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(Athlete: Kawhi Leonard Source: cnn.com Photograph by Matt Slocum/AP, Date: October 15th, 2024)
To avoid losing in fantasy basketball leagues this season, it will be crucial for fantasy managers to avoid busts. Thus, here are three players to look out for in your drafts.
Injured Star Center with a History of Missing Games
(Athlete: Joel Embiid Source: lastwordonsports.com Photograph by Kylan Watson, Date: October 10th, 2024)
Joel Embiid is an MVP-caliber superstar for the 76ers, helping them consistently become championship contenders. He has an expensive ADP of 8.1 and looks to emulate his 2022-2023 MVP season.
However, Embiid has missed the entire NBA preseason with a knee injury and is not practicing with the team. He will miss half of every back-to-back game and wear a knee brace to take necessary precautions throughout the regular season.
Surprisingly, Embiid has only played 60 or more games four times in his eight-year NBA career. His career high is 68 games played, illuminating his fragility and unavailability for managers.
Embiid also failed to finish in the top 40 in eight-categories settings in three of the four seasons he played less than 60 games. His status against the Bucks on opening night is questionable and his certain missed games during back-to-back matches demonstrate that Embiid is not worth his top-ten ADP and will be a bust.
Star on Tanking Team and Narrow Value
(Athlete: Lauri Markkanen Source: sportsnet.ca Photograph by AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Date: February 22nd, 2024)
Lauri Markkanen broke out on the Utah Jazz during the 2022-2023 season, quickly rising to become one of the NBA’s young stars. Accordingly, Markkanen secured a five-year $238 million extension with the Jazz during the 2024 offseason.
With two years as a star under his belt, many fantasy managers expect him to continue his stellar performance as a top option on a subpar team. However, since the Jazz are predicted to be the second-worst team in the Western Conference during the 2024-2025 season, the Jazz will likely let him rest significantly in March and April, similar to the 2023-2024 season.
Thus, Markkanen will provide managers with significantly less value during a crucial time when they prepare for and compete in the league playoffs. Markkanen is also more fit for categories than points leagues due to his notoriety as an efficient shooter.
As a result, managers focusing on efficient scoring, rebounds, and threes should target him. On the other hand, Markkanen’s combined assists, steals, and blocks were 3.3 during the past seasons, accentuating his hyper-specific profile that may not appeal to most managers. His limited contributions in other statistics and high risk of being shut down late in the season showcase that Markkanen is an imminent bust.
Star Becomes Third Option after Being Traded
(Athlete: Mikal Bridges Source: sportsnet.ca Photograph by Donald Stewart, Date: August 20th, 2024)
Mikal Bridges was traded to the New York Knicks in the 2024 offseason, joining a talented championship-contending roster. Unfortunately, Bridges will be the third option behind stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Still, Bridges may make up for his lack of production by increasing his defensive stops and by being a more efficient scorer. He will fuel the Knicks’ offense by taking on most of the defensive responsibilities, allowing his teammates to succeed offensively, indirectly helping Bridges score more.
However, Bridges’s scoring, rebounds, and assists may drop in this new lineup. Although Bridges has only missed one NBA game in his career, he ranked 74th in fantasy points last year at 32.6.
He also ranked 41st in total category value when punting turnovers. At his current ADP of 54.8, Bridges is a reach. He may be a good fit for managers looking for steals and efficient scoring, but Bridges’s ADP is too high to justify his certain drop in production.
2024 Fantasy Basketball Bust Summary
Ultimately, managers should succeed by believing in these picks and refusing to draft these players. Due to varying circumstances, Joel Embiid, Lauri Markkanen, and Mikal Bridges will underperform during the 2024-2025 season.
Embiid has a troubling injury history, which has caused him to miss many games throughout his spectacular NBA career. Therefore, his unavailability throughout the NBA preseason and certain knowledge about missed games, plus his top-ten ADP make Embiid a bust.
Markkanen is a talented player who is a top option on his team. However, since the Jazz will be tanking, he will miss most of the late season and his narrow fantasy skillset make him a bust.
Bridges is also a former top option who was traded to the contending Knicks. He will underperform during the 2024-2025 season because of his historical record of below-average fantasy points and expensive ADP that overestimates his performance.
Overall, avoid these players in your drafts. Limiting busts on your teams can lead to guaranteed success in many leagues.
(SportAI Inc TM)
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