🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Guards to Avoid in Fantasy Basketball Drafts

Jake Finnen looks at three overvalued NBA guards to avoid as potential draft busts in 2016-17 fantasy basketball leagues. Think twice before drafting them.

I'll keep this quick because the title says it all. These guards should be avoided during your 2016-17 fantasy basketball drafts due to their minimal potential in season-long formats.

This does not mean to avoid them for daily games, because all players will have good games. But solid seasonal fantasy options need a combination of production and consistency. These players are lacking one or the other, which seriously hinders their fantasy outlook.

Editor's Note: RotoBaller has the best Premium NBA Subscription, only $29.99 for the full season. We have all the preseason tools to help win your drafts, and in-season tools to win your seasonal and daily leagues: Draft Kit, Premium Rankings, Sleepers List, Late-Round Fliers, Early-Round Avoids, DFS Cheat Sheets, Lineup Picks, Expert Lineups, Stacks and Avoids.

 

Leave Them Alone on Draft Day

Wesley Johnson, SG/SF, Los Angeles Clippers

After last season, Johnson wasn't really doing anything worth noting. He was a below average scorer on a team that was desperate for scoring and thrived off of 36-year old Jamal Crawford even though Wesley is only 29. Wesley was overlooked last year and I don't see much of that changing this upcoming year. Even with Chris Paul playing his best wouldn't be enough to give Johnson the touches he needs to be worth drafting.

I doubt anything could make Johnson fantasy relevant but I bad harping on a guy but then again...he makes millions to play basketball and I get paid squat as a writer, so he'll be ok. Anyway, he averaged 6.9 PPG last year which is nothing special. Add in low rebound and assist totals, 3.1, 0.6 respectively, and you have one of three guards fitting to write an avoid/busts column about.

 

Patrick Beverley, PG/SG, Houston Rockets

I made this list before the injury but that just cements the reason why he's here in the first place. The knee injury should only put him out a couple weeks but even then, his defense alone doesn't make him fantasy relevant other than some risky DFS plays on a night to wear he may have a good matchup.

He is one of the top defensive guards but even if he led the league in steals it wouldn't equal fantasy numbers worth rostering. He CAN hit threes. It's rare but he can shoot and when he gets hot, like every other player, he can be savior to your team if you had him. Keep an eye open for the occasional tasty daily matchup when he might blow up, but for regular fantasy, keep on looking.

 

Matthew Dellavedova, PG/SG, Milwaukee Bucks

I am going to get crap for this but this is one option I feel confident about. I'll tell you this now. I don't like Dellavedova. I don't like him at all. I think he's a bad basketball player.

Ok, now to tell you why I firmly stand by my bias. Look at his production last year. He had decent averages, 7.5 PPG, 4.4 APG, shooting 40% from 3pt range and 41% from the field. Remember that he was playing with the best team in basketball, so if opposing teams were going to let anyone beat them by himself, it would be Dellavedova. I would hope you would have solid numbers playing alongside one of the best players of the century, another rising superstar in Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love all creating space. All those guys made every opposing team tread backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova as the weak link, hardly bothering to cover him.

The problem now is that Dellavedova is on Milwaukee that won't create near the openings for Delly that he got in Cleveland. It's not like he'll even significantly bump his per minute touches, with a lot of other young Bucks also demanding the rock. I think the Bucks took Dellavedova for his defense but if you watched him play throughout the regular season… you'd wouldn't understand why.

Just remember he was playing with LeBron James and company so Dellavedova was usually the most open man on the court and teams would basically let him do what he wanted. Dellavedova only took shots where he had the three seconds it takes for him to get a shot off and that was much thanks to spacing created from the rest of his ex-squad, the championship winning Cleveland Cavaliers. I'm happily avoiding Dellavedova.


By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Davante Adams

has Another Two-Touchdown Game
Aaron Jones Sr.

is Questionable to Return With Shoulder Injury
Adonai Mitchell

has Career Day With 102 Yards, Touchdown in Win
Andre Drummond

Available Versus Atlanta
VJ Edgecombe

Cleared to Suit Up on Sunday
Bijan Robinson

Compiles 191 Total Yards, Touchdown in Loss to Jets
Joel Embiid

Back on Sunday Night
Craig Porter Jr.

Available on Sunday Night
Trey Murphy III

Out Again on Sunday Night
Shedeur Sanders

Will Start Again in Week 14 Against Titans
Zion Williamson

Resting Against the Lakers
Lonzo Ball

Out on Sunday Versus Boston
Mike Evans

Could Return in Week 14
Neemias Queta

Won't Play Against Cleveland
Alex Caruso

Won't Suit Up Against Portland
Keon Coleman

Active for Week 13
Donovan Clingan

Sidelined on Sunday
Dalton Kincaid

Officially Inactive for Week 13
Kyren Williams

Returns in Week 13 After Injury Scare
Jarrett Allen

Won't Play Against Boston
Kristaps Porzingis

Still Under the Weather
LeBron James

Taking the Night Off on Sunday
Derrick White

Ruled Out on Sunday
Kyren Williams

Suffers Apparent Leg Injury in Week 13, Status Unclear
Woody Marks

Returns in Week 13 After Injury Scare
Sauce Gardner

Colts Rule Out Sauce Gardner With Knee Injury
Woody Marks

Questionable to Return With Foot Injury
Kyler Murray

Not Fully Healthy Yet
Keon Coleman

Expected to Play Against Steelers
Bucky Irving

Officially Back in Week 13
CFB

Lane Kiffin to be Introduced as LSU's Next Head Coach on Monday
Baker Mayfield

Starting on Sunday Against Cardinals
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Returns in Week 13
Chris Olave

Officially Active for Week 13
Darren Waller

Officially Active on Sunday
Tyler Warren

Suiting Up in Week 13
CFB

Florida Poised to Land Jon Sumrall as Next Head Coach
CFB

Alex Golesh Taking Over Auburn Head-Coaching Job
CFB

Arkansas Expected to Hire Ryan Silverfield as Next Head Coach
Joel Hofer

Shuts Out Mammoth
Owen Tippett

Amasses Three Points in Saturday's Win
Stuart Skinner

Bounces Back With Shutout
Brock Nelson

Notches Four Points in Big Win
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Sustains Upper-Body Injury
Logan Cooley

Hurt in Saturday's Loss
P.J. Washington

Ruled Out Versus Clippers
Trae Young

"Progressing Well," Will be Re-Evaluated in Two Weeks
Isaiah Hartenstein

Sidelined a Minimum of 10-14 Days
Daniel Gafford

Resting Against Clippers
Jalen Duren

Won't Play Versus Miami
Warren Foegele

Not Ready to Return Saturday
Simon Benoit

Won't Play Saturday
Henri Jokiharju

Lands on Injured Reserve
Anthony Davis

Ruled Out on Saturday
Zack Wheeler

Likely to Return in May
Pavel Zacha

a Game-Time Call Saturday
Ryan Helsley

Agrees to Two-Year Deal With Orioles
David Pastrnak

Out for Second Consecutive Game
William Nylander

Available Saturday
Kyle Palmieri

Out for 6-8 Months With Torn ACL
Neemias Queta

Uncertain for Saturday's Game in Minnesota
Jake Walman

Sidelined for Third Consecutive Game
Jack Roslovic

to Miss Two Weeks
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

to Return Saturday
Mattias Samuelsson

in Concussion Protocol
Kyle Palmieri

Sustains Lower-Body Injury
Lukas Dostal

Ruled Out for 2-3 Weeks
Kirill Marchenko

Misses Third Straight Game
Jaden Schwartz

to Miss Six Weeks
Dylan Cease

Agrees With Blue Jays on Seven-Year, $210 Million Deal
Anthony Rendon

Angels Could Buy Out Final Year of Anthony Rendon's Contract
Josh Hader

Says his Shoulder is "Back to Normal"
Ketel Marte

Diamondbacks "Actively Listening" on Ketel Marte
J.T. Realmuto

Red Sox Showing Interest in J.T. Realmuto
Sonny Gray

Red Sox Acquire Sonny Gray From the Cardinals
CFB

Jeremiah Smith, Makai Lemon, Skyler Bell Named Biletnikoff Award Finalists
Shohei Ohtani

to Play for Team Japan in 2026 World Baseball Classic

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP