One Trick Ponies (Big Name Guys Who Only Help A Few Categories)

October 14, 2022

Shane Simpson takes a look at one-trick ponies in your fantasy basketball leagues and whether they are worth the trouble of picking in your draft.

Every NBA stud has his strengths and weaknesses in fantasy hoops. In a category league, knowing what those strengths are is obviously an important step to being successful. One categorical strength in particular can sometimes mislead you into thinking that a player is really worth that high draft pick. That category is points. Every NBA stud can get buckets, and that's fantastic.  In fact, that's almost exclusively what makes them an NBA stud.

There are certain ones who can get you a bunch of buckets and not a whole lot else when they get on the court. Some of them don't necessarily hurt you in the other categorical areas. Perhaps they are simply mediocre everywhere else, and that can be okay too. Those are guys who are always worth considering in your draft, as long as you keep your expectations in check.

Then there are a few who actually make your team worse in some regards. Again, that can be okay in situations where you're punting the same category the player struggles in. Punting both of the percentage categories is not ideal but it's something to consider if you like drafting certain Knicks players. Below is a handful of players (with an ADP below 100) that can really tear it up in one or two categories for your team, while they simultaneously lose a bit of value because of their deficiencies everywhere else.

Klay Thompson (Average ADP: 72)

After a slow start in his return from injury last season, the five-time NBA All-star found his shot and was able to knock down 3.6 three-pointers per game to go along with 20.4 points per game. His time away from the court may have something to do with the slight drop in some other areas, as he used to help you out a bit more across the board, particularly with free throws and steals.

Prior to last season, Thompson was usually good for about one steal per game throughout his career, but that average was cut in half this past year.  His free-throw percentage has always been above average and still is, but his total attempts have dipped to just 1.6 per game, negating any positive impact that might have in a matchup.

Bottom line: if you have Klay Thompson on your team, you can probably count on points and threes again, but not too much else.

RJ Barrett (Average ADP: 92)

The fourth-year Knicks guard has seen some improvement in certain categories each season, but also a decline in production in others as of late. Last year he managed 20 points per game, a career-best, while also improving his three-point output. Both of those have shown to be a bit inconsistent from week to week though. For the majority of the time, points are really all you can count on from Barrett for your fantasy matchups. His low shooting percentages have a negative effect, especially given the volume. He also doesn’t help you at all in either defensive category. Since being drafted in 2019, he’s only averaged 1.1 steals and blocks combined.

Bottom line: RJ Barrett is a scorer, and will likely get even better at that as he gets older. In a points league, he does enough for you, but his inefficient shooting and almost non-existent defensive stats are a hassle to deal with in category leagues.

Julius Randle (Average ADP: 55)

Like his Knicks teammate, Randle can get you points. Unlike his Knicks teammate, he also gets you a lot of rebounds, averaging 9.9 per game last season, and 9.3 for his career. His assists numbers in the last two seasons have shown huge improvement as well. For a big, averaging 5.1 assists last year was certainly a bonus.

Unfortunately, his similarities to Barrett don’t end with points. His field-goal percentage is just as bad, and his defensive stats are also lacking. Randle has never averaged more than one block or one steal per game in any of his eight NBA seasons.

Bottom line: Julius Randle can score you some points and even contribute well in rebounds and assists, but his value drops for the same reasons mentioned above with Barrett.

Collin Sexton (Average ADP: 81)

Last season, Sexton’s points-per-game average took a huge dip as he was relied upon much less in the offense (and he only played 11 games all season). That will likely change with his move to Utah. His career average of 20 points per game is something you can most likely count on again this season, and I may be sounding like a broken record here but scoring points is really all he does.

The former Cavalier doesn’t contribute enough anywhere else to be a top-100 draft pick in category leagues. For someone who plays point guard half of the time, he averages too few assists (3.3 over his career). His shooting percentages and three-pointers are extremely average, and his defensive stats are minimal.

Bottom line: Take Collin Sexton if you need points in the mid-rounds of your draft, but that's really all you're going to get from him.

Rudy Gobert (Average ADP: 28) and Myles Turner (Average ADP: 72)

While both of these centers are huge contributors in the blocks department, each averaging over two per game for their careers, don’t count on them to help in many other areas.

Gobert has more value because he also gets you double-digit rebounds (14.7 per game last season) and can help boost your field goal percentages, but he struggles at the line and really doesn’t score a ton of points for a top-30 pick. Over his career, he’s averaging 12.4 per game, and though his most recent years have seen an improvement in that number, playing next to Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota this coming season will likely see a drop in his points output. Meanwhile, Gobert’s steals and assists numbers are typical for a center like him, in that they are almost non-existent.

Unlike Gobert with rebounds, Myles Turner doesn’t really excel in any other category outside of blocks. His career averages of 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists are very mediocre for fantasy purposes. Similarly, his shooting percentages are around league-average (at best), though he has been able to knock down the occasional three-pointer or two.

Bottom line: Both are guys you're taking in your draft specifically for their shot-blocking abilities. Rudy Gobert stands out as having the lowest projected points-per-game average (13.8) of all the players being taken in the first three or four rounds and his free-throw shooting is subpar, but he does get you great blocks and rebounds. Myles Turner's block numbers are equally as potent, and he has a more balanced "categorical portfolio" than Gobert, but he won't dominate more than one category for you.

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