HOLDS OR DUMPS

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS:

Holds or Dumps:

With teams tweaking their line-ups, players returning to health, and guys cooling off, there are several players that you might've streamed that you're looking to get rid of. That being said, there's several players that you should probably hold onto. Here's a list of the most dropped players and my takes on their long-term value.

CHRIS DUARTE - Between being hurt with a shoulder injury and averaging 9.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 3PG, with abysmal percentages, you're seeing him as the most dropped players in fantasy. He's down 15.1% in ESPN leagues, now rostered in only 21.4% of leagues. If you have a strong lead in your standings, he might be worth hanging onto until after December 15, when Indiana will have more flexibility to make trades, but he's going to continue to be very volatile. Despite being an older rookie, he still has growing pains and we don't know the extent to how long his shoulder woes will continue. If there is a guy on waivers you really like, you should probably go ahead and do it. With LeVert back in the line-up his usage has gone down and he doesn't contribute in enough categories to roster him over guys like Patty Mills or Kevin Huerter.

KELLY OLYNYK - Unless you have an open IR slot, he's a cut at this point. Stretch bigs are not super rare on the waiver wire at this point and if Luka Garza makes a big enough impact off of the bench, he could see his minutes continue to decline, as the team tanks for Chet. Even when healthy, Olynyk was only getting 22.9 MPG. Isaiah Stewart has a long leash despite not being super effective this season, but the lack of options in Detroit makes his minutes safe for now. His expectations were high with his Houston production, but I think he gets traded at some point to a contender, where his value would be minimal.

EVAN FOURNIER - After a red hot start to the season, Fournier his averaging 8.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.0 3PG, and 38% from the field. I wouldn't be hitting the panic button yet. He's pretty reliable overall, and Thibs has been trying to pull the ripcord on his starters when they struggle as of late. There aren't much better options than Fournier at this point, just a bunch of flyers. If you're absolutely done with him, DiVincenzo wouldn't be a horrible stash, as he's close to return, but with the high usage rates of Middleton and Giannis, he is a supplemental player regardless. I feel like his ceiling makes up for his slump and he should be able to shoot his way out of this.

DESMOND BANE - He's worth a hold - I wouldn't fret terribly. Even with the return of Brooks, he's a no brainer add. He has enough value in his current situation to justify the rostering and is still getting solid minutes. The Grizzlies have fallen off a bit, losing 3 out of their last 4 games, with the lone win being against Houston, who is trying to lose. At some point the Grizzlies will likely be looking to move Brooks or Anderson or both, so Bane will continue to be an important part of their rotation. Memphis is in the 9-seed right now and sitting at .500, but they don't appear to be in a position to make a big push for playoffs this season. They will likely be looking for ways to consolidate their roster and develop their young talent. DE'ANTHONY MELTON, however, is probably a drop, with his spot in the starting rotation now occupied by Brooks.

JOSH GIDDEY - I'm a little torn on Giddey. On one hand, he provides forward or center rebounding from the point, decent rebounds, but turns the ball over a lot (he's a rookie) and has been very inconsistent and ineffective with his shot. His upside is worth keeping and as long as he continues to receive close to 30 minutes per game, he's putting up fringe Draymond numbers from the guard position. If you can stomach the turnovers, he's worth a hold, but if you can package him in a deal to upgrade at the position, you consider it. At this point, I would not drop him, but he might be critical piece in maybe trading for like a Ben Simmons type player in your league.

RJ BARRETT - It's been pretty brutal. The Knicks as a whole have been struggling as mentioned in the Fournier portion of this article, but Barrett has been pretty empty on most nights. He's a definite hold and he's averaged 14.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3 APG over his last two games, but his lack of defensive stats have been frustrating for owners. He's historically much better post-ASB, so owners will have to just ride the slump and hope that these two recent performances will become the norm and not the exception.

JALEN SUGGS - He's definitely not a drop and if you own him, do not fall into the buy-low trap. Rookie struggles are not uncommon, but he's getting a consistent allotment of minutes and Orlando really likes him playing alongside Cole. He does not appear in any danger of losing minutes to Harris or Hampton, but it's definitely a situation to monitor. Orlando is dead last in the East, even below Detroit, so the development of the young core has been their primary concern. They cleaned house last season and acquired several picks, so building out a new team has been the top priority. He will providing significant ROI in the second half of the season.

DE'ANDRE HUNTER - Between his injury and his lack of production when healthy, he might've even been dropped prior to his injury - the injury just made it easier. Atlanta has not looked like the team vying for Eastern Conference excellence, but there is still plenty of time for them to turn things around.

TERRANCE MANN - If Batum is out for a while, I would hold onto him, but if Batum returns, he is okay to drop if you have a better option available. His usage has sort of trailed off, at some point Ibaka will be getting minutes, and even if Kawhi does not come back this year, I don't know if he's a must have option. His per-36 numbers are pretty similar to last year and he's already getting around 30 minutes per game. This might just be his ceiling.

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC - He is one of the biggest shocks to a slow start for me. In 27 games as a starter last season for Atlanta, he averaged 20.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.0 APG per game with 49/47/90 splits. In addition to a mediocre season, he's somewhat injured, and also in a slump. I feel like his ceiling is too high for him to drop. With Hunter out, Huerter in and out of injury, and Reddish a preferred bench player, he doesn't make sense to give up on. While he isn't putting up top-75 production, he does have top-50 upside when healthy and producing.

- Adam Safianow - NBA Analyst - Upsyde Sports [Copyright 2021]

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