Fantasy Basketball Drop Candidates: Who to Cut Before the All-Star Break

We usually dive heavily into the fantasy basketball waiver wire adds, but are going to focus on drop candidates here as we near the All-Star break.

More drops can be found daily on the FantasySP waiver trends most dropped tab, which can be found on any fantasy basketball page on the site. 

Explore the best in-season tool to manage lineup/start decisions including waiver pickups, projections, trade suggestions, trade value charts, rest of season rankings, power rankings, and tons more with Fantasy Assistant. Use our fantasy basketball trade analyzer and the Trade Value Chart to break down trade scenarios.

Moussa Diabate - Charlotte Hornets

Diabate is the biggest drop of the day so far, down 5.5%. He's owned in 58% of leagues right now.

Diabate was involved in a fight when the Hornets battled the Pistons on Monday. On Wednesday, he was suspended for four games. 

Diabate started serving that suspension right away, missing the game against the Hawks on Wednesday night. So Diabate will also miss the team's first three games after the All-Star break. That's enough for a fantasy player to be dropped in some leagues, especially if they aren't a top-end asset.

Diabate had been owned in all deeper leagues and a few standard leagues, and now he's being dropped in all league types. If you cannot stash him, then dropping him is the wise choice.

Diabate has played in 50 games, starting 24 of them. He's averaging 8.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1 block and 0.7 steals over 25.2 minutes a night. Diabate is shooting 63.2% overall.

So he's a double-double threat every night, which makes him a good deep-league fantasy asset, and worthy of some standard league run when he's in a good groove. With him out for the time being, he's not worth holding, especially if you need every rostered fantasy player active to compete.

Assess your team and drop Diabate if need be, but be ready to add him back as his suspension nears an end.

Tari Eason - Houston Rockets

Eason is owned in 75% of leagues after being let go in 4.7% of leagues.

He continues to start for the Rockets, but inconsistent results and some missed games is causing some fantasy owners to look elsewhere.

He has played just 10 of the team's past 18 games. Eason has scored in double figures in seven of those contests, but in just three of the past five games.

Eason can add some rebounds, assists, steals and blocks too, but it's those inconsistent scoring nights that hold him back as a fantasy asset. If he cannot consistently put up points, he's not worth rostering in as many leagues as he's currently owned in.

He is averaging 12.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks over 25.4 minutes a night on the season. Eason has started 17 times over 31 total appearances and is shooting 45.1% overall and 46% from deep.

Eason is still playing a healthy amount of minutes, but he's just not doing enough to warrant fantasy ownership in as many leagues.

I'd definitely look at his numbers, then numbers of some waiver wire assets to see if Eason is replaceable. He's one to keep tabs on, but I agree with him being dropped for the time being.

Aaron Nesmith - Indiana Pacers

Nesmith is down 4.1% and now sits at 45% overall.

Nesmith missed the last Indiana game, and has only suited up for four of the team's six games this month. That, along with inconsistent performances is why he's being dropped today.

He has scored in double figures in three of the four games this month, but has 12 and 11 points in two of those three double-digit outings. He has 16 rebounds in that stretch, but 14 of them came in two games. He's just not consistently delivering big, and that matters in fantasy.

Nesmith is averaging 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks over 30.5 minutes this season. He's started in 29 of his 32 appearances, while shooting 38.9% overall and 37.1% from 3-point land.

He usually plays enough to put up good numbers, but it doesn't always happen. So again, I understand fantasy owners dropping him today.

Nesmith is worth watching in case he bounces back and gets hot eventually. For now, he's not even worth a roster spot in all deeper leagues, and he shouldn't be in any standard leagues either.

Marvin Bagley III - Dallas Mavericks

Bagley is rostered in 62% of leagues after a 3.9% dropoff today.

Bagley was traded from Washington to Dallas at the deadline - he was part of the Anthony Davis trade. Bagley delivered big in his first game in Dallas, but didn't do nearly as much in his second contest.

He posted 16 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, two assists and one steal over 24 minutes off the bench in his first game with the Mavericks. Bagley then had nine points, eight rebounds and two assists over 24 minutes in his last game.

Khris Middleton, another player in that trade I referenced, played for the first time in Dallas, and Bagley didn't end up doing as much in his time on the court. That could be a sign of things to come for Bagley if the Mavs stay relatively healthy.

With around 24 minutes a game, Bagley has a decent fantasy outlook, especially because he can deliver with points and rebounds. Anything else is just gravy. In 24 minutes off the bench though, his production will likely come and go, so inconsistency will be an issue.

I'm fine rostering and utilizing Bagley in deeper leagues at his current role, but I'd only consider him in standard leagues as a streaming option. That would come in a hot stretch for him, or in a favorable matchup.

I think there's better fantasy assets out there, and I'm thinking Bagley won't be able to do enough consistently to justify a standard league roster spot.

Devin Vassell - San Antonio Spurs

Vassell is owned in 78% of leagues after being dropped in 3.3% of leagues.

Vassell is a pretty well-known NBA player, but he's trending down after some tough showings of late.

Since returning from a lengthy absence, Vassell has scored in double figures just five times over nine games. In that stretch, he's averaging 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.2 blocks over 27 minutes, while shooting 42.4% overall and 23.4% from deep.

He is averaging 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks over 30.8 minutes a game on the season. Vassell has started 39 times over 41 total appearances, and is shooting 42.2% overall and 35.4% from deep.

You can see the decrease in production of late for Vassell, and it's really hurting his fantasy value. Vassell was always a secondary option in San Antonio, but he's been passed up by a few teammates of late.

I'm not giving up on him for good, but he is not worth rostering in as many standard leagues now. I again agree with fantasy owners dropping him today. Keep an eye on him, but for now, he's tough to trust in standard leagues.

Vassell is still rosterable in deeper leagues, and I don't expect that to change. Now is definitely a time to buy low on him in deeper leagues, and then you have to hope that he bounces back sometime after the All-Star break.