The Cut List - Who To Drop for Fantasy Basketball Week 18

February 12, 2023

Alex's fantasy basketball players to drop when making waiver wire moves in Week 18 (2022-23). He helps fantasy NBA managers decide on who to cut from rosters.

What's up, RotoBallers! Yes, it's the week of the Super Bowl, and most people are going to be enthralled with football for one more day. With that being said, it could be the best time to drop bad players and add some good ones while everyone else is distracted! The trade deadline shook some rosters up and that's bound to have some effect on everyone's fantasy roster as well.

The Drop List returns for another week, and it might not be kind to some of your rosters. Each week, I'll take a look at a handful of NBA players that can be dropped from your fantasy team.

Without further ado, let's get to the fantasy basketball drop list. Every Saturday, we'll have a list of NBA players and a small dive into why they can be cut from some or all fantasy formats. Please take into account: each fantasy league is different. Make sure you check out the waiver wire and have a player in mind to replace one of the following players that you may drop.

Players to Consider Dropping or Replacing

Jalen McDaniels (SF/PF, PHI) - 27% rostered

Not to be confused with his younger brother, Jaden McDaniels, Jalen was not a regular starter with the Charlotte Hornets and he was just traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. That means, he is more than likely to remain in a bench role and could even see fewer minutes than he was seeing before.

This past week, he was traded for Matisse Thybulle, who was only averaging 12.1 minutes per game before the deal. Enter McDaniels, who was getting 26.7 minutes per contest with the Hornets and just played his first game with the 76ers where he received 16 minutes. Obviously, there are plenty of factors including the fact that was only his first game with his new team. He could end up seeing 20 or more minutes eventually.

The problem is that there are a lot more players in Philly's rotation that actually deserve time on an NBA floor. They have multiple established superstars and up-and-coming stars and quality role players alongside them. McDaniels was a great depth addition for the team in the long run, but when it comes to fantasy purposes, his output is going to decrease.

He was already 125th in per-game fantasy value. Don't be the one to hold him too long and see his rank plummet to outside the top 150.

Cam Thomas (SG/SF, BKN) - 74% rostered

The first of three Brooklyn Nets on this list and probably the most intriguing talent of the three to boot. Cam Thomas can light up the scoreboard on any given night but was unfortunately hidden on the bench behind Kyrie Irving. After the Irving and Kevin Durant deals, Thomas went to work and put up three 40-point efforts in a row.

Now, his minutes took a hit after Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Mikal Bridges, and Cameron Johnson all took the floor for the first time. Thomas went from getting 33 or more minutes to just 18 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers in their latest game. Despite trading away their two biggest stars, the Nets don't seem content with tanking as the team can still make some noise for the rest of the season and through the first couple of rounds in the postseason.

In deeper leagues and dynasty formats, holding on to Thomas could be a smart move for the time being, but everywhere else he was a great one-to-two-week rental. On the season, he's ranked 309th in the fantasy world, and his playing time will likely reflect that.

Royce O'Neale (SG/SF, BKN) - 40% rostered

Another casualty from the Irving and Durant trades, Royce O'Neale was a quality role player and starter. The moment that all the aforementioned players played for the Nets for the first time, O'Neale didn't start anymore.

Not only did O'Neale not start, but he's had a rough go of things over the last three games. He's shot a whopping 20.0% from the floor and 23.5% from deep while averaging just 4.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. That's not going to do him any favors in a competition for minutes against the likes of Bridges and Finney-Smith.

Say it with me, "We don't need triple-single players on our fantasy team!"

Mason Plumlee (C, LAC) - 70% rostered

At this point, if you guessed that the reoccurring theme is players who got their minutes subtracted due to trades, then you're the grand prize winner!

Plumlee went from a surefire starting role with only younger players behind him to a team that's in championship contention with a better center on the roster as well as a younger one as a backup. On top of a team that can move to the occasional small-ball lineup with either Marcus Morris Sr. or Robert Covington at the five.

A solid indicator of what could be on the Los Angeles Clippers is back when Plumlee was a backup for the Denver Nuggets in 2019. At that time, he only started one game and averaged 7.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists across 17.3 minutes per contest. That could help in very deep leagues, but that's where the buck stops.

The third and remaining Plumlee brother now faces the fate of the other two in the NBA. Find out if he survives irrelevancy, next time on Dragonball.

Ben Simmons (PG/SG/PF, BKN) - 79% rostered

Whew, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised that this suggestion came so late in the season.

Ben Simmons has still, unfortunately, been a shell of himself since joining the Nets. The days of him being an All-Star seem like ages ago and the highlights on Sportscenter are few and far between. Remember when Simmons was one of the most feared defenders and players in transition? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Now, he's just a seemingly regular guy averaging 7.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.4 turnovers per game. He's fouling at the highest rate of his career, shooting free throws at the worst clip of his career, and attempting the fewest shots per game of his career as well.

Oh, did I mention earlier how they brought in a bunch of quality players that provide better offense and around the same level of defense as he does? Off to the waiver wire with him!

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