🦃 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

NBA Under-Performing Stars: Point Guard Edition

It's time for round three of my Under-Performing Stars series! All-Star voting has concluded and its clear that this league is dominated by point guard play. If Damian Lillard can't even make the All-Star game without an injury to another player, then the state of point guard play must be pretty good. By no fault of his own, Lillard was simply over-matched by the performance of other top point guards, and the same goes for the likes of Reggie Jackson and Kemba Walker. To us, they are fantasy All-Stars though. But let's now turn our attention towards the struggling point guards as we climb towards the championship. Three new names make the list in the third go-around of the series.

 

NBA Under-Performing Stars: Point Guard Edition

Kyrie Irving (PG, CLE)

Uncle Drew is one of the most interesting fantasy assets for the remainder of this season as he settles back into playing shape. He has struggled, but that was to be expected from someone who missed the beginning of the season. However, an uneasy trend has developed with Kyrie Irving. His efficiency has been very disappointing, as he has only shot 42% from the field and 26% from three. If Irving fails to provide great efficiency from the field, his value becomes extremely limited as a pure scorer. The assists will usually be unavailable as Lebron James and the other point guards of the Cavaliers take on a lot of the ball handling duties. Given Irving's last two games in which he has scored 28 and 21 points respectively, is it time to sell high?

Trade him.

Irving should get you a great return based on name value alone. You will certainly have some bargaining power because there was an inherent price in holding on to Irving throughout the first half the season. You can use this responsibility and Irving's recent scoring explosions to net yourself a great return. The issue with Irving is that he can't be expected to live up to his numbers from last season. The Cavaliers will look to limit his minutes as they head towards the playoffs. He is perhaps the biggest injury risk of the big three, and this current aggressiveness in attacking the basket won't last down the stretch. If you play H2H, I would try to trade him now as he will likely be rested come fantasy playoff time. If you play Roto, you can still throw around a few offers for guys like John Wall or Kemba Walker.

 

Jeff Teague (PG, ATL)

Jeff Teague was an All-Star last season but he has failed to live up to last year's numbers. Similar to Irving, Teague has struggled to provide the consistency of years past. The sporadic single-digit scoring performances are also putting a damper on his value, as splitting minutes with emerging back-up Dennis Schroder has limited Teague's production. After averaging 15.9 points and 7.0 assists last season, Teague has only averaged 14.5 points with 5.5 assists this season. Instead of the third to fourth round ADP, he has turned into more of a mid-to-late round asset. Teague's name has also come up in trade rumors so that Schroder may take over as the point guard of the future. Possible landing spots include the Jazz, Knicks, Rockets, and the Celtics. Given all this turbulence, should you look to sell high on Teague before an impending dip in production?

Trade him.

The trade rumors are really concerning with Teague, as ending up on another team will almost certainly cut down his production even further. All the possible destinations listed already have primary scoring options. Teague's assists may only go up if he ends up on the Knicks or the Jazz, as the ball will certainly be out of his hands during crunch time in the other trade scenarios. The only way Teague may receive an uptick in scoring production is if he somehow ends up on a lottery team. There is truly a risk in holding on to Teague, as his numbers may bottom out quickly on a new team. His numbers haven't even been impressive this season as the Hawks have struggled to perform like they did last year. Look to sell on him.

 

Mike Conley (PG, Mem)

Mike Conley has always been a steady choice at point guard. He leads a slow-pace Grizzlies team that has a very distributed style in terms of scoring. The recent good play of guys like Jeff Green and Courtney Lee has made Conley a bigger distributor as there is now less pressure for him to score. However, from a fantasy owner's perspective, this is very frustrating as he has three single-digit performances in his last four games. He is simply not taking shots, and often missing them when he does. It's not like you can expect a very high ceiling out of Conley either, as the style Memphis plays will make Conley a tertiary option almost every game. Should you look to move him?

Hold him.

Conley's lack of scoring seems like a problem that will likely last given the current team structure. There are just too many guys who need to score, and the relatively low amount of possessions that the Grizzlies have each game prevents Conley from claiming high-end fantasy status. The Grizzlies are bottom five in the NBA in terms of pace, and this will only continue to get worse as the team will look to play slower down the stretch. It will be an effective way to prevent tough injuries, as well as a practical counter for tough offenses that the Grizzlies may face in the playoffs. You may be simply not find an opportunity to sell high on Conley after a hypothetical good week of production. The reason why you shouldn't trade Conley is that you won't get equal value for him back. His lack of scoring is instead supported by an uptick in assists, and his lack of flashiness will not make others appreciate his value. Expect his efficiency to improve as he settles back into game-shape. Fish around for offers if you want, but you'll likely only be offered waiver-wire material.

 

NBA & Fantasy Basketball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-11" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

RANKINGS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Trendon Watford

Won't Return to NBA Cup Meeting with Orlando
Corey Kispert

Suffers Thumb Injury on Tuesday Night
DeVonta Smith

Listed as DNP on Tuesday
Vinnie Hinostroza

to Miss 4-6 Weeks
Pyotr Kochetkov

Dealing With Undisclosed Injury
Tristan Jarry

Expected to Be Available Wednesday
Evgenii Dadonov

Doubtful for Wednesday
J.T. Miller

Joins Team for Road Trip
Joel Kiviranta

Ready to Return Wednesday
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Expected to Return on Saturday
Marvin Bagley III

Ruled Out Versus Atlanta
Luke Kennard

Available on Tuesday Night
RJ Barrett

Unavailable Wednesday
Landry Shamet

Out for Wednesday
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Questionable for Wednesday's Matchup With Milwaukee
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic Considered Questionable for Tuesday
Jauan Jennings

Won't be Suspended
Draymond Green

Will be Questionable for Wednesday Against the Rockets
Goga Bitadze

Downgraded to Questionable
Dereck Lively II

Will Miss At Least 7-10 Days
Paul George

Will Not Play Tuesday against the Magic
Tyrese Maxey

Will Play Tuesday Against the Magic
Omarion Hampton

Chargers Open Omarion Hampton's Practice Window
Joel Embiid

Ruled Out Against Orlando
Lamar Jackson

Returns to Practice
DK Metcalf

D.K. Metcalf Will Be Limited Early in the Week
Isiah Pacheco

Set to Return on Thursday
J.T. Realmuto

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

Red Sox Acquire Sonny Gray From the Cardinals
Brian Thomas Jr.

Expected to Make his Return in Week 13
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Have "Great Optimism" Aaron Rodgers Will Play in Week 13
CFB

Jeremiah Smith, Makai Lemon, Skyler Bell Named Biletnikoff Award Finalists
Jayden Daniels

has Been Throwing, Return Timeline Unclear
NFL

As Many as Three NFL Teams Could Have Interest in Hiring Bill Belichick
Tre Johnson

Out Indefinitely With Hip-Flexor Strain
Goga Bitadze

Active Tuesday in Philadelphia
Wendell Carter Jr.

Cleared To Play Against 76ers
Jalen Suggs

Ready to Return Tuesday in Philadelphia
Luke Kennard

Uncertain For Tuesday's Game Against Wizards
Adem Bona

Will Not Play Tuesday Against the Magic
Marvin Bagley III

Listed as Questionable vs. Hawks
Sam Reinhart

Extends Scoring Streak With Three-Point Effort
Adam Fox

Delivers Two Assists in Monday's Win
Brandon Hagel

Tallies Three Points Against Flyers
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Extends Winning Streak With Shutout Performance
Logan Cooley

Erupts for Five Points in Monday's Win
Mathieu Olivier

Sustains Upper-Body Injury Monday
Zach Werenski

Hurt Against Capitals
Isiah Pacheco

Targeting a Return on Thursday
Shohei Ohtani

to Play for Team Japan in 2026 World Baseball Classic
Lamar Jackson

Now Dealing With a Toe Injury
Jake Walman

to Remain Out Tuesday
Ridly Greig

Still Out Monday
Baker Mayfield

Dealing With Low-Grade Shoulder Sprain
Thomas Chabot

Misses Monday's Matchup
Kirill Marchenko

Out Monday
J.T. Miller

Unavailable Monday
Brayden Point

Out Against Flyers
Nikita Kucherov

Good to Go Monday
Chris Godwin

Buccaneers Plan to "Ramp Up" Chris Godwin's Usage
Colorado Rockies

Warren Schaeffer to Stick Around as Rockies Manager in 2026
Ashton Jeanty

Ankle Injury isn't Severe
Jayden Daniels

to Practice This Week, Considered a Long Shot for Week 13
C.J. Stroud

Remains in Concussion Protocol
Mike Evans

Could Return Before End of Regular Season
J.J. McCarthy

in Concussion Protocol
Tyrod Taylor

to Remain the Jets' Starting QB
Shedeur Sanders

to Make Another Start for Browns in Week 13
CFB

Chris Bell Out for Rivalry Matchup Against Kentucky
Ryan Helsley

Tigers Eyeing Ryan Helsley as a Starter
Dan Hooker

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Marcus Semien

Shipped to the Mets on Sunday
Arman Tsarukyan

Gets Submission Win
Brandon Nimmo

Traded to Texas
Belal Muhammad

Loses Back-to-Back Fights
Belal Muhammad

Ian Machado Garry Outpoints Belal Muhammad
Alonzo Menifield

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Volkan Oezdemir

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jack Hermansson

Gets Knocked Out
Jack Hermansson

Myktybek Orolbai Knocks Out Jack Hermansson
Shamil Gaziev

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Shines At UFC Qatar
Tagir Ulanbekov

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Kyoji Horiguchi

Makes Triumphant UFC Return
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal