Fantasy basketball seasons is starting up. Every year there are players that surprise everyone and lead your fantasy team to victory. But just as there are heroes, there are players that horribly disappoint. This year will be no different. For some players the bar is set to high, and for others they struggle with injuries or other issues. There are also some players who simply have a down year. Here are some players that you should avoid in your drafts.

Serge Ibaka – Oklahoma City Thunder

Ibaka is rated as one of the top 15 fantasy players by almost every major sporting website. Ibaka is a valuable player in the fact that he can play both power forward and center. He is also an exceptional shot blocker. However the rest of his game is subpar. He averaged a measly 13 points per game last season and managed to pull down only seven boards a game. He is also a poor free throw shooter, shooting 71% for his career. While Ibaka has a great chance to continue to improve, there are many other big men I would take over him.

One major points that’s hurting Ibaka is the fact that he’ll never be a top scoring option for his team. He will almost always be the third or fourth option and that severely hurts his production. While Ibaka is certainly a good fantasy player to have on your team, he is simply not worth an early round pick, especially if there are players like Al Horford, DeMarcus Cousins, LaMarcus Aldridge, Dwight Howard and Al Jefferson still available.

Ty Lawson – Denver Nuggets

Lawson is rated as one of the top thirty players and in the top 10 for all point guards. I think. Lawson is a great player and has the potential to improve this season; however I think he has hit his peak. In the last two seasons he’s averaged 16 points and six assists per game. These numbers are very respectable, however he is not worthy of such a high pick. He is a below average free throw shooter, shooting only 75%. He is also an average three point shooter, averaging just over one a game. He also turns the ball over an egregious two and a half times a game. Lawson is a valuable fantasy point guard, however he is not worthy of a top-25 pick, especially with players like Tony Parker and Jeff Teague still on the board

Ricky Rubio – Minnesota Timberwolves

Ricky Rubio is listed as a top twenty player and as the seventh best point guard. There are multiple point guards I would put above Rubio. Rubio is a great passer, as he has averaged close to eight assists per game over his career. However there are many factors that hurt him as a fantasy player. Rubio is a poor scorer, averaging only ten points a game. He also shoots a mediocre 35%, including 31% from behind the arc. He also turns the ball over three times a game. He has also battled injures throughout his career; he has played in only 98 games over two seasons. Rubio has some great players around him so he is not asked to score the ball much. His job is to create baskets for his teammates. However this characteristic alone is not enough to justify this high of a ranking. I would not even consider taking Rubio over the likes of Tony Parker, Damian Lillard, Kemba Walker or Monta Ellis.

Nicolas Batum – Portland Trail Blazers

I believe Nicolas Batum is one of the most overrated fantasy players this season. He is ranked as the fourth best small forward and as one of the top fifteen best fantasy players. To rank Batum above the likes of Josh Smith, Rudy Gay, Ersan Ilyasova, Klay Thompson, and Paul Pierce, to name a few, is ridiculous. Last year Batum has a very modest stat line of 14 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. He also averaged close to three turnovers per game. I fully expect these numbers to decline along with his overall playing time. Last year the Blazers had one of the worst benches in the league, which meant their starters had to play way more minutes than normal. This year the Blazers will have a much improved bench, meaning Batum will see less minutes. The continued development of Damian Lillard and the presence of LaMarcus Aldridge will also limit Batum’s touches. While Batum would be a solid utility player, he is certainly not worthy of a high round pick