Joe Bernard

Author: Joe Bernard

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Joe Bernard

Underperformer of the Week

March 17, 2021 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes |

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Welcome back Razzballers. After a brief hiatus due to the All-Star break, we are “back in effect, snapping’ necks and cashing large cheques”.

I hope you were able to remain active in your league and possibly catch a GM or two sleeping while you executed a trade to improve your situation as we move forward and onward (or is it upward and onward?) into the second half of the season.

This is a critical stage where time is of the essence. We are coming to a place whereby the games remaining plays a significant factor and therefore you want to ensure you are getting the most bang for your buck in any transaction, as you do not have the luxury of time on your side. We want players who can start producing immediately and I think this week we have identified not only one, but two true ballers that fit the bill.

Let us begin with….

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Joe Bernard

Underperformer of the Week

March 3, 2021 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes |

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As we approach the All-Star break it is likely increasingly difficult to find value either in a trade or off the wire. No matter what format you play in, be it weekly, head to head, or rotisserie, one of my favourite strategies is unearthing a player who is playing below their potential and executing a deal to obtain said player.

At this point in the season, rosters become hard-wired and GMs may exercise patience with their underperforming player as they have a large sample size of production to reference. However, if you are persistent and do your due diligence you will discover value in your league. This column’s intent is to be a curator of sorts, doing some of that research for you to deliver a player that I believe can be a positive contributor to your team and help increase your position as you move towards your championship aspirations.

My hope for you is that this player is one you are able to obtain before the break and have with you for the second half of the season.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Joe Bernard

Underperformer of the Week

February 24, 2021 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes |

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Razzball Nation, once again it’s on! We are well into our fantasy season and if you are in a rotisserie format, you may find yourself on the outside looking in on a run to championship glory. Perhaps you are among the league leaders and looking for opportunities to improve your roster without going through a complete overhaul.

No matter where you stand, in this column you will find opportunity and, if you’ve been following my suggestions up to this point, in all likelihood you have experienced an element of success.

As always, the players highlighted here are not going to save your team from purgatory if you did not draft particularly well or have been bit hard by the injury and/or Covid-related absences. Instead, I promote under-the-radar moves for the shrewd GM who can take advantage of frustrated owners who may be prepared to move on from a player with potential at a discount.

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Joe Bernard

Underperformer of the Week

February 17, 2021 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 2 Comments

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It is not often that, with nearly two months into the season, we find ourselves with the opportunity to acquire a player with top 30 potential but here we are, as the 2020/21 season has been full of surprises.

I am hoping you took the advice from last week’s column and invested in some Ricky Rubio stock. With the news of D’ Angelo Russell being shelved for the next 4 to 6 weeks to get rid of some loose bodies (sounds like a nightclub) in his knee, Rubio becomes the starting point guard moving forward and was already beginning to show signs of life.

Classic Rubio. Waiting for the second half of the season yet again to show he knows how to play basketball.

Enough about the woeful Wolves, let us move on towards our next gemstone with hopes that a trade in your league can be completed as quickly and easily as simply snapping of the fingers.

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Joe Bernard

Under Performer of the Week

February 10, 2021 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 2 Comments

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We had some options this week my Razzball revelers as there was no shortage of players who fit the profile of the name bestowed upon this column. Unfortunately, for some managers in your league or perhaps even you, there are underperformers taking up real estate on squads with the hope they are able to return to form or at least come close to expectations. The question for those with ownership of an underperformer becomes, “how long do I wait?”

“What if this is the new normal and he never sniffs his ADP?”

“Should I drop him for a hot hand off the wire?”

“Trade him to whoever gives me an offer?”

There we have it, the thought process of a frustrated GM as they approach the crescendo of reasoning within themselves. This is the sweet spot where a savvy fantasy basketball Don such as yourself looks to get in on the ground floor of a stock with the potential to exceed the cost.

We are off to the Eastern Conference for a closer look at a player that has been doing not much for just long enough to allow a window of opportunity.

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Joe Bernard

Under Performer of the Week: Ricky Rubio

February 3, 2021 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes |

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When this life makes you mad enough to kill

That’s rock bottom.

When you want something bad enough to steal

That’s rock bottom.

When you feel you have had it up to here

Cause you mad enough to scream but you sad enough to tear.

That’s rock bottom.

Slim Shady has come a long way from his first album when he was using his pen to escape the feelings associated with hitting rock bottom. It has been nothing but platinum status since 1999 for the Detroit wordsmith and miles away from where we find our feature player’s performance to date.

I am not sure what the complete opposite of a diamond plaque would be, maybe gravel? Pebble? Pellet? Who knows, but what is certain is that this player finds himself in the running for that unappealing designation.

We can talk about the Flintstones in length to offer up variant rock formations that best describe granule offerings this player has provided in fantasy. This player has cobbled together a disappointing season so far for his owners and it has been nothing but debris in his wake.

Presenting: RICKY RUBIO

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Joe Bernard

Under Performer of the Week: Dennis Schroder

January 27, 2021 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes |

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Baby got, back again for another installment of under-whelming players from the Association who have, by definition, underperformed. As usual, our criteria is a player who is not only delivering subpar results but also has a reasonable path to improved play. Depending on your team construction, these players should be pursued at a discount with the hope being that when the player rights the ship and performs closer to expectations, you will reap the benefits.

We’re staying in the Western Conference for another week with one of the most storied franchises in NBA history.

Now let me welcome everybody to the Wild, Wild West. A state that’s untouchable like Eliot Ness.

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Joe Bernard

Under Performer of the Week

January 20, 2021 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes |

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“Living off borrowed time the clock tick faster

That’d be the hour they knock the slick blaster”.

Razz Nation, we are in the place to be for another look into a possible high end stud that can certainly be had at a reduced price today based on his performance thus far into the season.

This cat was near the top of many draft boards throughout the fantasy landscape, as there was high expectations for this dynamic scorer who many GM’s hoped would be a pillar of their backcourt.

It’s been a wild  ride so far for his owners, who are certainly losing faith by this point and if you have a top 50 guy at your disposal, you should entertain the idea of lobbing him out there to a frustrated GM.

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Joe Bernard

Under Performer of the Week: Deandre Ayton

January 13, 2021 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 11 Comments

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Razzball Nation.

Here we go.

Here we go.

Here we go, here we go, here we here we here we go.

Shout to the legendary RUN-DMC who time after time remained consistent and gave you that boom-bap mixed with sampled guitar riffs, leather jackets, Kangol hats and those three-stripe sneakers sans laces.

The point is, you knew exactly what to expect when they were on the mic unlike the players that show up in this column week after week following underwhelming performances on the hardcourt.

If you’re interested in a big man who cranked out a top 20 performance last season and can possibly be had at a discount let’s pull back the curtain for the reveal.

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Joe Bernard

Under Performer of the Week for Fantasy Basketball

January 6, 2021 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 6 Comments

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Razzball Nation, what’s good?

Another week in our beloved fantasy basketball landscape has revealed another player with a high ceiling who is currently hanging out in the basement, patting his beer gut, and brushing chip crumbs off his jersey.

His (or her) current GM has without question become tired of the low-end lines being pumped out nightly especially considering the high pick that was used to snag this stat-stuffing center.

This big man has the ability to be a top 25 player and a key cog to your championship run, ladies and gentleman I give to you…

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Joe Bernard

Under Performer of the Week

December 30, 2020 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes |

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Whaddup Razzballers, shot callers, twenty-inch blades on the Impala.

Shout to Lil’ Troy and the classic “Wanna be a Baller” which by no coincidence is the same question I would ask anyone I feature in this segment.

I am looking for any player that I deem to be underperforming in accordance with their ADP and current rank.

Understandably, there are going to be plenty of players that will not live up to their ADP that I do not feature here. The reason for that will, in all likelihood, be due to the fact I do not see a path to them reaching whatever pre-conceived standard was predicted for them prior to the season.

My goal here is to support you in your quest for fantasy basketball dominance in your league by shedding light on a player you should try to float some offers out for and reap the rewards of a large return on investment. These are players that their current GM might have grown tired of and will be ready to move on for a half-decent offer of a warm body or two.

So, at this time let us dive right into my undervalued player of the week……

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Joe Bernard

2020-2021 Toronto Raptors Preview

December 2, 2020 | Team Previews, Toronto Raptors | 3 Comments

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The Raptors took care of business by inking the undrafted Fred VanVleet to a 4-year, 85 million dollar deal that should keep him with the Dinos right through his prime. This was a key signing for the Raptors, as they positioned themselves to have a near all-star level talent firmly in place with their current all-star level guard (Kyle Lowry) on the final year of his contract.

Please, blog, may I have some more?