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: Shooting Guard Edition

It's a new year but some shooting guards are still stuck in their old ways. Since we last discussed struggling shooting guards, the four players on the first list have continued to do much of the same. Danny Green has put up very little production. Even though he got hot on Saturday night against a bad defensive effort from the Houston Rockets, he has only been half the fantasy asset that he was last year.  Kobe Bryant was reminiscent of the old Kobe for a little while, and we got to see some respectable stat lines from the legend. However, the FG% has regressed once again and he's back to being a difficult player to start in your lineup. Victor Oladipo was a candidate to be traded away and Monta Ellis has continued to perform below his career averages. Let's revisit these two guys and add another player to the list.

 

NBA Under-Performing Stars: Shooting Guard Edition

Victor Oladipo (SG, ORL)

Hopefully, you managed to trade away Victor Oladipo one month ago, because his value has really bottomed out. Over the last month, Oladipo has averaged 10.9 points, with 4.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds. He has shot 38.6% from the field and 28.6% from three. The number of single digit performances in which he seems to just disappear from the game has been extremely frustrating. Essentially, the production of all the players on the Magic are going to be inconsistent with the exception of Nikola Vucevic and maybe Tobias Harris. For now, the outlook for Oladipo is bleak, as teammate Evan Fournier has stepped it up over last few weeks. The time to discuss a trade for Will Barton has passed, and Oladipo has unfortunately fallen into the drop-or-not debate. What should you do with him?

Hold him.

His trade value has evaporated, but try to hold out for a while longer to see he can string some solid performances together. At that point, he is still not a reliable option you would want for the rest of the season. However, you could at least try to dangle him in front of a rankings slave and talk up his high draft position at the start of the season. It may feel like decades ago, but Oladipo held a lot of interest from newbies and experienced fantasy players alike. In the long run, Oladipo's production should look to climb up a bit, and he should be able to at least get to double digits scoring every night. However, he is definitely not the stat sheet monster he was last year. This is due to the overload of players competing for minutes, as well as the offensive system under the notorious Scott Skiles.

 

Kyle Korver (SG, ATL)

Kyle Korver is having a horrible shooting stretch for a 3-point specialist. Even before this rough stretch of games, Korver has failed to produce the decent numbers he had put up the past two seasons. Over the last month, Korver has averaged 7.6 points with 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He has shot only 32.0% from the field, and more importantly, only 27.6% from three. Korver's fantasy value is almost completely tied into his three pointers. If you can't count on at least two of those from him a game, then he becomes an extremely difficult option to keep on your roster. His last three games have been absolutely dreadful, in which he has gone 2 for 27. Korver was a commodity because of the threes he provided at a good FG% trade-off for a three point specialist. Given his terrible recent performance, is it time to move on?

Drop him.

Having a three point specialist on your fantasy roster is definitely a good way to utilize your shooting guard slot and to keep up your percentages despite the shot volume. However, if Korver isn't hitting threes, then he has absolutely no fantasy value. The last month has honestly been atrocious, but his season overall has been sub par as well. Pair that up with the production he has put up over the past few years, and we can chalk his struggles up to an extended cold streak. However, the issue is that not a lot of fantasy teams should be that desperate for three pointers and be that well rounded at all the other categories. There are plenty of good shooters on the waiver wire who can provide threes along with some other categories. Have a look at Devin Booker and T.J. Warren, who have earned themselves starting spots on the Suns.

 

Monta Ellis (SG, IND)

By all means, Monta Ellis hasn't been bad this season. But he hasn't looked good. Ellis has had a bunch of up and down performances since the last time we discussed him, but the scoring average still has remained about the same. Over the last month, Ellis has averaged 13.7 points with 2.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Ellis isn't struggling the way Oladipo and Korver are struggling, but he is averaging 5 points less than last year. This is certainly disappointing as his play correlates inversely with the performance of Paul George. Paul George cooled off several games throughout December, and that's when Monta stepped up and provided the scoring we're accustomed to seeing. However, when George is playing well, Monta becomes passive and relegates himself to a secondary or tertiary option even when he is given the main ball-handling duties. Should you still look to hold on to him or trade him to an owner under the pretense of letting them buy low?

Hold him.

Stick to your guns here. Even though Monta can't be counted on to provide the scoring he provided in the past, he is still a big piece of the Pacers offense and his opportunities will come. Aside from scoring, Monta's value also comes from the steals and occasional blocks that he can provide. His defense has certainly been there, so look to hold onto Monta as a strong contributor from the shooting guard slot for these categories. The rationale for trying to get another shooting guard over him would have to be if you're desperate for more scoring. Even then, Monta still has the capability of put up good scoring nights like he showed at the end of December. You just have to count on Paul George coming back down to earth over the rest of the season.

 

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

John Collins

Won't Face the Pistons on Sunday Night
Trey McBride

Sets All-Time Tight End Receptions Record
Geno Smith

Exits Early With Ankle Injury
DJ Moore

Suiting Up Against 49ers on Sunday Night
Ricky Pearsall

Officially Active for Week 17 Against Bears
George Kittle

Officially Inactive for Week 17
Ja'Marr Chase

Snags Two Touchdowns in Week 17
Geno Smith

Questionable to Return With Ankle Injury
Chris Godwin Jr.

Goes Over 100 Yards in Loss to Miami
Matthew Tkachuk

Returns to Practice
Chris Olave

Extends Touchdown Streak in Win Over Titans
Linus Ullmark

Takes Leave of Absence
Travis Sanheim

Good to Go Against Kraken
Kyshawn George

Ruled Out on Sunday
Zach Charbonnet

Scores Twice in Lead-Back Role on Sunday
Nick Foligno

Set to Return Sunday
Chase Brown

Finds End Zone Twice in High-Volume Role on Sunday
Jock Landale

Out Again on Sunday
Rhamondre Stevenson

Scores Twice, Plays Major Pass-Catching Role
William Nylander

Out Against Red Wings
Stefon Diggs

Enjoys Another 100-Yard Performance in Week 17
Jared McCann

Available Sunday
Vince Dunn

on Track to Return Sunday
Breece Hall

Not Concerned About Knee Injury
Blake Lizotte

Activated From Injured Reserve
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buccaneers Not Expected to Fire Todd Bowles?
DK Metcalf

Steelers Won't Void the Guarantees in DK Metcalf's Contract
Drake Maye

Throws for Career-High Five Touchdowns in New York
T.J. Watt

Expected to Play Against Ravens in Week 18
Breece Hall

Injures Knee in Loss to Patriots
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Exits With Heel Injury in Week 17 Loss
Dalton Kincaid

Won't Play Against Philadelphia
Tyler Herro

Showing Progress but Still Without Timetable
CFB

Jay Hill Expected to be Next Michigan Defensive Coordinator
Zach Collins

Exits Late With Lower-Body Injury
Chris Boucher

Ruled Out Sunday for Personal Reasons
Gabe Vincent

Out Again Sunday With Back Issue
Jrue Holiday

Remains Out Sunday Against Celtics
Collin Murray-Boyles

Unlikely to Play Sunday Due to Illness
Andrei Svechnikov

Extends Scoring Run With Three-Point Effort
Auston Matthews

Bags Three Points Saturday Night
Alex Laferriere

Records First Career Hat Trick
William Nylander

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Saturday
Zach Werenski

Unlikely to Play Sunday
Jake Evans

to Miss 4-6 Weeks
J.J. Moser

Inks Eight-Year Extension
Ajay Mitchell

Cleared to Return Sunday
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic Ruled Out for Sunday
Kyshawn George

Iffy for Sunday
De'Anthony Melton

Sits Out First Leg of Back-to-Back
Jaxson Hayes

Unlikely to Play Sunday
Derrick Jones Jr.

to Return From Knee Injury Sunday
Jock Landale

in Danger of Missing Another Game Sunday
Vince Williams Jr.

Won't Play Sunday
Robert Williams III

Inactive on Sunday
Jerami Grant

to Sit Out Fifth Consecutive Game
Brandin Podziemski

Probable to Play Sunday
Jakob Poeltl

to Miss Another Game Sunday
Ryan McDonagh

Misses Saturday's Action
Jordan Kyrou

Jimmy Snuggerud Back for Blues Saturday
Tanner Jeannot

Misses First Game of the Season
Rasmus Dahlin

Won't Play on Saturday
Elias Pettersson

Ready to Return Saturday
Leo Carlsson

Available Against Kings
CFB

Michigan Targeting Kyle Whittingham as Next Head Coach
CFB

Texas Leading Rusher Quintrevion Wisner Set to Transfer
Pete Fairbanks

Marlins Agree on One-Year Deal
Brooks Koepka

Leaving LIV Golf
Ryan O'Hearn

Pirates Agree on Two-Year Deal
CFB

Jeff Brohm, Eli Drinkwitz "Names of Interest" for Michigan Head Coach