Fantasy Basketball Weekly Mailbag: November 9th
By Matt Conway
The Fantasy Basketball season is fully under way, which is the perfect time to open up the mailbag for questions.
Q. Is Joakim Noah worth holding onto anymore in a standard ten team league? – Ralph Blythe
A. Joakim Noah has been one of the NBA’s best centers for quite sometime, but seems to be losing fantasy significance as a member of a crowded Bulls frontcourt. He is still averaging a healthy rebound total (7.1 RPG per game), but has had a putrid shooting season so far (2.3 PPG on .318 FG % percentage). The Bulls seem to have a great deal of offensive firepower, so it would take an injury to give Noah any chance to increase his offensive production.
Owners who used a draft pick on him however should not be concerned, as there are some deep waiver options to fill in his place. One guy in particular I recommend is Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks. The Canadian youngster has averaged a solid 11.3 PPG and 8 RPG so far, and is beginning to see an increased role in a Mavericks team desperate for frontcourt options. Others such as Festus Ezeli and Kosta Koufos are also options as guys with increased roles due to injuries to their respective teams.
Q. I got Joe Johnson in an autodraft & can’t stand him. Don’t understand why he’s ranked so high. I just wanna drop him! Ideas? – Ralph Blythe
A. Similar to Joakim Noah, Johnson has had a great NBA career, providing heat-check scoring for both Atlanta and now Brooklyn. However, Johnson’s production this year has been tepid at best (10.3 PPG on .329 FG %), which is shocking considering how big of role he has. Looking at the game film, Johnson seems to be far past his prime, being a few steps slower and lacking consistency.
There is plenty of waiver wire options to replace him however. Both Will Barton and Nik Stauskas (or Sauce Castillo) are owned in less than 80% of ESPN leagues and offer some potential. Stauskas should offer healthy 3 point and assists totals on a 76ers offense desperate for offense, with his shooting stroke this year looking much improved. Will Barton however could be a huge steal, as he is building off a great finish to last season. At his best, he can offer stable scoring, assists, and rebounds, being a dream option for owners.
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Q. Who is more valuable, Lebron James or Kevin Durant? – Earl
A. This is an age-old question, as both Lebron James and Kevin Durant are the most well-known and respected players in the NBA. Durant is more of a dynamic scorer (29.2 PPG), while Lebron provides healthy stats in every category (6.8 AST and 6.7 RPG). The answer for who is the better player may be different, Durant seems to be the more valuable fantasy option.
The difference for me comes down to playing time. Kevin Durant, unless he gets injured, will play a majority of games this season as the Thunder vie for a high seed in the competitive Western Conference. Lebron James however will likely take numerous games off in the latter half of the season as the Cavaliers look to rest him for the playoffs.
Q. Rajon Rondo has enjoyed a solid start to the season, including a triple-double against the Golden State Warriors. Will he be able to sustain that level of success? -James Macey
A. To many NBA fans, it seemed like Rajon Rondo was finished. He essentially gave up during his tenure with the Mavericks, eventually leading to him getting benched in the playoffs last year. So far this season, Rondo has looked much improved, averaging healthy totals across the board. While some owners may be suspicious, Rondo should be able to keep this solid start up.
Rondo’s game has never been about scoring, more so contributing as a great passer and a sneaky rebounder. Watching the games, Rondo has seemingly regained his burst, while passing efficiently on a Kings team with quite a bit of outside scoring. As long as he stays healthy and scores enough times, he will be a sneaky good point guard play in points leagues.
Hope I was able to help with any Fantasy Basketball related questions. If you would like to have a question submitted, feel free to either email me wej32@ymail.com or Tweet me @MattKhanway sometime before Sunday.