first week of the season. The sample size has been tiny but there is enough going on here for some of Lillard’s fantasy owners to be concerned. Over Portland’s first three games, Dame has been completely pedestrian behind averages of:
17 points, 3.3 rebs, 7.3 assists, 0.3 steals, 36% FG, 93% FT
AND 0.7 threes per game.
The field goal percentage is atrocious and the points are criminally low, but to not average at least one three per game is not something I would ever expect from a player who has parking lot range. Clearly, Dame is not going to be this bad for much longer and it is only a matter of time before he is back to form.
The three deficient categories are all tethered to each other ( three’s, points, fg%) meaning that although there are some obvious struggles with Lillard right now, once his shot starts dropping all three of those categories get a boost.
Numero zero is currently ranked at 119 on Yahoo and that is a far cry from the first-round pick he cost managers in almost all formats. That being said, his current managers are likely not panicking too much and are willing to hold their prized point guard while he works his way out of the shooting slump. However, this does not mean they are not willing to listen and if you can put together a tasty offering that includes a top 20 player then perhaps you will be in business. A player like Lonzo Ball who is playing lights out right now and likely punching out of his weight class could turn a rejected trade into an accept real quick.
However, Lonzo Ball or any other player in that class should only be moved if it fits your build. If your team is relying on his defensive stats then perhaps the trade will not make sense for you.
Proceed with caution but also move swiftly because Dame Dolla can hit threes and get buckets in his sleep.
As always hit me in the comment section if you agree, disagree, got a question or comment.
Peace.
