🖥 CYBER MONDAY - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE CYBER
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

CFB

Lane Kiffin to Make $13 Million Salary, Ties Kirby Smart
CFB

Buster Faulkner, Joey Halzle Candidates for Florida Offensive Coordinator Job?
CFB

Kentucky Officially Fires Mark Stoops
Justin Herbert

Has Metacarpal Fracture in Left Hand
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Week 14 Availability Up in the Air
VEG

Carter Hart Expected to Make Golden Knights Debut Tuesday
Andre Drummond

Leaves Early, Status Now in Question
Pyotr Kochetkov

Remains Without Timeline For Return
Boone Jenner

Close to Returning
Tre Mann

Uncertain for Monday's Game Against Nets
Lian Bichsel

Exits With Injury Sunday
Deandre Ayton

Leaves Game With Knee Soreness
Petr Mrazek

Injured in Sunday's Loss
Adam Fox

Placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve
Brandon Williams

Questionable With Adductor Issue
P.J. Washington

Uncertain For Monday's Contest
Daniel Gafford

Expected To Miss Second Straight Game
Zach Ertz

Leads Washington in Receiving in Overtime Loss
James Cook

Handles Career-High 32 Carries for 144 Yards in Win
Egor Demin

Available Against Hornets
Justin Herbert

Planning to Play Through Broken Bone in Left Hand in Week 14
Terance Mann

in Danger of Missing Monday's Game
Sauce Gardner

Likely to Miss a "Couple of Weeks" With Calf Strain
Noah Clowney

Considered Probable for Monday
Michael Porter Jr.

Listed as Probable for Monday's Matchup
Caris LeVert

Expected Back Monday
Duncan Robinson

Questionable to Face Hawks
Jalen Duren

Likely to Return Against Hawks Monday
Brock Bowers

Records Two Touchdown Grabs in Week 13
Alexandre Sarr

Iffy for Monday
Mark Williams

Available Against Lakers Monday
Ryan Dunn

on Track to Return Monday
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Uncertain for Monday
Coby White

Returning to Bulls Lineup Monday
Paolo Banchero

Unavailable Monday
Larry Nance Jr.

to Miss 3-4 Weeks
Jarrett Allen

to Miss a Week of Action
Justin Herbert

Suffers Fractured Hand in Week 13, Will Have Surgery
Kimani Vidal

has Season-High in Rushing Yards in Win Over Raiders
De'Von Achane

Looks Unstoppable on the Ground in Week 13
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
Bijan Robinson

Compiles 191 Total Yards, Touchdown in Loss to Jets
Shedeur Sanders

Will Start Again in Week 14 Against Titans
Mike Evans

Could Return in Week 14
Keon Coleman

Active for Week 13
Dalton Kincaid

Officially Inactive for Week 13
Kyren Williams

Returns in Week 13 After Injury Scare
Kyren Williams

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

Returns in Week 13 After Injury Scare
CFB

Lane Kiffin to be Introduced as LSU's Next Head Coach on Monday
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
Warren Foegele

Not Ready to Return Saturday
Simon Benoit

Won't Play Saturday
Henri Jokiharju

Lands on Injured Reserve
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
Jake Walman

Sidelined for Third Consecutive Game
Jack Roslovic

to Miss Two 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